Sulawesi - GIS

For centuries Sulawesi has been divided into various kingdoms. By the 16th century, Makassar had become Sulawesi's major port and centre of the powerful Gowa and Tallo sultanates which between them had a series of 11 fortresses and strongholds and a fortified sea wall which extended along the coast. Sulawesi's colorful history is the story of spices and foreign merchants, of mariners and sultans, and of foreign powers wresting control of the spice trade. Much of South Sulawesi's early history was written in old texts that can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries.

In 1511 the Portuguese and Spanish came here to spread Christianity and to trade. They found Makassar a thriving cosmopolitan entrepôt where Chinese, Arabs, Indians, Siamese, Javanese, and Malays came to trade their manu­factured metal goods and fine textiles for precious pearls, gold, copper, camphor and, of course, the invaluable spices - nutmeg, cloves and mace - which were brought from the interior and from the neighboring Spice Islands, the present day Maluku.

The Dutch came in the 1600s, expelled the Portuguese and occupied the rich and prosperous island. Between 1666 and 1669 they conquered the natives in the Makasar War and established themselves as colonialists.

The arrival of the Dutch altered events dramatically. Gradually, in defiance of the Dutch, the Arabs, Malays and Bugis returned to trade outside the grim fortress walls and later also the Chinese. The town again became a collecting point for the produce of eastern Indonesia - the copra, rattan, pearls, trepang and sandalwood and the famous oil made from Bado nuts used in Europe as men's hair dressing - hence the anti-macassars (embroidered cloths placed at head rests of upholstered chairs).

In 1960 after independence, under Sukarno, Sulawesi was divided into two provinces, North and South. Four years later, two more provinces were created -- Central Sulawesi was separated from North Sulawesi, and South-East Sulawesi was separated from South Sulawesi. In 2000, the new province of Gorontalo was created. It is one of oldest cities in Sulawesi and used to form part of North Sulawesi. It was followed by West Sulawesi (in 2004). Thus, today Sulawesi is made up of 6 provinces, namely South Sulawesi (the most populated, containing Makasar, the largest city in the island), South-East Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, Gorontalo and North Sulawesi.

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