Medan is the capital of the North Sumatra province in Indonesia. Located on the northern coast, Medan is the fourth largest city in Indonesia behind Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung and the largest Indonesian city outside Java. The city is bordered by the Deli Serdang Regency to the east, south and west, and the Strait of Malacca to the north.

Medan is in the northeastern Sumatra island, in Sumatera Utara province. Medan lies on the Deli River, which feeds into a naturally sheltered harbor and then into the Straits of Malacca, has helped the city grow in significance as a trading port. Its elevation is 2.5 - 37.5 metres above sea level. Medan is close to the volcano Sibayak, and Sinabung which just erupted in September 2013 after a 400 year dormant state.