West Sumatra bounded in the north by the province of North Sumatra, in the west by the Indian ocean, in the south by the provinces of Bengkulu and Jambi, and in the east by Riau province.

85% of the population are Minangkabau, notable in the annals of anthropology as the world's largest matriarchal society: children take their names from their mother's side and, on marriage, the husband moves into the wife's family. Culturally, the hallmarks of Minangkabau culture are their famously spicy food, served all around Indonesia in Padang restaurants (named after the capital), and the soaring-eaved rumah gadang house, shaped like a series of buffalo horns.

On the other hand, the tribal inhabitants of the Mentawai archipelago, a group of islands about 100 miles off the coast of west Sumatra, cling to a traditional agrarian lifestyle that is totally different from that of Minangkabau.

Dominated by jungles, volcanoes canyons and lakes, the Province of West Sumatra is could be an enormous and magnificent nature park. It is the home of the Minangkabau, one of Indonesia most interesting and influential ethnic groups. The Minangkabau are versatile and intelligent people who lead a community and family life based on a matrilineal system which gathers around mosques and traditional adat houses. It is the women who own property and the men who choose to wander. Traveling is considered a mark of success and therefore many West Sumatrans are found in other parts of the country.Proof of this is the many Minang or Padang restaurants, serving very spicy food, found in all major towns across the nation.

The people are hospitable and eloquent with a poetic style of speech and colorful ceremonies and festivals. Legend has it the Minangkabau are descendants of the youngest son of Alexander the Great, King Maharjo Dirajo, more commonly known in Indonesia as Iskandar Zulkarnain. They originally settIed in the Padang Panjang region and gradually spread out over the rest of Western Sumatra.

West Sumatra's centre of culture and tourism is Bukittinggi, nestled in the highlands, north of the provincial capital of Padang. This hinterland has a range of high mountains which dip into picturesque valleys and lakes. Amongst them are the remains of the old Minangkabau kingdom, of Pagaruyung, which is now the center for art, silver, hand-weaving, embroidery and woodcarving.

Padang's Tabing Airport is the main gateway to West Sumatra and is serviced by Merpati Nusantara airline. There is also a fortnightly ship service to Jakarta by MV Kerinci from Teluk Bayur harbour. The voyage takes about 30 hours. There are also small vessels from Muara harbour sailing to small towns along the entire west coast of Sumatra. Regular bus services run between Padang and Bukittinggi and other major cities of Sumatra, as well as via the trans-Sumatra Highway to Jakarta, and all points east.