Aceh has substantial natural resources of oil and natural gas with some estimates that Aceh gas reserves are one of the largest in the world . Aceh was the closest point of land to the epicenter of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami , which devastated much of the western coast of the province . Approximately 170,000 Indonesians were killed or went missing in the disaster . The disaster helped precipitate the peace agreement between the government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement ( GAM ) . Aceh was first known as '' ' Aceh Darussalam ' '' ( 1511 – 1959 ) and then later as the '' ' Daerah Istimewa Aceh ' '' ( Aceh Special Region ; 1959 – 2001 ) , '' ' Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam ' '' ( 2001 – 2009 ) , '' ' Aceh ' '' ( 2009 – 2019 ) and '' ' Daerah Istimewa Aceh ' '' ( Aceh Special Region ; 2019 – present ) . Past spellings of '' Aceh '' include '' Acheh '' , '' Atjeh '' , and '' Achin ''
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
Aceh