The city of Bukittinggi was originally a market (weekend) for the people of Agam Tuo. Then after the arrival of the Dutch, this city became their stronghold to fight the Padri. In 1825, the Dutch erected a fort on one of the hills in this city. This place is known as the fortress of Fort de Kock, as well as being a resting place for Dutch officers in their colonies. During the reign of the Dutch East Indies, this area had always increased its role in constitutionalism which later developed into a city stadsgemeente, and also functioned as the capital city of Afdeeling Padangsche Bovenlanden and Onderafdeeling Oud Agam.

During the Japanese occupation, Bukittinggi was used as the center of control of its military government for the Sumatra region, even to Singapore and Thailand. The city became the seat of the 25th military commander of the Kempetai, under the leadership of Major General Hirano Toyoji. Then the city changed its name from Stadsgemeente Fort de Kock to Bukittinggi Si Yaku Sho whose area was expanded to include surrounding nagari such as Sianok Anam Suku, Gadut, Kapau, Ampang Gadang, Batu Taba, and Bukit Batabuah. Now the nagari enter the Agam Regency area.

After Indonesia's independence, Bukittinggi was declared the Capital of the Province of Sumatra, with its governor Mr Teuku Muhammad Hasan. Then Bukittinggi was also designated as an area of ​​city government based on the Decree of the Governor of Sumatra Province Number 391 dated June 9, 1947.

During the period of maintaining Indonesia's independence, Bukitinggi City acted as a city of struggle, when on December 19, 1948 the city was designated as the State Capital of Indonesia after Yogyakarta fell into the hands of the Netherlands or known as the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PDRI). Later, this event is designated as the State Defense Day, based on the Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia on December 18, 2006.

Furthermore, the City of Bukittinggi became a big city based on Law Number 9 of 1956 concerning the establishment of autonomous cities of the city in the regional environment of the Province of Central Sumatra at that time, which included the present provinces of West Sumatra, Jambi, Riau and Riau Islands.

In order to expand the city area, in 1999 the government issued Government Regulation Number 84 of 1999 which included combining nagari around Bukittinggi into the city area. The Nagari are Cingkariang, Gaduik, Sianok Anam Suku, Guguak Tabek Sarojo, Ampang Gadang, Laweh Field, Pakan Sinayan, Kubang Putiah, Pasia, Kapau, Batu Taba, and Koto Gadang. However, some people in Agam Regency refused to join Bukittinggi so that the regulation has not yet been implemented.


Geography
The city of Bukittinggi is located in a series of Bukit Barisan stretching along the island of Sumatra, and is surrounded by two volcanoes namely Mount Singgalang and Mount Marapi. The city is located at an altitude of 909-941 meters above sea level, and has cool air with temperatures ranging between 16.1–24.9 ° C. Meanwhile, from the total area of ​​the current Bukittinggi City (25.24 km²), 82.8% has been designated as cultivated land, while the rest is protected forest.

The city has a hilly and mountainous topography, some of these hills are scattered in urban areas, including Ambacang Hill, Tambun Tulang Hill, Mandiangin Hill, Campago Hill, Kubangankabau Hill, Bukit Pinang Nan Sabatang, Bukit Canggang, Bukit Paninjau, and so on. In addition, there is a valley known as Sianok Gorge with a depth that varies between 75-110 m, which basically flows a river called Batang Masang.

The development of the population of Bukittinggi is inseparable from the changing role of the city to become the center of trade in the Minangkabau highlands. This was marked by the construction of the market by the Dutch East Indies government in 1890 with the name Loods. Local people spelled it with loih, with a curved roof then known as Loih Galuang.

At present Bukittingi is the most populous city in West Sumatra Province, with a density of 4,400 people / km². The number of workforce is 52,631 people and around 3,845 of them are unemployed. [18] The city is dominated by Minangkabau ethnicity, but there are also Chinese, Javanese, Tamil, and Batak ethnic groups.

The Chinese community came together with the emergence of markets in Bukittinggi. They were allowed the Dutch East Indies government to build a shop / kiosk at the foothills of Benteng Fort de Kock, which is located in the western part of the city, stretching from south to north, and currently known as Kampung Cino. While Indian traders were placed in the foothills to the north, circular from east to west and now called Keling Village.