Overview
Extremely irregular in shape, island of Sulawesi comprises four large peninsulas separated by three gulfs—Tomini in the north-east, Tolo in the south-east, and Bone in the south. It lies in the middle of the Malay Archipelago between the islands of Kalimantan to the west, Maluku to the east, Flores to the south and Timor to the south-east, and shares a border with the Philippines to the north. Sulawesi’s wet and dry seasons vary across the different peninsulas, but (except for the northern peninsula) the heaviest rainfall usually occurs between November and April during the western monsoon. In the sheltered centre of the island is the semi-arid Palu Valley, with an annual rainfall of less than 600 mm, while the mountains can receive up to 4000 mm.
The name Sulawesi is a local pronunciation of the Portuguese name for the island, Celebes, and came into common use after Independence, but the exact origin of the name Celebes is not clear. The Portuguese, the first Europeans on the island, called it Ponto dos Celebres which means point of the notorious/renowned. This might refer to the many pirates that were sailing in Sulawesi (and Indonesian) waters those days, or to the strong Monsoon winds which caused many ships to sink.
A local legend says that when the Portuguese first landed on the island, the captain of the ship met a man who was busy working as a blacksmith. The captain asked the man - in Portuguese - what the name of the island was. The blacksmith, not understanding, thought the captain had asked him what he was doing, and answered "sele besi", which means "heat iron" or "work with iron". The captain was satisfied with the answer and registered Selebesi as name of the island in his logbook. Some invoke a mountain called Kalabat to explain the name. Meanwhile, a more modern legend says the name Sulawesi is derived from the two words sula (island) and besi (iron), referring to the rich sources of iron on the island.
Sulawesi (formerly Celebes) is the fourth largest island of Indonesia and the eleventh largest in world. It covers an area of 189,040 km² and is one of the most forested and mountainous islands in the region. As a unique rain forest lying on the Wallace line, Sulawesi is rich in varieties of flora and fauna. It also has the highest level of mammal endemism in Asia and is a major component of the Wallace Biodiversity Hotspot as designated by Conservation International. For the time being Sulawesi is still the most forested island in Indonesia. It has many lakes, of which Towuti is the largest and Tondano, with its waterfall, is considered the most beautiful.
Sulawesi also boasts eleven active volcanoes, and among them are Mt. Rantemario (11,286 ft/3,440 m) and Mt. Rantekombola (11,335 ft/3,455 m) that are also the island’s highest peaks. Eruptions have occurred as recently as 1991, while the eruption of Awu in the Sangihe Talaud archipelago in 1966 killed over 7,300 people. Parts of southern Sulawesi are largely infertile due to the high concentration of heavy metals in the soils. With a wealth of natural resources -- minerals and high-quality woods -- Sulawesi is now one of the richest regions in Indonesia.
Sulawesi comprises of six separate provinces: South Sulawesi (capital: Makassar), North Sulawesi (capital: Manado), Gorontalo (capital: Gorontalo), Central Sulawesi (capital: Palu), South-East Sulawesi (capital: Kendari), and West Sulawesi (capital: Majene), which was established in October 2004 as the Indonesia’s 33rd province.
South Sulawesi is the largest province in Sulawesi while Gorontalo is the smallest. The most populous city on the island, Makassar (pop. 1.1 million) is frequently referred to as the 'Gateway to Eastern Indonesia.'
By the 16th century, Makassar had become Sulawesi's major port and the centre of the powerful Gowa and Tallo sultanates, which between them set up a series of 11 fortresses and strongholds and a fortified sea wall which extended along the coast. When Dutch came in the early 17th century, everything changed dramatically. Their first objective was to seize hegemony over the spice trade, and their first move was to capture the fort of Makassar in 1667, which they rebuilt and renamed Fort Rotterdam. From this base they managed to destroy the strongholds of the Sultan of Gowa who was then forced to live on the outskirts of Makassar. The character of this old trading centre changed as a walled city known as Vlaardingen grew, a place where slaves were at the mercy of the ruthless foreigners.
With few sites of historical and artistic importance, the charm of the region lies in well-kept towns, impressive traditional beliefs and activities, and the extensive coastline where master shipbuilders construct massive wooden schooners, using only simple hand-tools and designs passed down by rote through the centuries.
The name Sulawesi is a local pronunciation of the Portuguese name for the island, Celebes, and came into common use after Independence, but the exact origin of the name Celebes is not clear. The Portuguese, the first Europeans on the island, called it Ponto dos Celebres which means point of the notorious/renowned. This might refer to the many pirates that were sailing in Sulawesi (and Indonesian) waters those days, or to the strong Monsoon winds which caused many ships to sink.
A local legend says that when the Portuguese first landed on the island, the captain of the ship met a man who was busy working as a blacksmith. The captain asked the man - in Portuguese - what the name of the island was. The blacksmith, not understanding, thought the captain had asked him what he was doing, and answered "sele besi", which means "heat iron" or "work with iron". The captain was satisfied with the answer and registered Selebesi as name of the island in his logbook. Some invoke a mountain called Kalabat to explain the name. Meanwhile, a more modern legend says the name Sulawesi is derived from the two words sula (island) and besi (iron), referring to the rich sources of iron on the island.
Sulawesi (formerly Celebes) is the fourth largest island of Indonesia and the eleventh largest in world. It covers an area of 189,040 km² and is one of the most forested and mountainous islands in the region. As a unique rain forest lying on the Wallace line, Sulawesi is rich in varieties of flora and fauna. It also has the highest level of mammal endemism in Asia and is a major component of the Wallace Biodiversity Hotspot as designated by Conservation International. For the time being Sulawesi is still the most forested island in Indonesia. It has many lakes, of which Towuti is the largest and Tondano, with its waterfall, is considered the most beautiful.
Sulawesi also boasts eleven active volcanoes, and among them are Mt. Rantemario (11,286 ft/3,440 m) and Mt. Rantekombola (11,335 ft/3,455 m) that are also the island’s highest peaks. Eruptions have occurred as recently as 1991, while the eruption of Awu in the Sangihe Talaud archipelago in 1966 killed over 7,300 people. Parts of southern Sulawesi are largely infertile due to the high concentration of heavy metals in the soils. With a wealth of natural resources -- minerals and high-quality woods -- Sulawesi is now one of the richest regions in Indonesia.
Sulawesi comprises of six separate provinces: South Sulawesi (capital: Makassar), North Sulawesi (capital: Manado), Gorontalo (capital: Gorontalo), Central Sulawesi (capital: Palu), South-East Sulawesi (capital: Kendari), and West Sulawesi (capital: Majene), which was established in October 2004 as the Indonesia’s 33rd province.
South Sulawesi is the largest province in Sulawesi while Gorontalo is the smallest. The most populous city on the island, Makassar (pop. 1.1 million) is frequently referred to as the 'Gateway to Eastern Indonesia.'
By the 16th century, Makassar had become Sulawesi's major port and the centre of the powerful Gowa and Tallo sultanates, which between them set up a series of 11 fortresses and strongholds and a fortified sea wall which extended along the coast. When Dutch came in the early 17th century, everything changed dramatically. Their first objective was to seize hegemony over the spice trade, and their first move was to capture the fort of Makassar in 1667, which they rebuilt and renamed Fort Rotterdam. From this base they managed to destroy the strongholds of the Sultan of Gowa who was then forced to live on the outskirts of Makassar. The character of this old trading centre changed as a walled city known as Vlaardingen grew, a place where slaves were at the mercy of the ruthless foreigners.
With few sites of historical and artistic importance, the charm of the region lies in well-kept towns, impressive traditional beliefs and activities, and the extensive coastline where master shipbuilders construct massive wooden schooners, using only simple hand-tools and designs passed down by rote through the centuries.
This entry was posted
on Friday, June 10, 2005 at 2:10 AM.
You can skip to the end and leave a response.
» Post a Comment