Sulawesi

Sulawesi, also called Celebes, is a big island in Indonesia. It is one of the four Greater Sunda Islands and the world's 11th-largest island. Sulawesi sits east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago.

Inside Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger. Only Java and Sumatra have more people living there. The island has four main parts that stick out: the northern Minahasa Peninsula, the East Peninsula, the South Peninsula, and the Southeast Peninsula.

Three deep parts of the sea separate these areas: the Gulf of Tomini between the northern Minahasa and East areas, the Tolo Gulf between the East and Southeast areas, and the Gulf of Boni between the South and Southeast areas. The Strait of Makassar runs along the west side of Sulawesi, separating it from Borneo.

Etymology

The name Sulawesi may come from two words: sula, meaning "island," and besi, meaning "iron." This could refer to the iron that was once mined and exported from Lake Matano.

Another name for the island is Celebes, which was used by Portuguese explorers. They likely took this name from the local name "Sulawesi," though its exact meaning in Portuguese is not fully known.

Geography

Sulawesi is the world's eleventh-largest island, with an area of 186,216.16 km². It has tall mountains in the middle, so many people travel between its parts by boat instead of by road. Three big bays — the Tomini, Tolo, and Boni — split the island into four parts: the Minahasa or Northern Peninsula, East Peninsula, Southeast Peninsula, and South Peninsula.

The Strait of Makassar lies west of Sulawesi. The island is close to Borneo to the west, the Philippines to the north, Maluku to the east, and Flores and Timor to the south. Smaller islands such as the Selayar Islands, Sangihe Islands, Talaud Islands, Buton, Muna Islands, Togian Islands, Peleng Island, and the Banggai Islands are also part of Sulawesi.

Geology

Sulawesi rises from the deep seas around it to a high, mostly non-volcanic, mountainous interior. Active volcanoes are found in the northern Minahasa Peninsula, stretching north to the Sangihe Islands, including Mount Lokon, Mount Awu, Soputan, and Karangetang.

The island was formed by the collision of terranes from the Asian Plate and the Australian Plate, with island arcs in the Pacific forming its northern and eastern parts. This makes Sulawesi prone to earthquakes. The island is at the centre of the Asia-Australia collision zone.

Prehistory

The oldest evidence of humans on Sulawesi comes from stone tools found near Ujung village, dating back at least 1.04 million years. These tools were made by early humans known as archaic humans.

In October 2014, amazing cave paintings in Maros were found to be about 40,000 years old, making them some of the oldest known hand stencils in the world. These paintings show animals like pigs, proving that early humans lived on the island and created art. Later discoveries found even older paintings, showing that people were creating art even earlier than we thought.

History

Sulawesi has a rich history that goes back many years. In old times, the island was influenced by Hindu and Buddhist cultures. Important items, like a bronze statue found near the Karama river, show that people lived there as early as the 2nd to 7th century AD. By the 14th century, small kingdoms, such as Gowa and Makassar, were part of a big trading network that included places like Java.

Later, European explorers arrived. The Portuguese visited in the 1520s, looking for gold, and later the Dutch and English also came. The Dutch took control of parts of Sulawesi in the 17th century, changing the island's politics and culture. During the 20th century, Sulawesi became part of Indonesia after periods of Dutch rule and World War II.

Main articles: Hinduism in Southeast Asia, Buddhism in Southeast Asia, Hinduism in Indonesia, Buddhism in Indonesia, Greater India, [Mandala (political model)](/wiki/Mandala_(political_model)

Population

Sulawesi is home to many people, with different groups living in various parts of the island. In 2020, about 19.9 million people lived there. The largest city is Makassar.

People on Sulawesi follow different religions. Most are Islam, especially in the southern parts. There are also many Christians, mainly in the northern areas. Smaller groups practice Hinduism, Buddhism, and other beliefs. Many people also keep their traditional local customs alongside their main religion.

The island has many languages spoken by its people, each with its own unique culture and history.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Sulawesi

The economy of Sulawesi mainly relies on farming, fishing, mining, and caring for forests. These activities help provide food, resources, and jobs for many people living on the island.

Administration

Sulawesi started as one province from 1945 to 1960. It was then split into two, and later divided into six provinces: Gorontalo, West Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, and North Sulawesi. The largest cities are Makassar, Manado, Palu, Kendari, and Gorontalo.

Flora and fauna

See also: Sulawesi lowland rain forests and Sulawesi montane rain forests

Sulawesi is part of Wallacea. This means it has animals and plants from both Asia and Australia. The island has many unique species found only here.

There are 8 national parks on Sulawesi, including Bogani Nani Wartabone and Lore Lindu National Park. These parks help protect wildlife habitats.

Sulawesi has special mammals like the anoa (a small type of buffalo), babirusas (unique pigs), and several types of tarsiers and macaques. The island also has many unique rodents, bats, and smaller mammals.

There are around 350 bird species on Sulawesi, including the maleo, which uses hot sand to cook its eggs. There are also owls and starlings. The island has many interesting reptiles like pythons, monitor lizards, and several types of snakes and lizards found only on Sulawesi.

There are many kinds of frogs and other amphibians, as well as over 70 species of freshwater fish. Many of these fish live only in Sulawesi's lakes and rivers.

Environment

Sulawesi has some big environmental problems, with deforestation being the biggest one. Many of the island's forests have been cut down for logging, big farming projects, and nickel mining. This hurts many of Sulawesi's special animals.

The island has many parks and protected areas to help save its nature. Sulawesi has six national parks, nineteen nature reserves, and three marine protected areas. But these parks are sometimes threatened by logging, mining, and farming.