The Acehnese (Acehnese: Ureuëng Acèh, Jawoë: اورڠ اچيه; Indonesian: Orang Aceh), also written as Achinese, are an Austronesian ethnic group native to Aceh, a province on the northernmost tip of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. The area has a history of political struggle against the Dutch colonial rule. The vast majority of Acehnese people are Muslims. The Acehnese people are also referred to by other names such as Lam Muri, Lambri, Akhir, Achin, Asji, A-tse and Atse. Their language, Acehnese, belongs to the Aceh–Chamic group of Malayo-Polynesian of the Austronesian language family.
The Acehnese were, for a time, partially Hinduised, as evident from their traditions and the many Sanskrit words in their language. Trade with the Islamic world resulted in the Islamization of the population and gradually displaced older religions practiced by the Acehnese. As a result, the Acehnese have been Muslims for many centuries. The estimated number of Acehnese ranges between 3,526,000 people to 4.2 million people.