Central Sulawesi (

Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...

: ''Sulawesi Tengah'') is a

province of Indonesia 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 out ...

located at the centre of the island of

Sulawesi 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 Sulu Ar ...

. The administrative capital and largest city is located in

Palu Palu, which is officially known as the City of Palu ( Indonesian: ''Kota Palu''), is the capital and largest city of Central Sulawesi. Palu is located on the northwestern coast of Sulawesi and borders Donggala Regency to the north and west, Par ...

. The 2010 census recorded a population of 2,635,009 for the province, and the 2020 Census recorded 2,985,734, of whom 1,534,706 were male and 1,451,028 were female. The official estimate as at mid 2021 was 3,021,879. Central Sulawesi has an area of , the largest area among all provinces on Sulawesi Island, and has the second-largest population on Sulawesi Island after the province of South Sulawesi. It is bordered by the provinces of

Gorontalo Gorontalo ( Gorontaloan: ''Hulontalo'') is a province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo was formerly part of the province of North Sulawesi until its inauguration as a separate province on 5 D ...

to the north,

West Sulawesi West Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Barat) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the western side of Sulawesi island. It covers an area of 16,787.18 km2, and its capital is Mamuju. The 2010 Census recorded a population of 1,158,651, while t ...

South Sulawesi South Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Selatan) is a province in the southern peninsula of Sulawesi. The Selayar Islands archipelago to the south of Sulawesi is also part of the province. The capital is Makassar. The province is bordered by Central Sula ...

and

South East 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 c ...

to the south, by Maluku to the east, and by the

Makassar Strait Makassar Strait is a strait between the islands of Borneo and Sulawesi in Indonesia. To the north it joins the Celebes Sea, while to the south it meets the Java Sea. To the northeast, it forms the Sangkulirang Bay south of the Mangkalihat Pe ...

to the west. The province is inhabited by many ethnic groups, such as the Kaili, Tolitoli, etc. The official language of the province is

, which is used for official purposes and inter-ethnic communication, while there are several

indigenous language An indigenous language, or autochthonous language, is a language that is native to a region and spoken by indigenous peoples. This language is from a linguistically distinct community that originated in the area. Indigenous languages are not neces ...

spoken by the

Indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

of Central Sulawesi.

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

is the dominant religion in the province, followed by Christianity which is mostly adhered to by the people in the eastern part of the province. In the 13th century, several kingdoms had been established in Central Sulawesi such as the Kingdom of Banawa, the Kingdom of Tawaeli, the Kingdom of Sigi, the Kingdom of Bangga, and the

Kingdom of Banggai The Kingdom of Banggai was a petty kingdom in present-day Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. It was based around the Banggai Islands and the eastern coast of Sulawesi, centered at the island of Banggai. For a significant part of its history, the kingd ...

. The influence of Islam on the kingdoms in Central Sulawesi began to be felt in the 16th century. The spread of

in Central Sulawesi was a result of the expansion of kingdoms in

. The influence that first came was from the Kingdom of Bone and the Kingdom of Wajo. Dutch traders began arriving in the beginning of the 17th century. The Dutch built several fortifications in present-day Parigi to combat piracy in the region after annexing the region as part of the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...

. The province remained part of the Indies for the next three centuries until the Dutch were ousted 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 opposin ...

. After the Japanese surrendered, the area was incorporated into the new Republic of Indonesia. Initially, the area 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 ...

before being formed as a separate province on 13 April 1964. According to

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...

, Central Sulawesi is a province with a significant number of young people. As many as 1 million people or 35 percent of the total population in this province are children. More than three out of four children live in rural areas. More than 185,000 children (18.2 percent) live below the provincial

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

in 2015 (Rp. 11,127 per person per day). However, more households are in a vulnerable position and live with income that is slightly above the poverty line. In addition, three-quarters of children experience deprivation in two dimensions non-income poverty or more, with that inequality striking between urban and rural areas.

History

Pre-colonial period

There are over 400 granite

megalith A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

s in the area of the Lore Lindu National Park, of which around 30 represent human forms. They vary in size from a few centimetres to approximately . The original purpose of the megaliths is unknown.National Geographic: ''Explorer's Notebook: The Riddle of Indonesia's Ancient Statues'', 12 December 2001
Retrieved 9 October 2010. Other megaliths in the area are large stone pots (''Kalamba'') accompanied by stone lids (''Tutu'na''). Various archaeological studies have dated the carvings from between 3000 BC to 1300 AD.
. Retrieved 11 October 2010. Central Sulawesi Province has many caves, seven of which have ancient pictures and, based on 2011 research by a joint Indonesian and Australian team, the pictures are known to have been drawn at least 40,000 years ago (about the same age as pictures found in the

Caves of Monte Castillo The Caves of Monte Castillo, located in the Cantabrian town of Puente Viesgo, contain one of the most important Paleolithic sites in the region. The complex of karstic caves is on the slopes of Monte Castillo, a hill south of Puente Viesgo, wi ...

, Spain which are known as the oldest ancient pictures in Europe). Some of the oldest bronze objects are discovered in Central Sulawesi. The Makassar Axe is a 1st-century AD bronze axes probably used as a valuable object in a ceremony. The Kulawi tribe of Central Sulawesi still practice the exchange of heirloom bronze objects e.g. the taiganja, whose basic form has been discovered throughout the eastern part of Indonesia.

reached the region in the 17th century, shortly after the Islamic avowal of Gowa, the powerful kingdom at the south part of Sulawesi island. Areas along the western coast of Central Sulawesi, from Kaili to Tolitoli, were conquered by the Sultanaete of Gowa around the middle of the 16th century under the leadership of King Tunipalangga. The area around the Gulf of Palu is an important center and trade route, coconut oil producer, and "entrance" to the interior of Central Sulawesi. On the other hand, 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 ...

area is largely under the control of the Kingdom of Parigi. With the widespread influence of

, Islam spread to the region Islam first spread to the coastal area of Central Sulawesi. In the middle of the 16th century, two kingdoms, namely Buol and

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 ...

, accepted Islamic teachings. Since 1540, Buol has been in the form of a sultanate and led by a sultan named Eato Mohammad Tahir.

Colonial era

In the beginning of the 17th century, 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 ...

started arriving in Central Sulawesi. Under the pretext of securing his fleet from pirate attacks, 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) built fortresses in Parigi and Lambunu. Soon afterwards, the region began to fall into the Dutch sphere of influence. In the 18th century, the Dutch forced the kings of Central Sulawesi to come to

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 ...

and

to take an oath of loyalty to the VOC. This would mark the beginning of the Dutch colonial rule in the region for the next three centuries. Initially, the colonial government paid little attention to the region. In 1824, representatives of the Kingdom of Banawa and the Kingdom of Palu signed the ''Korte Verklaring'' (Short Agreement) with the colonial government. Dutch ships began to sail frequently in the southern part of the

after 1830. By the 19th century, most of the interior part of Central Sulawesi still remained unexplored. In 1860, a government official named Johannes Cornelis Wilhelmus Diedericus Adrianus van der Wyck, managed to visit

Lake Poso Lake Poso ( id, Danau Poso) is a lake in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the third-deepest lake in Indonesia. The town of Pendolo is situated at the southern end of the lake, the town of Tentena is located at the northern end, while a numbe ...

in 1865 – becoming the first European and Dutch to do so. This step was followed by another government official, Willem Jan Maria Michielsen, in 1869. The proposal to occupy the Poso region was rejected – referring to the anti-expansion policies issued by the colonial government at that time. It was not until 1888 that locals of the region began to establish relations with the government in

Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...

through a short agreement signed by kings and local authorities, as an anticipatory measure against the possibility of the spread of

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

political and economic influence in the region. During this period, Central Sulawesi was under the jurisdiction of Gorontalo Afdeling, based in

. G. W. W. C. Baron van Höevell, Gorontalo Resident Assistant, worried that the strong influence of Islam in Gorontalo would extend to the Central Sulawesi – which at that time the population was mostly are adheres to

Animism Animism (from Latin: ' meaning ' breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things— animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather syst ...

or other

Folk religion In religious studies and folkloristics, folk religion, popular religion, traditional religion or vernacular religion comprises various forms and expressions of religion that are distinct from the official doctrines and practices of organized re ...

. He contacted the Dutch missionary institution, the Nederlandsch Zendeling Genootschap (NZG), and asked them to place a missionary in this area. In 1892, the NZG then sent a missionary named Albert Christian Kruyt, who was stationed in Poso. This step was continued in 1894, when the government appointed Eduard van Duyvenbode Varkevisser, as Controller or government official who would become a supervisor and regional leader in Poso. In 1905, parts of Poso Regency were involved in guerrilla rebellions against Dutch forces, as part of a coordinated Dutch military campaign to annex entire Sulawesi mainland. One of the famous military campaigns was the "pacification" of the Kingdom of Mori in the Wulanderi War that took place in 1907. At the beginning of the 20th century, movements resisting the Dutch colonial rule started appearing. In addition to local movements, movements also based in

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...

entered. The first organization to establish a branch in Central Sulawesi was the

Sarekat Islam Sarekat Islam or Syarikat Islam ( 'Islamic Association' or 'Islamic Union'; SI) was an Indonesian socio-political organization founded at the beginning of the 20th Century during the Dutch colonial era. Initially, SI served as a cooperative of ...

(SI), established in Buol Toli-Toli in 1916. Another organization that developed in this area was the

Indonesian National Party The Indonesian National Party ( id, Partai Nasional Indonesia, PNI) was the name used by several nationalist political parties in Indonesia from 1927 until the 2000s. The first PNI was established by future President Sukarno. After independence, th ...

(PNI) whose branch was established in Buol in 1928. Other organizations opened branches in Central Sulawesi are Muhammadiyah and

Islamic Association Party of Indonesia Indonesian Islamic Union Party ( id, Partai Sarekat Islam Indonesia) was an Islamic political party in Indonesia before and after independence. In 1973 it was merged into the United Development Party. The pre-independence party Establishment an ...

. The resistance reached its peak on 25 January 1942. A group of resistance fighters led by I.D. Awuy captured government officials such as Controleur Toli-Toli De Hoof, Bestuur Assistant Resident Matata Daeng Masese, and Controleur Buol de Vries. On 1 February 1942, the

Indonesian flag The Flag of Indonesia is a simple bicolor with two horizontal bands, red (top) and white (bottom) with an overall ratio of 2:3. It was introduced and hoisted in public during the proclamation of independence on 17 August 1945 at 56 Proklamasi ...

was raised for the first time in Toli-Toli. But this situation did not last long because a week later the Dutch troops staged a counter-attack and recaptured Tolitoli.

Contemporary era

Japanese forces landed in

on 15 May 1942. The Japanese succeeded in expelling the Dutch and taking control of Central Sulawesi in just a short time. During the Japanese occupation, people's lives were increasingly depressed and the misery of all people's activities was only intended to support Japanese warfare. This situation lasted until Japan surrendered to the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

and was followed by the proclamation of the independence of the Republic of Indonesia. At the beginning of independence, Central Sulawesi was part of the Sulawesi province. The Dutch attempted to return to the region, resulting in a bloody war between the Dutch and the Indonesian. After the

Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference The Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference was held in The Hague from 23 August to 2 November 1949, between representatives of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Indonesia and the Federal Consultative Assembly, representing va ...

, the Dutch recognize Indonesia and withdrew from the region. The present Central Sulawesi was initially part of

with the capital in

, but was separated on 13 April 1964. Between 1999 and 2001 the region has been plagued by inter-religious violence between Muslims and Christians, where over 1,000 people were killed. The

Malino II Accord The Malino II Accord was signed on 13 February 2002 as a settlement between warring parties in the Maluku sectarian conflict that commenced in 1999 in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. (February 12 according to the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth O ...

was thus made in 2001. However, riots erupted again in September 2006 on the Christian dominated areas of Central Sulawesi, after the

execution by firing squad Execution by firing squad, in the past sometimes called fusillading (from the French ''fusil'', rifle), is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war. Some reasons for its use are that firearms are u ...

of three Roman Catholics convicted of leading Christian militants during the violence of the early first decade of the 21st century.

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...

Executions spark Indonesia unrest
22 September 2006 The riots appeared to be aimed at government authorities, not Muslims. In 2010, Abu Wardah, also known as Santoso, declared the formation of the

East Indonesia Mujahideen The East Indonesia Mujahideen ( id, Mujahidin Indonesia Timur; Abbreviation, abbreviated MIT) is a terrorist group operating out of Poso, Sulawesi in Indonesia. The group was led by Abu Wardah (also known as Santoso) until he was killed by Indon ...

(

: ''Mujahidin Indonesia Timur -'' MIT) in the jungles of Poso. He aimed to topple the Indonesian government and create an Islamic State. The group has pledged allegiance to the

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...

. Initially, MIT scores victory against the Indonesian government, killing many police and army personnel. In response, the government launched

Operation Tinombala Operation Madago Raya ( id, Operasi Madago Raya), previously known as Operation Tinombala, is a joint police–military operation conducted by the Indonesian National Police and the Indonesian Armed Forces to capture and/or eliminate members of M ...

, a joint police-armed force operation to destroy the group. Many insurgents were killed or captured during the ensuing operation. Santoso was killed on 18 July 2016 by the Indonesian police after two years of hiding in the jungles near

Poso Poso ( Old Spelling: ''Posso'') is the administrative capital of Poso Regency, Indonesia. It is the main port and transportation hub for the central-southern coast of Central Sulawesi. Its urban area consists of three districts, Poso Kota, North ...

. On 28 September 2018, a shallow, large earthquake struck in the neck of 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 its

epicentre The epicenter, epicentre () or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates. Surface damage Before the instrumental pe ...

located in the mountainous

Donggala Regency 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 popul ...

. The

magnitude Magnitude may refer to: Mathematics *Euclidean vector, a quantity defined by both its magnitude and its direction *Magnitude (mathematics), the relative size of an object *Norm (mathematics), a term for the size or length of a vector *Order of ...

7.5 quake was located away from the provincial capital

and was felt as far away as

Samarinda Samarinda is the capital city of the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. The city lies on the banks of the Mahakam River with a land area of . Samarinda ranks first on East Kalimantan Human Development Index and it ...

East Kalimantan East Kalimantan ( Indonesian: ) is a province of Indonesia. Its territory comprises the eastern portion of Borneo. It had a population of about 3.03 million at the 2010 census (within the current boundary), 3.42 million at the 2015 census, and 3 ...

and also in

Tawau Tawau (, Jawi: , ), formerly known as Tawao, is the capital of the Tawau District in Sabah, Malaysia. It is the third-largest city in Sabah, after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. It is located on the Semporna Peninsula in the southeast coast of t ...

, Malaysia. The 6.1 magnitude foreshock occurred at 15:00 local time while the 7.5 magnitude earthquake on the evening caused severe destruction in Palu city, Donggala Regency and Sigi Regency, destroying hundreds of structures. At least 2,256 people are confirmed dead after the disaster and more than 10,000 others injured, of which 4,612 were seriously injured. More than 70,000 houses are reported to be damaged, forcing tens of thousands of people to live in shelters and tents.

Environment

Geography

The northern part of Central Sulawesi borders the Sulawesi Sea and

, the eastern part is bordered by Maluku, the southern part is bordered by

and

, the southeastern part is bordered by

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 ...

, and the western part is bordered by the

. The equator that crosses the northern peninsula in Central Sulawesi makes the climate of this region tropical. However, it is different from

and

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...

and parts of

Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...

, the rainy season in Central Sulawesi between April and September while the dry season between October and March. The average rainfall ranges from 800 to 3,000 millimeters per year which includes the lowest rainfall in Indonesia. Temperatures range from 25 to 31 ° Celsius for terrain and beaches with a humidity level of 71 to 76%. In mountainous regions temperatures can reach 16 to 22 'Celsius. Central Sulawesi also has several rivers, including the Lariang River as a rafting arena, Gumbasa river and Palu river. There is also a lake that is a tourist attraction namely Lake Poso and Lake Lindu. Central Sulawesi has several conservation areas such as nature reserves, wildlife reserves and protected forests that have unique flora and fauna which are also objects of research for scientists and naturalists. Hyorhinomys07

Flora and Fauna

Sulawesi is a unique border zone in the Asia Oceania region, where the flora and fauna differ greatly from the Asian flora and fauna that stretches across Asia with the

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 ...

border, also different from the Oceania flora and fauna in Australia to

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

and

Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is East Timor–Indonesia border, divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western p ...

. The virtual line that limits this zone is called the

Wallace Line The Wallace Line or Wallace's Line is a faunal boundary line drawn in 1859 by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace and named by English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley that separates the biogeographical realms of Asia and Wallacea, a trans ...

, while the peculiarities of flora and fauna are called

Wallacea Wallacea is a biogeographical designation for a group of mainly Indonesian islands separated by deep-water straits from the Asian and Australian continental shelves. Wallacea includes Sulawesi, the largest island in the group, as well as ...

, because this theory was put forward by

Alfred Wallace Alfred Russel Wallace (8 January 1823 – 7 November 1913) was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, biologist and illustrator. He is best known for independently conceiving the theory of evolution through natural se ...

, a British researcher who helped find the theory of evolution with

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...

. Sulawesi has its own flora and fauna. The island's unique animals are buffalo-like

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 ...

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 ...

which are slightly hairy and have fangs in their mouths, tertiary, tonkena monkeys Sulawesi, colorful Sulawesi marsupial cuscus which are varieties of marsupials and maleo birds that lay eggs on hot sand. Sulawesi's forest also has its own characteristics, dominated by agatis wood which is different from the Great Sunda which is dominated by areca nut ('' Rhododendron'' species). The variety of flora and fauna is the object of scientific research and study. To protect flora and fauna, national parks and nature reserves have been established such as

Lore Lindu National Park Lore Lindu National Park is a protected area of forest on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in the province of Central Sulawesi. The Indonesian national park is 2,180 km2 covering both lowland and montane forests (200 to 2,610 meters ab ...

, Morowali Nature Reserve, Tanjung Api Nature Reserve and finally the Bangkiriang Wildlife Reserve.

Administrative divisions

From its creation in 1964, Central Sulawesi Province was composed of four regencies (''kabupaten'') - Donggala, Buol Toli-Toli, Poso and Banggai, but on 22 July 1994 the City of Palu was separated from Donggala Regency to be constituted as a regency-level independent city. On 4 October 1999 three additional regencies were created - Morowali from part of Poso Regency, Buol from part of Buol Toli-Toli, and Banggai Islands from part of Banggai Regency. Five further regencies were later created - Parigi Moutong on 10 April 2002 from part of Donggala Regency, Tojo Una-Una on 18 December 2003 from part of Poso Regency, Sigi on 24 June 2008 from part of Donggala Regency, Banggai Laut on 14 December 2012 from part of Banggai Islands Regency, and North Morowali on 12 April 2013 from part of Morowali Regency. Central Sulawesi is thus now divided into twelve regencies and 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 ...

(''kota''), which are listed below with their areas and their populations at the 2000, 2010 and 2020 Censuses, together with the official estimates as at mid 2021. Notes: (a) The 2000 Census populations for Parigi Moutong Regency and Sigi Regency are included in the figure for Donggala Regency.
(b) the province's BPS figure for Sigi Regency was 257,585 as shown, but the regency's BPS own figure is only 239,421.
(c) The 2000 Census population for Tojo Una-Una Regency is included in the figure for Poso Regency.
(d) The 2000 Census population for Banggai Laut Regency is included in the figure for Banggai Kepulauan Regency.
(e) The 2000 Census population for Morowali Utara Regency is included in the figure for Morowali Regency.

is the provincial capital and the province's largest city by far. Other towns include Ampana, Banggai, Bungku, Buol,

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 ...

, Kolonodale,

, Parigi,

, and Toli-toli.

Demographics

Population

Average annual population growth between 1990 and 2000 was 2.57% and 1.96% from 2000 to 2010.

Ethnic Groups

The indigenous population of Central Sulawesi consists mainly of 19 ethnic or tribal groups, namely: # Kaili in

Parigi Moutong Regency Parigi Moutong Regency is a regency of Central Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. It covers an area of 6,231.85 km2 and had a population of 413,588 at the 2010 Census and 440,015 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2021 was 443,170. Th ...

Sigi Regency Sigi Regency is a regency of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. It lies upstream on the Palu River, and immediately south of Palu city, the provincial capital. It covers an area of 5,196.02 km2 and had a population of 215,030 at the 2010 Census and 239,4 ...

and

city #Kulawi in

#Lore in

Poso Regency Poso Regency is a regency of Central Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. It covers an area of 7,112.25 km2, and had a population of 209,228 at the 2010 Census and 244,875 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2021 was 248,345. The p ...

Pamona Pamona (also ''Poso'' or ''Bare’e'') is an Austronesian language spoken in Central and South Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is part of the northern group of the Kaili–Pamona languages. Dialects ''Ethnologue'' lists the following as dialects: Laiw ...

Mori Mori is a Japanese and Italian surname, and also a Persian pet name for Morteza. It is also the name of two clans in Japan, and one clan in India. Italian surname *Barbara Mori, Uruguayan-Mexican actress * Camilo Mori, Chilean painter * Cesare ...

in Morowali Regency # Bungku in Morowali Regency #

Saluan Saluan, or Loinang after one of its dialects, is the main language of the eastern peninsula of the island of Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's ...

or Loinang in

Banggai Regency The Banggai Regency ( id, Kabupaten Banggai) is a regency located at the eastern end of Central Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. It makes up a re-established regency (''kabupaten''), created in 1999 by splitting the existing Banggai Regency into th ...

#Balantak in

# Mamasa in

#Taa in

#Bare'e in

and

Tojo Una-Una Regency Tojo Una-Una Regency is a regency of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The administrative centre is at Ampana town, on the Sulawesi 'mainland'. While the Regency includes a considerable area on the eastern peninsula of Sulawesi, it also includes the Tog ...

# Banggai in

Banggai Islands Regency The Banggai Archipelago ( id, Kepulauan Banggai) is a group of islands, which are located at the far eastern end of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. It makes up a regency (''kabupaten'') of Central Sulawesi Province of Indonesia, created in 1999 by spl ...

and Banggai Laut Regency #Buol language, Buol in Buol Regency #Tolitoli in Tolitoli Regency #Tomini in

#Dampal in Dampal, Tolitoli Regency #Dondo in Dondo, Tolitoli Regency #Pendau in Tolitoli Regency #Dampelas in

In addition to these nineteen ethnic groups, there are several tribes living in mountainous areas such as the Da'a tribe in Donggala and Sigi, the Wana tribe in Morowali, the Seasea tribe and the Taa tribe in Banggai and the Daya tribe in Buol Tolitoli. Although the people of Central Sulawesi have around 22 languages that differ from one ethnic group to another, people can communicate with each other using Indonesian Language as a national language and the language of instruction every day. Besides its indigenous people, Central Sulawesi is also inhabited by transmigrants such as

, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara. The immigrant groups who also inhabit the area of Central Sulawesi are Mandar, Bugis, Makassar and Toraja and other ethnic groups in Indonesia since the early 19th century and have blended in.

Language

As in other places in Indonesia,

is the official language used in Central Sulawesi. Indonesian is used in inter-ethnic communication as well as official documents released by the provincial government as well as road signs. The people of Central Sulawesi have around 22 languages that differ from one ethnic group to another, such as Kaili language, Kaili, Pamona language, Pamona, Banggai language, Banggai, etc. All of these languages fall into the Austronesian peoples subgroup.

Religion

Most of the inhabitants of Central Sulawesi practice

. Recorded in the 2015 census, 76.37% of the population practiced Islam, 16.58% practiced Protestantism, 4.45% practiced Hinduism, Catholic Church, Roman Catholicism as much as 1.85%, and Buddhism as much as 0.74%. Islam was spread in Central Sulawesi by Datuk Karama and Datuk Mangaji, scholars of West Sumatra; which was then forwarded by Al Alimul Allamah Al-Habib As Sayyed Idrus bin Salim Al Djufri, a teacher at the Alkhairaat school and also proposed as a national Hero. One of his grandchildren named Salim Assegaf Al Jufri was a former Indonesian Minister of Social Affairs. Christianity was first spread in the Poso district and the southern part of Donggala by Dutch missionaries such as Albert Christian Kruyt, Albertus Christiaan Kruyt. Although the majority of the people of Central Sulawesi are Muslim, the level of religious tolerance is very high and a strong spirit of mutual cooperation is part of people's lives. Anjungan Sulawesi Tengah

Culture

Central Sulawesi is rich in culture inherited from generation to generation. Traditions concerning aspects of life are preserved in people's daily lives. Old beliefs are cultural heritage that are maintained and carried out in several forms with various modern influences and religious influences. Because many ethnic groups inhabit Central Sulawesi, there are also many differences between these ethnic groups which are harmonious peculiarities in society. Those who live on the western coast of

have mixed with Bugis people from

and the people of

. In the eastern part of

, there are also strong influences from

and

, seen from the

regional dialect and the distribution of the Gorontaloan people in Bualemo sub-district which is quite dominant. There are also influences from West Sumatra as seen in the wedding ceremony decorations.

has a tradition of weaving fabrics inherited from Hindu times. Weaving centers are in Donggala Kodi, Watusampu, Palu, Tawaeli and Banawa. Double tie weaving systems, which are special techniques patterned in

, India and Japan, can still be found. Barkcloth dress of Lore Bada, Central Sulawesi

While the mountain tribes has its own culture that is much influenced by the Toraja people in

. However, tradition, customs, clothing models and house architecture are different from Toraja, as an example is that they use banyan skin as body-warmer clothes. The traditional Central Sulawesi house is made of poles and wooden walls that have thatched roofs and only have one large space. Lobo or duhunga is a shared space or hall that is used for festivals or ceremonies, while Tambi is a residence. Apart from the house, there is also a rice barn called Gampiri. Buya or sarong like a European model, up to the waist and keraba, a kind of blouse equipped with gold thread. The rope or crown on the head is thought to be the influence of the European empire. The banjara shirt embroidered with gold thread is a men's shirt that is up to knee length. Silk dressers or sarongs stretching along the chest to shoulders, colorful crowns of heads and machetes slipped around the waist complement traditional clothing.

Music

Music and dance in Central Sulawesi varies between regions. Traditional music has instruments such as Gongs, Kulintang, kakula, lalove and jimbe. This musical instrument functions more as entertainment and not as part of religious rituals. In the Kaili ethnic area around the west coast – Waino – traditional music – is displayed when there is a death ceremony. This art has been developed in a more popular form for young people as a means of finding partners in a crowd. Many dances come from religious beliefs and are displayed during festivals. The famous community dance is Dero from the Pamona people,

and then followed by the Kulawi people,

. Special dero dances are displayed during the harvest season, guest welcoming ceremonies, thanksgiving and certain holidays. Dero is a dance where men and women hold hands and form a circle. This dance is not an ancestral inheritance but was a habit during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia during World War II. This dance is a traditional dance from Central Sulawesi.

Cuisine

The typical Central Sulawesi cuisine has its own characteristics, food in Central Sulawesi is known for its spicy taste and sour taste, because the most basic temperament is the result of a lot of nature around Central Sulawesi. The most commonly found fruit is mango. Even though the staple food is the same as most Indonesian people, namely rice, for complementary foods there are various kinds of tubers, papaya, mango, banana and guava. One of the most famous dish that is originated from Central Sulawesi is Kaledo (soup), ''Kaledo'', which originated from Donggala, Donggala Regency. Kaledo is a traditional cow's trotters soup served in spicy broth. This soup is often consumed with steamed rice or sweet potatoes, using the usual utensils that consist of spoon, fork, and occasionally knife; and also additionally using straw, used to sip out the marrow inside of the bones. The broth itself was often served with sliced lime, in order to give sour freshness in otherwise quite oily soup. ''Kapurung'' is a dish originated from Palu that is made from sago. The cooked sago is then doused with a yellow sauce made from fish broth, vegetables, mango slices, and shrimp meat. ''Milu Siram or'' also known as ''Binte biluhuta'' is corn soup with fish and shrimp which also originated from Palu. ''Lalampa'' is a typical Palu snack that is similar to lemper. However, the difference is the filling of these foods, ''Lalampa'' is usually filled with Skipjack tuna. Other typical Palu snacks besides ''Lalampa'' are ''Labia dange'' or ''sago dange''. This particular snack is made from sago cooked using a skillet and clay furnace. Usually eaten with processed brown sugar or with fish, this food has a savory and crunchy taste. Central Sulawesi is also famed for its coffee industry. Central Sulawesi consists of 12 regencies and 1 city. Of the 13 autonomous regions, only the city of

does not have a coffee plantation. In Central Sulawesi, Sigi and Poso Regencies are areas that have the longest history of coffee. Coffee gardens in this area have been planted since the era of Dutch colonialism. Gradually, the spread of coffee plants expanded to the area of

, Kulawi, Pipikoro, Palolo and the valley around the Poso area. The most productive coffee-producing area is in Poso Regency, Poso but the most extensive coffee plantation area is in Sigi Regency, Sigi. While Donggala does not have a very large area but the coffee produced is also quite a lot.

has local coffee known as Kopi Sojol. This coffee is planted in the mountainous area of 3,226 meters above sea level. This area is suitable for planting Coffea arabica, arabica type of coffee which usually grows in cool highlands. But overall, Central Sulawesi is a robusta coffee producer. In the town of Pipikoro in Sigi Regency, there is coffee named kopi toratima. This unique coffee is a natural fermented product of bats, rats and squirrels. The difference with kopi luwak is that kopi toratima is not fermented in the digestive system of animals. Because it is traditionally processed, in general Central Sulawesi coffee has a unique taste character. The aroma bursts strong while the taste of the coffee is slightly savory. This special coffee flavor makes the people of Central Sulawesi proud of their local coffee.

Economy

Agriculture

The development of the agricultural sector is very dominant. Various programs and activities have been carried out to overcome the impact of the economic crisis and have been able to increase the production and export of several leading commodities even though overall they have not provided added value in increasing the income and welfare of the farming community. Rice fields according to the irrigation system can be distinguished, including technical irrigated Paddy field, rice fields with an area of 54,314 ha, semi-technical irrigation with an area of 36,241 ha, simple irrigation with an area of 13,410 ha, village irrigation with an area of 22,929 ha and technical non-irrigated rice fields of 23,518 ha. From this land area the amount of paddy production produced each year reaches 726,714 tons/ha. The palawija, horticulture and vegetable land area is 57,320 ha, the fruit area is 14,029.92 ha and the medicinal land is 667,272 ha. the amount of production produced from secondary crops includes Maize, corn with a total production of 67,617 tons/ha, tomato production amounting to 58,260 tons/ha, turnip production of 48,300 tons/ha, cassava production of 48,255 tons/ha, shallots production amounted to 44,960 tons/ha and eggplant production amounted to 32,490 tons/ha. Fruit plants, the amount of production produced includes 21,036 tons/ha of tangerine, 18,890 tons/ha of Cucurbita, squash, 3,763 tons/ha of jackfruit, 3,123 tons/ha of durian, and 2,887 tons/ha of banana.

Mining

Central Sulawesi has at least 10 potential metal minerals that have high selling value. Nickel is processed in Morowali Regency, especially in the Morowali Industrial Park. In addition, the potential for nickel is also found in

. Then galena associated with zinc, spread in Tolitoli Regency, especially in the Dondo and Galang Subdistrict with a reserve potential of around 100 million tons, at levels below 35 percent with an area of over 1,500 hectares. Galena spread also exists in Buol District, Bunobogu and Paleleh Subdistricts with reserves of around 56 million tons at levels above 45 percent. Furthermore, in Donggala Regency, Donggala and Parigi Moutong Regency, Parigi Moutong, this type of mineral was also found. The potential for gold minerals in Parigi Moutong, Buol, Banggai, Poso to Palu City. In Buol, the potential for gold is available in Lintidu Village, Paleleh District and Lokodoka Mountains in Bulagidun District. It is estimated that reserves of around 15 million tons are combined with gold and copper. Furthermore, the potential of chromite or chromium ore is found in

, Lage Sub-district with a chromium seed reserve of around 67 thousand tons. Other potentials are spread in Morowali Regency, Bungku Utara District, Bungku Tengah and Bungku Barat. The potential of copper minerals, spread in the Bulagidun area, Bunobogu District, in the Paleleh mountains, with copper ore potential of around 14.4 million tons, and copper metals around 87,840 tons. The next potential of molybdenum found in the mountains west of Malala Village, Dondo Subdistrict, Tolitoli Regency, is in porphyry sediment veins of quartz diorite, with thicknesses varying from 4 to 20 centimeters, at depths above 200 meters. It is estimated that the potential of Molybdenum seeds is around 85 million tons. Other potentials are ironsand, hematite and magnetite blocks, located along the Ulubongka coastline, with rates below 50 percent. This mineral is also found in the titanium-mixed Buol Regency, on the shore of Timbulon Bunobogu-Oyak. Furthermore, in Morowali Regency, black sand can also be found along the coast of Topogaro, West Bungu Subdistrict with levels between 51 and 69 percent. Then Hematite minerals are found in Buol District on Bukit Paleleh Tua, Paleleh District. This mineral was also discovered at the Kamonji River, Malei Village, Balaesang District, Tanjung Manimbaya, Donggala Regency. Then the Manganese minerals can be found in South Tinombo District, Parigi Moutong District and Masewe Village, South Pamona District, Poso District.

Fishery

Development of an area that has conformity to fisheries characteristics, taking into account slope factors below 8 percent and adequate water supply with a potential of ponds covering an area of 42,095.15 ha which is processed 11.3 percent, potential for freshwater cultivation covering 134,183.3 hectares treated 5.8 percent, consisting of 48,458 hectares of lakes, 12,275 hectares of swamps and 10,195 hectares of rivers. The potential of marine waters covering 193,923.75 km² which contains many types of fish and other marine biota is divided into 3 (three) zones, namely (1)

and Sulawesi Sea (amounting to 929,700 tons), (2)

(595,620 tons ), (3) Bay of Tolo (Indonesia), Tolo Bay (amounting to 68,456 tons). The potential of fish resources in these waters is approximately 330,000 tons per year. While fish that can be managed sustainably are around 214,000 tons per year. In Tolo Bay there are 68,000 tons per year, Tomini Bay 78,000 tons per year, Makassar Strait and Sulawesi Sea 68,000 tons per year. From the potential of sustainable fish, the number of fish that can be caught is 217,280 tons per year.

Seaweed production

Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi, is projected to be the biggest seaweed producer in Indonesia for the near future. The seaweed farming types are glacilaria. In 2010, Central Sulawesi produced nearly 800,000 tons of seaweed.

Transportation

Road

The Trans-Sulawesi Highway, which connects Makassar in

pass through the province. Most of the major towns in Central Sulawesi are connected by road.

Air

There are 7 major airports in Central Sulawesi, located in Ampana, Buol (town), Buol,

, Morowali Regency, Morowali,

and Tolitoli Regency, Tolitoli respectively, as well as small airstrips. Of these seven major airports, Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport in Palu is the largest one, serving as the main gateway to the capital city as well as the whole province. The airport serves flights to and from other major cities in Indonesia, such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar, etc.

Tourism

The geographical location of Central Sulawesi makes it has a variety of natural attractions, from sea tourism, river tourism, mountain tourism, forest tourism.

is the third largest lake in Indonesia and has a length of about 32 km and a width of 16 km, with a depth of almost 195 meters. Lake Poso, whose water is very clear, is surrounded by hills and forests and is located in Poso Regency. On Lake Poso there is a stretch of white sand covering the banks of the lake, white sand which is commonly found on the beach.

is located about 60 kilometers south of the city of Palu. The Lore Lindu National Park area is the largest native mammal habitat in Sulawesi. Anoa,

, deer, Spectral tarsier, Tonkean macaque, and the largest meat-eating animals in Sulawesi, Sulawesi palm civet live in this park. Lore Lindu National Park also has at least 5 types of squirrels and 31 of 38 species of mice, including endemic species. There are at least 55 types of bats and more than 230 species of birds, including the maleo, 2 species of Sulawesi hornbills. Thousands of insects can be seen around this park. Worth observing are striking colored butterflies that fly around the park as well as along the paths and streams. Megalithic statues that are hundreds or thousands of years old are scattered in the Lore Lindu National Park areas such as Napu Valley, Besoa and Bada. These statues are the best stone monuments among similar statues in Indonesia. Lutungan Island is one of the main tourist attractions in Tolitoli Regency. The island has white sand beaches and marine parks with a variety of coral reefs and fish species. Apart from having a natural panorama, this island has historical value, because there is the tomb of the King of Toli-Toli named Syaefudin Bantilan this island. The Tolitoli community knows it as Tando Kanau (Tanjung Enau), because the island's peninsula was once filled with palm trees. There various activities on Luntungan Island, such as snorkeling, diving, swimming, also enjoying the sunset and sunrise. Aside from being a tourist destination, these tourists are often visited by tourists in search of blessings. By plugging in the coconut midrib and pulling it out. If the midrib is short, the request will not come true. The Sombori Islands in the southeast of Morowali Regency, Morowali, Central Sulawesi, are tourist attractions as well as conservation areas. Sombori Island which has an area of about 41,340 ha, has a spot called Tebing Kahyangan, which is a point to enjoy the natural panorama of the islands from a height, as well as cool photo spots. The view seen from the height of Tebing Kahyangan is very similar to Raja Ampat Islands, Raja Ampat in West Papua (province), West Papua. Other activities that can be done are island hopping or exploring the island, snorkeling and diving, and also playing on the beach. The Togean Islands in Central Sulawesi, are made of 56 islands, and known internationally for exceptional diving spots, a wide variety of endemic species, and eco-tourism destinations. At the southern point, those islands are bordered by Buka Buka Island, home to one of the most popular resorts of the regions, calle
Reconnect
which recently gained international and national attention.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{Authority control Central Sulawesi, States and territories established in 1964 Provinces of Indonesia