Travel Destination Indonesia

Sulawesi Island

Sulawesi is located east of Borneo, west of the Moluccas and has a common border with the Philippines to the north. The odd shape of the island naturally divides it into four provinces. These are South, Southeast, Central and North Sulawesi. The coastline is totally 5.630 km and the area about 189.070 sq. km. Highest mountain is Rantekombola, stretching to an altitude of 3.455 m above sea level. Unlike the other regions of Indonesia there are few active volcanoes here, just some on the north east and south east parts. Another characteristic feature is the hilly landscape with slopes and plains at various altitudes, most at an elevation of 500 m or higher. Sulawesi is surrounded by deep waters, the Sulawesi sea north of the island is approx. 6.200 m deep.

Climate

The wet season normally lasts from November to April, in the central and northern parts the rain are more evenly spread during the whole year. The driest part are to the southeast. The climate and temperature also varies a lot between lowland and highland.

Flora and fauna

The tropical and varied (and beautiful) landscape has created an unique plant and animal life with many species that only exists on Sulawesi, for example babirusa (wild pig), cuscus, sapiutan (wild cow), tailless baboon and many species of birds. A number of national parks and reserves have been established, some open for visitors. Sulawesi is a central part of Wallacea, the transitional zone between the Asian and Australian wildlife (see also Lombok, Moluccas and Nusa Tenggara). The marine life is no less varied, and on Sulawesi you can see species that you will not find anywhere else, divers from all over the world come here to experience the unique underwater landscape here.

People and Religion

The islands population are about 13 million. Much because of the complex topography there are many different ethnic groups here, some 50 different languages are spoken on Sulawesi. The largest ethnic groups are Bugis in the south, Toraja in central Sulawesi and Minahasa in the north. Most of the southern population are Muslim, despite the late arrival of Islam in the 17th century. The small tribes in the central region still hold on to their old, traditional religions. The most famous group here is Toraja, known for their unique funerals and offerings. In north Sulawesi a majority of the population are Christian, influenced by missionaries from nearby Philippines that have worked here since the 15th century.

Economy

Major income on Sulawesi is agriculture and fishing. Some of the products exported from this region are spice, fruit, maize, rice, tobacco, coffee and sugar. There are also some mining industry here, mostly for gold, copper, tin and diamonds.

History

There have been modern humans on the island for thousands of years, the first immigrants were probably of Mongolian origin. The strategic location of Sulawesi has led to frequent contact and trade with other regions of Asia, mainly China, India, Thailand, Java and later also with Europeans. Sulawesi was formerly known as Celebes, a name given by the Portuguese who came here as the first Europeans in 1512. Spanish missionaries arrived to the northern parts from the Philippines not long after.
Gowa, the first significant power on Sulawesi started to expand about 1530 AD. Their capital was Makassar, today known as Ujung Pandang. Makassar was a busy port and a center for the trade in the eastern parts of the Indonesian archipelago. Between 1608 and 1611 Gowa attacked Bone, the other large kingdom on South Sulawesi where the Bugis people ruled. Bone was defeated and controlled by Gowa and Islam was spread to the entire South Sulawesi.

North Sulawesi and the Minahasa people there never developed any large empire. In 670 AD the leaders of the different tribes, who all spoke different languages, met by a stone known as Watu Pinabetengan. There they founded a community of independent states, who should stay together and fight any outside enemies if they were attacked. The Minahasian people also had strong ties to the Sultanate on Ternate.

Colonization

In 1607 the Dutch became interested in the region, and they soon discovered that Gowa challenged their monopoly on spice trade. They made an alliance with the local Bugis ruler prince Arung Palakka, who were driven away by Gowa, and in 1666 a year of severe fighting started. Sultan Hasanuddin of Gowa was in 1667 forced to sign a treaty that limited the power of Gowa. Bone then became the leading kingdom on South Sulawesi and the Dutch gained control over this district and southeast Sulawesi. Later the Dutch managed to close out the other European nations here and gained some sort of control of Sulawesi, full control with all the districts on Sulawesi was however not established until the 19th century. A riot among the Bugis was stopped in 1906, in 1905 the Toraja district was occupied. North Sulawesi came under Dutch rule in 1870. The Japanese occupation during World War II lasted from 1942-45. After an intermediate war with the Netherlands Celebes, which was the official name of Sulawesi at that time, became a part of the new Republic of Indonesia.

Art and culture

The most famous culture on Sulawesi are Toraja with their colorful and unique funeral ceremonies. Also the rest of Sulawesi can offer colorful festivals, and the large number of cultures all have their different forms of dance, music, art and crafts.

General

The name Sulawesi probably origins from "sula" which means island and "besi" which means iron, this probably refers to the rich sources of iron around Danau Matano. The most important hubs for transportation are Ujung Pandang and Manado, which both have good connections to the rest of Indonesia. There has been religious unrest around Poso in Central Sulawesi between Christians and Muslims lately, so you should check the local conditions before you go to that particular area.

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