Gorontalo (
Gorontaloan: ''Hulontalo'') is a
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
on the island of
Sulawesi. Located on the
Minahasa Peninsula
The Minahasa Peninsula, also spelled Minahassa, is one of the four principal peninsulas on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. It stretches north from the central part of the island, before turning to the east and forming the northern boundary of th ...
, Gorontalo was formerly part of the province of
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Minahasa Peninsula of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia. It borders the Philippine province of Davao Occidental and Socc ...
until its inauguration as a separate province on 5 December 2000. In Indonesian history, the only Indonesian President from the
Gorontaloan people
Gorontalo or Hulondalo people are the native people of the northern part of Sulawesi. They are the most populous ethnicity in the Minahasa Peninsula. The Gorontalo people are predominantly Muslim. Their native language is the Gorontalo language. ...
is the third President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prof. DR. Ing.
Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie
Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie (; 25 June 1936 – 11 September 2019) was an Indonesian engineer and politician who was the third president of Indonesia from 1998 to 1999. Less than three months after his inauguration as the seventh vice preside ...
. His father, Alwi Abdul Jalil Habibie, comes from the "Habibie" clan.
The provincial capital, as well as the main gateway and the most populated city, is
Gorontalo City (often called Hulontalo City) which is also famous for the nickname "Porch of
Medina
Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the second-holiest city in Islam, and the capital of the ...
" ( id, Serambi Madina). This is because the kingdoms of Gorontalo have applied Islamic law as a basis for implementing the law, both in the fields of government, society, and the courts.
The province covers a total land area of 11,257.07 square kilometres (4,346.38 sq mi) and had a population of 1,040,164 at the 2010 Census, and 1,171,681 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2021 was 1,180,948, resulting in a population density of 104.91 inhabitants per km
2.
Etymology
The Origin of Gorontalo
The word ''Gorontalo'' comes from the word ''Hulontalo'' in the Gorontalo language. ''Hulontalo'' is derived from the word ''Hulontalangi'', a name of one of the Kingdoms in Gorontalo. In addition, there are several historical records regarding the origin of the name Gorontalo, including:
a. Gorontalo comes from the word "Hulontalangi", which means "Valley of the Noble".
Hulontalangi comes from two syllables, namely "Huluntu" which means "Valley" and "Langi" which means "Noble".
b. Gorontalo comes from the word "Hulontalangi", which means "Inundated Land".
The word "Hulontalangi" in other translations comes from two syllables, namely "Huntu" which means "Piles of Soils" or "Mainland", and "Langi-Langi" which means "Flooded". Then the word "Hulontalangi" can also be interpreted as "Flooded Land" according to the story of the people of Gorontalo.
c. Gorontalo comes from the word "Huidu Totolu", which means "Three Mountains".
If traced its history, there are three ancient mountains on the Gorontalo peninsula, namely Mount Malenggalila, Mount Tilonggabila (changed to Tilongkabila) and another Mountain which is not named.
d. Gorontalo comes from the word "Pogulatalo", which means "Place of Waiting".
The word "Pogulatalo" gradually changed in the words of the community to "Hulatalo"
e. Gorontalo comes from the word "Hulontalo".
However, due to difficulties in pronunciation, the Dutch colonizers called "Hulontalo" to be "Gorontalo".
Gorontaloans sometime refer themselves as ''Hulandalo'' or ''Hulantalo'', a well-known term in Gorontalo and North Sulawesi, which usually refer to the region of Gorontalo or the native people from Gorontalo.
Pohala'a
The Gorontaloan people also have a family kinship system called ''Pohala'a''. This system is a heritage of the kingdoms that had previously established in Gorontalo. There are five ''pohala'a'' in Gorontalo, namely Gorontalo, Limboto, Suwawa, Bualemo and Atinggola; where the Gorontalo ''pohala'a'' is the most prominent among the ''pohala'a''s.
History
Historically, Gorontalo has been the centre for the spread of
Islam in Eastern Indonesia, dating back to the pre-colonial era. The province also was the seat of many independent Gorontaloan kingdoms. The
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
arrived in the beginning of the 17th century, subjugating the local kingdoms and finally annexed the area into the
Dutch East Indies. Gorontalo was briefly occupied by the
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, before finally becoming part of the independent Republic of Indonesia. Gorontalo was incorporated into the province of North Sulawesi, but after the
Fall of Suharto
Suharto resigned as President of Indonesia on 21 May 1998 following the collapse of support for his 32-year long presidency. Vice President B. J. Habibie took over the presidency.
Suharto's grip on power weakened following severe economic and ...
, the government decided to create a new province, owing to the cultural and religious differences to the Christian-majority province of North Sulawesi and also as part of the country's decentralization program. Hence, the new province was created on 5 December 2000.
Compared to other provinces of Indonesia, Gorontalo is one of the least developed provinces. As of 2017, Gorontalo scores 0.670 in
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, wh ...
, one of the lowest in Indonesia. It ranks 28th out of the 34 provinces. Compared to the neighbouring provinces such as North Sulawesi, Gorontalo's infrastructure is very poorly developed. The province has often suffered from electricity crises as well as water shortages. Nevertheless, the government is currently attempting to improve Gorontalo's infrastructure, with construction projects such as the Gorontalo Outer Ring Road, Randangan Dam and the Anggrek Power Plant.
Pre-Colonial era
The peninsula which includes Gorontalo has had some type of human civilization since approximately 1300 years ago. Historical records show a Kingdom of
Suwawa
Suwawa is a district (''kecamatan'') and capital district of Bone Bolango Regency, Gorontalo
Gorontalo ( Gorontaloan: ''Hulontalo'') is a province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo was form ...
as existing in 8th century CE. This is reinforced by the discovery of the tomb of their king, Moluadu, on the banks of the river Bulawa along with his wife and child.
However, Gorontalo Peninsula did not just have historical records on the inscription King ancient tombs, but it also has prehistoric sites. Oluhuta sites, is a prehistoric site and has a prehistoric tomb in it. This may be evidence that Gorontalo has had very ancient civilization.
Meanwhile, the city of Gorontalo is one of the oldest cities on Sulawesi in addition to the city of
Makassar and
Manado
Manado () is the capital city of the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi. It is the second largest city in Sulawesi after Makassar, with the 2020 Census giving a population of 451,916 distributed over a land area of 162.53 km2.Badan Pusa ...
. It is estimated, Gorontalo has been around since approximately 400 years ago or around the 1500s in the 16th century. Previously Gorontalo City became one of the centers of Islamic religion in Eastern Indonesia, in addition to Ternate (now part of North Maluku Province).
Along with the spread of the religion, Gorontalo city eventually became the centre of education and commerce for the surrounding regions such as
Bolaang Mongondow (
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Minahasa Peninsula of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia. It borders the Philippine province of Davao Occidental and Socc ...
),
Buol,
Luwuk
Luwuk is the capital of Banggai Regency, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Its area is 72.82 km2 following boundary changes in 2012 and 2015. There used to be an oil industry in the region. At the 2020 census it had a total population of 34,849 in ...
,
Banggai,
Donggala
Donggala Regency is a regency in the Central Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. It lies between 0° 30" north and 2°20" south latitude, and between 119° 45°" and 121° 45" east longitude, and covers a land area of 5,275.69 km2. It had a popula ...
(
Central Sulawesi
Central Sulawesi ( Indonesian: ''Sulawesi Tengah'') is a province of Indonesia located at the centre of the island of Sulawesi. The administrative capital and largest city is located in Palu. The 2010 census recorded a population of 2,635,009 fo ...
) and even further towards
Southeast Sulawesi
Southeast Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Tenggara) is a province on the island of Sulawesi, forming the southeastern peninsula of that island, together with a number of substantial offshore islands such as Buton, Muna, Kabaena and Wawonii (formerly ...
. This is because of its strategic location, its position facing directly into the
Gulf of Tomini
The Gulf of Tomini ( id, Teluk Tomini), also known as the Bay of Tomini, is the equatorial gulf which separates the Minahassa (Northern) and East Peninsulas of the island of Sulawesi (Celebes) in Indonesia. The Togian Islands lie near its cen ...
(south) and the
Sulawesi Sea (north).
Before the colonial period Gorontalo was governed under customary law. Kingdoms were united in a bond of kinship called "Pohala'a". According to Haga (1931) there are five pohala'a Gorontalo area:
*Pohala'a Gorontalo
*Pohala'a Limboto
*Pohala'a Suwawa
*Pohala'a Bolango then be Pohala'a Boalemo
*Pohala'a Atinggola
Based on the classification made by the Mr. C. Vollenhoven, the Gorontalo peninsula was included among the 19 indigenous areas in Indonesia. Between religion and customs in Gorontalo was fused with the term "Adat bersendikan Syara 'and Syara' bersendikan Kitabullah". Pohalaa Gorontalo is the most prominent among the five Pohalaa. That is why Gorontalo is more widely known.
Colonial era
Westerners began arriving in the Indonesian archipelago starting in the 16th century because of interest in spices from Indonesia, especially spices from the
Maluku islands
The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located ...
. The first Westerners to come to Indonesia were the
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
, who sailed from
Malacca to
Gresik
Gresik Regency ( older spelling: Grissee, ) is a regency within East Java Province of Indonesia. As well as a large part of the Surabaya northern and western suburbs, it includes the offshore Bawean Island, some 125 km to the north of Java ...
in
East Java
East Java ( id, Jawa Timur) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost hemisphere of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean bord ...
and then to the Moluccas, where spices were collected. Then followed the
Spaniards
Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance ethnic group native to Spain. Within Spain, there are a number of national and regional ethnic identities that reflect the country's complex history, including a number of different languages, both in ...
, who arrived in 1521 with two ships through the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
,
Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...
,
Tidore
Tidore ( id, Kota Tidore Kepulauan, lit. "City of Tidore Islands") is a city, island, and archipelago in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia, west of the larger island of Halmahera. Part of North Maluku Province, the city includes the island ...
,
Bacan, and
Jailolo
Jailolo is a volcanic complex on a peninsula (Jailolo Bay), west of Halmahera island. It has lava flows on the eastern flank, small caldera at the west and south-west of the mountain, hot springs along the north-west coast of the caldera. Small ...
, until they sailed to Maluku until 1534.
Then the
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
came to Indonesia and arrived in Banten in 1596, which was also a place for trading spices from the surrounding area. In 1607, the Dutch visited the
Minahasa Peninsula
The Minahasa Peninsula, also spelled Minahassa, is one of the four principal peninsulas on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. It stretches north from the central part of the island, before turning to the east and forming the northern boundary of th ...
, with the approval of the Sultan of Ternate. As the peninsula at that time was part of the
Sultanate of Ternate, the Dutch were assigned by the Sultan to order all Ternate people who were in
Manado
Manado () is the capital city of the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi. It is the second largest city in Sulawesi after Makassar, with the 2020 Census giving a population of 451,916 distributed over a land area of 162.53 km2.Badan Pusa ...
to return to Ternate. This was done to make it easier for the Dutch to repulse Spain in Manado who came to North Sulawesi through the Philippines. In 1617, the
Spaniards
Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance ethnic group native to Spain. Within Spain, there are a number of national and regional ethnic identities that reflect the country's complex history, including a number of different languages, both in ...
tried to spread
Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
to the local people around
Lake Tondano by force, but they were repulsed by the local community. The local chief requested the Dutch for help, and the Spaniards was repulsed from the area.
Since then, in North Sulawesi, the Dutch began to establish its hegemony, then after the
Dutch East India Company
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
(VOC) governor in Ternate, Robertus Padtbrugge, traveled across North Sulawesi to Kwandang to make a contractual decision in 1678. The Gorontaloan and Limbotoan localities could do nothing when the Ternate Sultanate handed over Gorontalo and Limboto regions to the VOC.
Gorontalo was important to the VOC because it contained food ingredients such as rice, chocolate and coconut, besides that in the mountains there are also gold mines, such as in the areas of Samalata, Marisa, Bonepantai, and Bintauna. Seeing these conditions, the VOC established a trading post, through which the trade offices between the Dutch government and Gorontaloan kingdoms were officially started.
Subsequent developments, the political transition of the VOC to the
Dutch East Indies at the turn of the 18th century to the 19th century was marked by VOC bankruptcy caused by various factors, such as accounting fraud, corruption, weak employee capabilities, monopoly systems, and systems forced which brought about the moral deterioration of the rulers and the suffering of the population.
Entering the 19th century as the transition of the government process of centralization of government administration from the central level to the village level was inevitable for the Dutch colonies, especially Gorontalo.
Japanese Occupation and Independence
The
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
occupied Gorontalo during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, ending three centuries of Dutch colonial rule. Gorontalo was subjected to air bombing as well as naval shelling by the
Allies over the course of the war, resulting in severe civilian casualties.
Prior to the onset of
Indonesian independence
The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence ( id, Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Indonesia, or simply ''Proklamasi'') was read at 10:00 on Friday, 17 August 1945 in Jakarta. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of th ...
,
Nani Wartabone headed a Gorontalan Independence Movement, declaring itself sovereign on 23 January 1942. For approximately two years Gorontalo was effectively a self-governing region. This was a milestone in the struggle for independence and inspired similar efforts both on
Celebes
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sul ...
and across the Indonesian archipelago. However, this was brutally opposed by the Japanese, and the
Kenpeitai
The , also known as Kempeitai, was the military police arm of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1881 to 1945 that also served as a secret police force. In addition, in Japanese-occupied territories, the Kenpeitai arrested or killed those suspecte ...
arrested and tortured many pro-Independence advocate, including Wartabone himself. Wartabone was eventually recognized by the
Indonesian government
The term Government of Indonesia ( id, Pemerintah Indonesia) can have a number of different meanings. At its widest, it can refer collectively to the three traditional branches of government – the executive branch, legislative branch and ju ...
as a
National Hero of Indonesia
National Hero of Indonesia ( id, Pahlawan Nasional Indonesia) is the highest-level title awarded in Indonesia. It is posthumously given by the Government of Indonesia for actions which are deemed to be heroic, defined as "actual deeds which can b ...
. Today, he is buried in his hometown of Suwawa, in the eastern part of the province.
After the
surrender of Japan in 1945, the Japanese handed the area to the local pro-Independence militia. However, the Dutch returned to Gorontalo to assume control, resulting in an inevitable
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
between the Dutch forces and the Indonesian Republicans. After the
Linggadjati Agreement
The Linggardjati Agreement (''Linggarjati'' in modern Indonesian spelling) was a political accord concluded on 15 November 1946 by the Dutch administration and the unilaterally declared Republic of Indonesia in the village of Linggarjati, Kunin ...
between the Dutch and the Indonesian, Gorontalo was incorporated into the
State of East Indonesia, a state of the
United States of Indonesia
The United States of Indonesia ( nl, Verenigde Staten van Indonesië, id, Republik Indonesia Serikat, abbreviated as RIS), was a short-lived federal state to which the Netherlands formally transferred sovereignty of the Dutch East Indies (exce ...
. In 1950, Gorontalo became part of the province of
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Minahasa Peninsula of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia. It borders the Philippine province of Davao Occidental and Socc ...
in a now unitary Republic of Indonesia.
In 1957, chaos and lack of attention by the central government in
Jakarta resulted in a rebellion by
Permesta
Permesta was a rebel movement in Indonesia, its name based on the Universal Struggle Charter (or ''Piagam Perjuangan Semesta'') that was declared on 2 March 1957 by civil and military leaders in East Indonesia. Initially the center of the movem ...
which was based in Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi. However, Gorontalo was not much affected by the rebellion, as the locals still supported the central government. The rebellion was crushed in 1960 after the government assaulted and captured Manado.
In 2000, Gorontalo City and two regencies, with their Muslim-majority communities, were spun off from North Sulawesi into a separate province with Gorontalo as the provincial seat.
Geography
![Gorontalo-Kwandangarea-Indonesia-cloudyday](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Gorontalo-Kwandangarea-Indonesia-cloudyday.jpg)
Gorontalo lies on the northern peninsula of
Sulawesi, also known as the
Minahasa Peninsula
The Minahasa Peninsula, also spelled Minahassa, is one of the four principal peninsulas on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. It stretches north from the central part of the island, before turning to the east and forming the northern boundary of th ...
. The province has an elongated shape area, stretching from west to east almost horizontally on a map, with a total area of .
To the north and the south of the province lies the
Sulawesi Sea and the Gulf of Gorontalo or known as
Gulf of Tomini
The Gulf of Tomini ( id, Teluk Tomini), also known as the Bay of Tomini, is the equatorial gulf which separates the Minahassa (Northern) and East Peninsulas of the island of Sulawesi (Celebes) in Indonesia. The Togian Islands lie near its cen ...
, respectively. Prior to 2000, Gorontalo province was part of
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Minahasa Peninsula of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia. It borders the Philippine province of Davao Occidental and Socc ...
province which lies on the eastern border. The western border of the province is
Central Sulawesi
Central Sulawesi ( Indonesian: ''Sulawesi Tengah'') is a province of Indonesia located at the centre of the island of Sulawesi. The administrative capital and largest city is located in Palu. The 2010 census recorded a population of 2,635,009 fo ...
province.
Topographically, the province is relatively low (0–40
o), with the elevation ranging between 0– above sea level. Its coastline length is more than . Counting the
Exclusive Economic Zone to the north where
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
is at the border, the total sea area of the province is more than .
There are some small islands around the north and the south of the province, 67 of which have been identified and named.
The land surface in Gorontalo Province is mostly hilly. Therefore, the province has many mountains with different heights. Tabongo Mountain which is located in Boalemo Regency is the highest mountain while Litu-Litu Mountain which is located in
Gorontalo Regency
Gorontalo is a regency of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia, on the island of Sulawesi. It was established in 1959 under Law Number (''Undang-Undang Nomor'') 29/1959, but has subsequently been reduced in area as additional regencies have been cut out ...
is the lowest.
Besides having many mountains, Gorontalo Province is also crossed by many rivers. The longest river is the Paguyaman River located in
Boelemo Regency with a flow length of 99.3 km. While the shortest river is the Bolontio River with a flow length of 5.3 km located in
North Gorontalo Regency.
As the peninsula of which Gorontalo Province is a part is located near the equator, this area has a fairly high air temperature. The minimum temperature occurs in September which is 22.8 °C. While the maximum temperature occurs in October with a temperature of 33.5 °C. In 2013 the average temperature ranged from 26.2 °C to 27.6 °C.
Gorontalo Province has relatively high air humidity, the average humidity in 2013 reached 86.5% percent. Whereas the highest rainfall occurs in May, which is 307.9 mm but the highest number of rainy days is in July and December, which is 24 days.
Politics
The governor (
Indonesian: ''Gubernur'') and vice-governor (
Indonesian: ''Wakil Gubernur''), who are elected directly by the people, head the provincial administration.
Administrative divisions
![Governor Office of Gorontalo Province](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Governor_Office_of_Gorontalo_Province.JPG)
The province is divided into five
regencies ( id, kabupaten) and only one
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
( id, kota). When the province was established in 2000, there were only two regencies and the city in the province. Splitting of regencies occurred in 2003 (when Pohuwato Regency was created from the western part of Boalemo Regency (itself only created in 1999 from the western part of Gorontalo Regency), and Bone Bolango Regency was created from the eastern part of Gorontalo Regency) and in 2007 (when North Gorontalo Regency was created from the northern part of Gorontalo Regency). In 2021, Gorontalo Province consisted of 77 districts (''kecamatan'') comprising 734 villages (rural ''desa'' and urban ''kelurahan'').
As of 2021, the list of regencies and cities in Gorontalo province is given in the table below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 and 2020 censuses, together with the official estimates as at mid 2021.
Note: * A city and also the provincial capital.
Gorontalo Regional People's Representative Council
The Gorontalo Regional People's Representative Council (
Indonesian: ''Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah Gorontalo'') is a regional people's representative institution that is domiciled as an organizer of the regional government of Gorontalo province. In the
2014 Indonesian legislative election
Legislative elections were held in Indonesia on 9 April 2014 to elect 136 members of the Regional Representative Council (DPD), 560 members of the People's Representative Council (DPR) and members of regional assemblies at the provincial and rege ...
, the Regional People's Representative Council placed 45 representatives spread from different political parties.
Representatives in the People's Representative Council and the Regional Representative Council
Based on the results of the 2014 election, Gorontalo has three representatives in the
People's Representative Council and four in the
Regional Representative Council. The three representatives in the
People's Representative Council were Fadel Muhammad and Roem Kono from the
Golkar Party and Elnino M Husein Mohi from the
Gerindra Party. While the representatives in the
Regional Representative Council are Hanah Hasanah Fadel Muhamad, Rahmijati Jahja, Abdurahman Abubakar Bachmid and Dewi Sartika Hemeto.
Economy
![COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM De S](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_De_S.S._Van_Imhoff_van_de_KPM_in_de_baai_van_Gorontalo_TMnr_60042487.jpg)
Gorontalo is one of the busiest trade routes in Indonesia since ancient times. Gorontalo has a strategic geographic location for the national economy, because it has trade routes that are directly dealing with neighboring countries such as the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
,
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by t ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
,
Japan and
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
. In addition, Gorontalo is also one of the areas that is the entrance of trade routes from the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
to countries in the
Asia-Pacific region, such as Brunei,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
and Malaysia. The Indonesian Government considers that Gorontalo is one of the backbone of the economic, educational and cultural driving force in the Eastern Region of Indonesia.
The economy in Gorontalo is now one of the fastest growing economies in Indonesia. The
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...
,
fisheries and services sector are the main sectors that is relied on in this province because it has a large contribution to local revenue.
![Danau Limboto](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Danau_Limboto.JPG)
In order to realize Gorontalo as an agropolitan province, various efforts continue to be made. The Provincial Government carries out various types of development programs, including through infrastructure improvements as a pillar to drive development, providing agricultural production facilities, providing guarantor funds, increasing agricultural human resources, facilitating marketing with guaranteed basic prices etc., and by arranging various programs, such as
* Development of food crops, food diversification and regional food security;
* Agropolitan development towards one million tons of
corn;
* Agro business development;
* Increasing the role and function of farmer institutions through the cultivation of agricultural communities.
In developing the potential and diversity of natural resources in Gorontalo, there are several investment opportunities to be developed, such as: investments in agro business (agriculture and plantations), including agro-industries (
nata de coco
''Nata de coco'', also marketed as coconut gel, is a chewy, translucent, jelly-like food produced by the fermentation of coconut water, which gels through the production of microbial cellulose by '' Komagataeibacter xylinus''.
Originating ...
,
coconut oil, etc.) and in the fields of mining (
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
,
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...
, etc.).
Development priorities over the next five years are projected on maize commodities with an area of
maize
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...
production in 2004 covering an area of 35,692,450 ha, with a total production of 323,065 tons and for louning corn alone having been successfully exported at 9,148 tons. Of the total area of Gorontalo covering an area of 1,221,544 ha, for potential agricultural areas covering an area of 463,649.09 ha or 37.95%, but recently utilized an area of 148,312.78 ha (32%) or there are still opportunities for land development 315,336.31 ha.
Gorontalo is an agricultural area with flat topography, hilly to mountainous, so that various types of food crops can grow well in this area. The area of dry land is 215,845.00 ha. While swamps (moor) covering an area of 1,580.00 ha, the area of
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...
production in 2006 was 45,027 ha with the total production in 2006 as many as 197,600.94 tons and increased when compared to 2005 which had an area of 37,831 ha with total production as many as 164,168 tons.
The area of
soybean
The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses.
Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu a ...
production in 2006 was 5,217 ha with a total production of 6,767.21 tons, an increase compared to 2005 which had an area of 2,677 ha with a total production of 3,738 tons. The area of peanut production in 2006 was 2,825 ha with the total production of 3,316.79 tons increasing compared to 2005 which had an area of 4,335 ha with a total production reaching 5,371 tons. The area of cassava production in 2006 was 853 ha with total production reaching 9,742.0 tons. The area of production of
cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...
and
tuber
Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growin ...
s is 894.70 with total production of 10,041 tons. The area of vegetable production in 2006 was 3,674 ha with total production reaching 74.44 tons / ha.
The sea area in Gorontalo, especially in the
Gulf of Tomini
The Gulf of Tomini ( id, Teluk Tomini), also known as the Bay of Tomini, is the equatorial gulf which separates the Minahassa (Northern) and East Peninsulas of the island of Sulawesi (Celebes) in Indonesia. The Togian Islands lie near its cen ...
, holds a lot of natural potential because it is one of the bays that is passed by the equator. Fisheries and marine sector are the leading sectors for Gorontalo which have a long coastline. The coastlines of the North and South regions each have a length of about 270 kilometers and 320 kilometers. The potential of fisheries resources in Gorontalo is in three area, namely the
Gulf of Tomini
The Gulf of Tomini ( id, Teluk Tomini), also known as the Bay of Tomini, is the equatorial gulf which separates the Minahassa (Northern) and East Peninsulas of the island of Sulawesi (Celebes) in Indonesia. The Togian Islands lie near its cen ...
,
Sulawesi Sea, and Sulawesi Sea
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Unfortunately, the utilization rate of new capture fisheries is only 24.05% or 19,771 tons per year.
Demographics
The population in Gorontalo Province in 2020 was 1,171,681 people consisting of 591,349 men and 580,332 women. The population growth rate in Gorontalo Province in 2011 – 2013 reached 1.67 percent / year.
Gorontalo Regency
Gorontalo is a regency of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia, on the island of Sulawesi. It was established in 1959 under Law Number (''Undang-Undang Nomor'') 29/1959, but has subsequently been reduced in area as additional regencies have been cut out ...
is the regency with the greatest population, while
North Gorontalo Regency has the least.
Ethnicity
The
Gorontaloan people
Gorontalo or Hulondalo people are the native people of the northern part of Sulawesi. They are the most populous ethnicity in the Minahasa Peninsula. The Gorontalo people are predominantly Muslim. Their native language is the Gorontalo language. ...
forms the majority of the population in the province. They are spread from
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Minahasa Peninsula of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia. It borders the Philippine province of Davao Occidental and Socc ...
in the east towards
Central Sulawesi
Central Sulawesi ( Indonesian: ''Sulawesi Tengah'') is a province of Indonesia located at the centre of the island of Sulawesi. The administrative capital and largest city is located in Palu. The 2010 census recorded a population of 2,635,009 fo ...
in the west. The Gorontaloan population is estimated to have reached more than 1 million people. The Gorontaloans are further divided into subgroups called "Pohala'a" which means "Family". Notable Pohala'as are Gorontalo, Suwawa, Limboto, Bolango and Atinggola. Currently, many Gorontaloans have migrated to other parts of Indonesia as well as overseas to pursue studies and jobs.
[INDIGO (Institut Diaspora Gorontalo)](_blank)
/ref>
The Sama-Bajau
The Sama-Bajau include several Austronesian ethnic groups of Maritime Southeast Asia. The name collectively refers to related people who usually call themselves the Sama or Samah (formally A'a Sama, "Sama people"); or are known by the exo ...
people are sea nomads originally from the Southern Philippines. They lived in villages at the coast of Gorontalo. They spoke the Bajaw language, which is not mutually intelligible with the Gorontaloan language. Most of the Bajau people are engaged in the fishing industry.
Other ethnic groups are mostly immigrants from other parts of Indonesia, such as the Javanese and the Bugis. They mostly migrated due to the transmigration program enacted during the colonial era until it was abolished in 2015 by the Indonesian government.
Religion
Like many Indonesian provinces, Islam is the religion adopted by the majority of the people of Gorontalo. Based on the 2021 population estimate, 98% of the inhabitants were adherents of Islam. The teachings of Islam are thought to have entered Gorontalo in the 15th century from the Ternate and Bone. This can be seen in the artifacts that exist in the Hunto Sultan Amai Mosque in 1495. This mosque was built by Sultan Amai, King of the Gorontalo Sultanate who embraced Islam. In the present time, many non-governmental Islamic organisations such as Nahdlatul Ulama
Nahdlatul Ulama (, , NU) is an Islamic organization in Indonesia. Its membership estimates range from 40 million (2013) to over 95 million (2021), making it the largest Islamic organization in the world. NU also is a charitable body funding sch ...
and Muhammadiyah has branch offices in Gorontalo.
Christians form the second-largest population in Gorontalo. Most Christians are immigrants from North Sulawesi as well as other parts of Indonesia. They form 2% of the population. There are several churches in Gorontalo, mostly located in the provincial capital.
There are other religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism which is mostly embraced by immigrants from other parts of Indonesia.
Language
Indonesian is the official language of the province as well as the country. Road signs and official documents released by the government are written in Indonesian. However, Gorontaloan language is the most spoken language in the province. Apart from Gorontaloan language, there are several languages that are similar which are considered by linguists as Gorontaloan dialects include Suwawa language, Atinggola language
Bolango is a Philippine
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República ...
, Limboto language
The Gorontalo language (also called Hulontalo) is a language spoken in Gorontalo Province, Sulawesi, Indonesia by the Gorontalo people.
Dialects
Musa Kasim et al. (1981) give five main dialects of Gorontalo: east Gorontalo, Limboto, Gorontol ...
, Kwandang language
The Gorontalo language (also called Hulontalo) is a language spoken in Gorontalo Province, Sulawesi, Indonesia by the Gorontalo people.
Dialects
Musa Kasim et al. (1981) give five main dialects of Gorontalo: east Gorontalo, Limboto, Gorontol ...
, Tilamuta language
The Gorontalo language (also called Hulontalo) is a language spoken in Gorontalo Province, Sulawesi, Indonesia by the Gorontalo people.
Dialects
Musa Kasim et al. (1981) give five main dialects of Gorontalo: east Gorontalo, Limboto Limboto is ...
and Sumawata language. Gorontaloan language is widely used due to the influence of the Gorontalo Kingdom that was once established in the region. Atinggola language
Bolango is a Philippine
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República ...
is used by the Atinggola community situated on the northern coast of Gorontalo.
Today, Gorontaloan language itself have gone through assimilation with Manado Malay
Manado Malay, or simply the Manado language, is a creole language spoken in Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province in Indonesia, and the surrounding area. The local name of the language is , and the name Minahasa Malay is also used, afte ...
, which is also widely spoken by Gorontaloan people. In terms of linguistic, Gorontalo language
The Gorontalo language (also called Hulontalo) is a language spoken in Gorontalo Province, Sulawesi, Indonesia by the Gorontalo people.
Dialects
Musa Kasim et al. (1981) give five main dialects of Gorontalo: east Gorontalo, Limboto, Gorontol ...
are related to languages from North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Minahasa Peninsula of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia. It borders the Philippine province of Davao Occidental and Socc ...
and the Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. Gorontalo language
The Gorontalo language (also called Hulontalo) is a language spoken in Gorontalo Province, Sulawesi, Indonesia by the Gorontalo people.
Dialects
Musa Kasim et al. (1981) give five main dialects of Gorontalo: east Gorontalo, Limboto, Gorontol ...
along with Mongondow language Mongondow may be,
*Mongondow people
The Mongondow or Bolaang Mongondow people are an ethnic group native to the north-eastern part of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The Mongondows are predominantly Muslim. They have traditionally been concen ...
are part of the Gorontalo–Mongondow languages, which is part of the Philippine languages
The Philippine languages or Philippinic are a proposed group by R. David Paul Zorc (1986) and Robert Blust (1991; 2005; 2019) that include all the languages of the Philippines and northern Sulawesi, Indonesia—except Sama–Bajaw (languag ...
. The Philippine languages
The Philippine languages or Philippinic are a proposed group by R. David Paul Zorc (1986) and Robert Blust (1991; 2005; 2019) that include all the languages of the Philippines and northern Sulawesi, Indonesia—except Sama–Bajaw (languag ...
that are linguistically close to the Gorontalo language
The Gorontalo language (also called Hulontalo) is a language spoken in Gorontalo Province, Sulawesi, Indonesia by the Gorontalo people.
Dialects
Musa Kasim et al. (1981) give five main dialects of Gorontalo: east Gorontalo, Limboto, Gorontol ...
are such as Tagalog language
Tagalog (, ; ; '' Baybayin'': ) is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by the ethnic Tagalog people, who make up a quarter of the population of the Philippines, and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, ...
, Cebuano language
Cebuano ([Cebuano]
on Merriam-Webster.com ), natively called by its generic term Bisaya or Binisaya (bot ...
, Hiligaynon language
Hiligaynon, also often referred to as Ilonggo or Binisaya/Bisaya nga Hiniligaynon/Inilonggo, is an Austronesian regional language spoken in the Philippines by about 9.1 million people, predominantly in Western Visayas and Soccsksargen, most ...
, Bikol language
The Bikol languages or Bicolano languages are a group of Central Philippine languages spoken mostly in the Bicol Peninsula in the island of Luzon, the neighboring island province of Catanduanes and the island of Burias in Masbate.
Internal ...
and Waray-waray language
Waray (also known as Waray-Waray or Bisaya/Binisaya nga Winaray/Waray) is an Austronesian language and the fifth-most-spoken native regional language of the Philippines, native to Eastern Visayas. It is the native language of the Waray people ...
. In present times, Gorontaloans used Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet or Roman alphabet is the collection of letters originally used by the ancient Romans to write the Latin language. Largely unaltered with the exception of extensions (such as diacritics), it used to write English and th ...
for writing. However, the usage of Gorontaloan is limited to everyday living. In schools for education, the media, and official documents, the Indonesian language
Indonesian ( ) is the official and national language of Indonesia. It is a standardized variety of Malay, an Austronesian language that has been used as a lingua franca in the multilingual Indonesian archipelago for centuries. Indonesia ...
used as the national language.
In order to preserve regional languages, the Gorontaloan-Indonesian Language Dictionary was published, the Suwawa-Indonesian Language Dictionary and the Atinggola-Indonesian Language Dictionary. In addition, it has been successfully published and approved by the Ministry of Religion Affairs concerning the publication of the Qur'an
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
which is equipped with Gorontaloan language translation. In addition, local content education in Gorontalo Language is still being maintained as teaching material in elementary schools. Gorontaloan was historically written in the Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
-based Pegon script. Gorontalo actually had local script as a very high tribal identity, namely "Aksara Suwawa-Gorontalo".
Culture
We can also see the distinctive characteristics of Gorontalo in the cultural aspects, including; typical foods, traditional houses, arts, and handicrafts such as filigree or woven basket skullcaps made of rattan
Rattan, also spelled ratan, is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the closed- canopy old-growth tropical fores ...
called karanji upiya. The Gorontaloan people
Gorontalo or Hulondalo people are the native people of the northern part of Sulawesi. They are the most populous ethnicity in the Minahasa Peninsula. The Gorontalo people are predominantly Muslim. Their native language is the Gorontalo language. ...
also recognize various ceremonies as traditions, such as the traditional ceremony of opening fields or known as Momuo Oayuwa, a ceremony for soil fertility known as Mopoahuta. The ceremony to request rain is called the Mohiledidi.
Traditional Houses
Gorontalo has many types of traditional houses that are characteristic of the province, including the Dulohupa traditional house located in Gorontalo City and the Bandayo Poboide traditional house in Limboto Limboto is a town in Indonesia and the administrative centre of Gorontalo Regency
Gorontalo is a regency of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia, on the island of Sulawesi. It was established in 1959 under Law Number (''Undang-Undang Nomor'') 29/1959, bu ...
.
Dulohupa
In Gorontaloan language, Dulohupa means "Consensus". The name is in accordance with the functions of this traditional house which is often used to deliberate to reach consensus in traditional cases during the reign of Gorontalo kings in the past. Dulohupa's house is also used as a place to try someone who commits a crime.
There are 3 laws that are used in courts conducted in Dulohupa traditional houses, namely the law of defense and security which is used to try soldiers or it can be said to be a military court
A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
(Buwatulo Bala), Islamic religious law (Buwatulo Syara), and customary law (Buwatulo Adati). In terms of its own architectural design, Gorontalo traditional house is unique. This traditional house has a stage structure with poles or pillars carved in such a way as decoration. The roof is made of quality straw plaited, while other parts of the house such as floors, walls, fences and stairs are made of wooden slats or boards.
The inside of the Dulohupa traditional house is not divided into several rooms but directly in the form of a large sized room. In the present, this room is no longer used to try someone. This room switches functions and is more often used as a place to hold traditional wedding ceremonies, or other traditional activities.
Bandayo Poboide
The word "Bandayo" means a building or a building while the word "Poboide" or "Po Boide" means a place to consult. The Bandayo Pamboide traditional house is often used as a meeting place and traditional theater. This function is in accordance with the name of this traditional house, Bandayo, which means the temporary building of Pambide means a place for deliberation. The Bandayo Poboide traditional house is a stilt house that is made of high-quality wood so that it can survive until now. Formerly the Bandayo Poboide traditional house was also used as a king's palace as a center of government and a gathering place for traditional elders in discussing customary processions and also used as a place for carrying out Gorontalo cultural performances. But now the Bandayo Poboide traditional house is a place to preserve and develop Gorontalo arts and culture.
Handycrafts
Gorontaloan society has a characteristic "sandang" or clothing with accessories that complement it. The typical handicrafts of the people of Gorontalo are:
*
Upiya Karanji or Songkok
The songkok or peci or kopiah is a cap widely worn in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the southern Philippines, and southern Thailand, most commonly among Muslim males. It has the shape of a truncated cone, usually made of black or emb ...
Gorontalo, this songkok is made of rattan woven and is very comfortable to use because it has very good air circulation. The 4th President of Indonesia
The President of the Republic of Indonesia ( id, Presiden Republik Indonesia) is both the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Indonesia. The president leads the executive branch of the Indonesian government and i ...
, Abdurrahman Wahid
Abdurrahman Wahid ( ; born Abdurrahman ad-Dakhil; 7 September 1940 – 30 December 2009), though more colloquially known as Gus Dur (), was an Indonesian politician and Islamic religious leader who served as the 4th president of Indonesia, fr ...
, or better known as Gus dur, was known to often use Gorontalo Songkok.
* Sulaman Karawo or Sulaman Kerawang, Gorontalo's unique embroidery is a distinctive cultural property and of high artistic value. Now Karawo's embroidery is not only in demand in the country but also abroad.
* Gorontalo Batik
Batik is an Indonesian technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to the whole cloth. This technique originated from the island of Java, Indonesia. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of the resist with a spouted tool called a ''ca ...
, Gorontalo Batik is basically the same as Batik in general, which distinguishes it only from the motifs or patterns contained in the batik cloth itself.
Martial Art
Gorontalo also has a traditional martial arts called "Langga" or it can be called Silat
is the collective term for a class of indigenous martial arts from the Nusantara and surrounding geocultural areas of Southeast Asia. It is traditionally practised in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Southern Thailand, Southern Phil ...
Gorontalo. Basically, Langga is a martial arts type of Silat which is known as one of Gorontalo's cultural riches. Langga is a martial art that relies on defense and strength of hands and feet.
Tourism
Gorontalo consists mostly of mountainous areas that stretch from north to south of the province. The Gorontaloan mountains and forests are homes for unique flora and fauna. Anoa
Anoa, also known as dwarf buffalo and ''sapiutan'', are two species of the genus '' Bubalus'' endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia: the mountain anoa (''Bubalus quarlesi'') and the lowland anoa (''Bubalus depressicornis''). Both li ...
, Tarsius
''Tarsius'' is a genus of tarsiers, small primates native to islands of Southeast Asia. Until 2010, all tarsier species were typically assigned to this genus, but a revision of the family Tarsiidae restored the generic status of ''Cephalopach ...
, Maleo
The maleo (''Macrocephalon maleo'') is a large megapode and the only member of the monotypic genus ''Macrocephalon''. The maleo is endemic to Sulawesi and the nearby smaller island of Buton in Indonesia. It is found in the tropical lowland and ...
, and Babirusa
The babirusas, also called deer-pigs ( id, babi rusa), are a genus, ''Babyrousa'', in the swine family found in the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Togian, Sula and Buru. All members of this genus were considered part of a single species unti ...
are among the rare species that can be found here. Maleo
The maleo (''Macrocephalon maleo'') is a large megapode and the only member of the monotypic genus ''Macrocephalon''. The maleo is endemic to Sulawesi and the nearby smaller island of Buton in Indonesia. It is found in the tropical lowland and ...
, for example, is a bird species whose eggs are larger than their own body. While Tarsius is the smallest primate in the world, but has a length of about 10 cm. Examples of trees native to Gorontalo are Ebon, Lingua, Nantu, Meranti, and Rattan Trees. In the southern part of Gorontalo, namely in the Gulf of Tomini
The Gulf of Tomini ( id, Teluk Tomini), also known as the Bay of Tomini, is the equatorial gulf which separates the Minahassa (Northern) and East Peninsulas of the island of Sulawesi (Celebes) in Indonesia. The Togian Islands lie near its cen ...
, there are several small islands and uninhabitedscattered. Tomini Bay is crossed by the equator and is naturally inhabited by various types of marine animals. Because of this, Gulf of Tomini
The Gulf of Tomini ( id, Teluk Tomini), also known as the Bay of Tomini, is the equatorial gulf which separates the Minahassa (Northern) and East Peninsulas of the island of Sulawesi (Celebes) in Indonesia. The Togian Islands lie near its cen ...
is a paradise for divers. Tourist spots in Gorontalo include the following:
Pulo Cinta
Pulo Cinta or "Love Islands" in English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
is located in Boalemo Regency. This heart-shaped island is equipped with several very exclusive floating resorts, and certainly shows the exoticism of the charming clear sea. Pulo Cinta has become a destination for both local and foreign travelers, and often dubbed as "Maldives
Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...
van Gorontalo".
Saronde Island
Saronde Island
Saronde Island is an island in the Celebes Sea, within the Ponelo Islands District ('' Ponelo Kepulauan'') of North Gorontalo Regency, in Gorontalo Province, Indonesia.
Location
Saronde Island lies on North Gorontalo Regency - Northern part of ...
is Indonesia's flagship International Tourism in Gorontalo Province, located in Kwandang
Kwandang is a town in Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, ...
, North Gorontalo
North Gorontalo (''Gorontalo Utara'') is a regency of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia, stretching along the entire northern coast of the province. It is located on the northern peninsula of the island of Sulawesi. It was established in 2007 under L ...
. Saronde Island is known for its white sand beaches, clear water and its surrounding coral reefs. Every year, this island is a stopover for yachts from all over the world. In addition to Saronde, there are 3 other nearby islands, namely Bogisa, Mohinggito, and Lampu islands.
Olele Marine Park
Olele Marine Park is one of the leading International Underwater Paradise of foreign divers in Bone Bolango Regency. This marine park is also well known to European divers. Olele Marine Park is famous for the uniqueness of Salvador Dalí Sponge, a species of sponge that cannot be found in any other marine parks in the world, even the marine park on Bunaken National Park
Bunaken National Park is a marine park in the north of Sulawesi island, Indonesia. The park is located near the centre of the Coral Triangle, providing habitat to 390 species of coral as well as many fish, mollusc, reptile and marine mammal sp ...
in North Sulawesi does not have this type of sponge. This sponge is named Salvador Dalí because its physical appearance resembles a painting by Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images in ...
.
Fort Otanaha
In the past this was a legacy of former Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
colonization. Fort Otanaha, used by the Gorontalo Kings as a place of protection and defense. The uniqueness of the visible fort is the material used to build a mixture of sand, plaster, and egg white forts. The view of Lake Limboto can be seen clearly from here, because it is located on a plateau. Precisely, in Dembe I, Kota Barat, about 8 km from downtown Gorontalo. There are two more forts located in the same area, namely Otahiya and Ulupahu Palace. Visitors must pass 345 steps to reach it.
Lake Limboto
Lake Limboto is a large lake located in Gorontalo Regency
Gorontalo is a regency of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia, on the island of Sulawesi. It was established in 1959 under Law Number (''Undang-Undang Nomor'') 29/1959, but has subsequently been reduced in area as additional regencies have been cut out ...
. The lake with an area of around 3,000 hectares is the estuary of five major rivers, namely the Bone Bolango River, Alo River, Daenaa River, Bionga River and Molalahu River.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gorontalo (Province)
States and territories established in 2000
Provinces of Indonesia
Sulawesi