Padang

Padang pädängˈ [key], city (1990 pop. 631,263), capital of Sumatra Barat prov., on W Sumatra, Indonesia, on the Indian Ocean at the mouth of the small Padang River. An important port, it has a large trade in coffee, copra, rubber, spices, tobacco, and cement, which are shipped principally from its port, Teluk Bayur. Padang remains the principal outlet for the important Umbilin coalfields. In the area are a huge cement plant and several textile mills. The city has an airport and is the seat of Andalas Univ. Padang suffered significant damage from earthquakes in 2007 and 2009.

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