Makassar is a big city.
It is by the sea. It is on a large island. Many people live there. It is a busy place to trade.
Do you want to visit?
Makassar is a big city.
It sits on the coast of a large island. The city faces the sea.
Long ago, it was a place for trade. People came to buy spices. Many different people lived there. Some came from far away by boat.
It was once a home for kings. They had strong forts to stay safe. The city has many different names. One name was Ujung Pandang.
Today, many people live in the city. It is a very important place. It is one of the largest cities in the land.
Makassar is a busy and special place.
Makassar is a large city in Indonesia.
It sits on the southwest coast of Sulawesi. The city faces the Makassar Strait. It is the largest city in Eastern Indonesia. It is also the fifth-largest city in the whole country.
For a long time, Makassar was a famous trading port. People came there to trade spices. Many different groups lived there. This included people from Portugal and the Netherlands. The city was once the center of the Gowa Sultanate. This was a powerful kingdom. The kings of Gowa wanted free trade for all. They did not want one group to control everything.
In the 1600s, there were many battles for the city. The Dutch East India Company fought to control the spice trade. They eventually took over the city. They built Fort Rotterdam to hold the area.
The city has had many names over time. One old name was Ujung Pandang. Today, about 1.474 million people live in the city. It remains a very important place for trade and business.
Makassar is a very important city in Indonesia.
It sits on the southwest coast of the island of Sulawesi. The city faces the waters of the Makassar Strait. It is the largest city in the region of Eastern Indonesia. It is also the fifth-largest urban center in the whole country. This follows the cities of Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, and Bandung.
The city is a major hub for business and trade today. In fact, it has the second-highest property values in the nation.
For hundreds of years, Makassar worked as a busy trading port. People traveled from far away to trade valuable spices. The kings of the Gowa and Tallo sultanates ruled here. They wanted to keep trade free for everyone. They did not want just one group to control the goods. Many different people lived and worked in the port. This included Malay traders, Portuguese sailors, and even people from China.
The city grew because it was such a welcoming place for visitors.
History shows that many powerful groups fought to control the city. The Dutch East India Company wanted a monopoly on spices. They fought against the English, the Portuguese, and local Muslim traders. In the late 1600s, the Dutch finally conquered the area. They rebuilt a fort and named it Fort Rotterdam.
The city center even moved to a new location near this fort. Later, during World War II, Japanese forces landed near the city in 1942. After the war, Makassar became part of the independent Republic of Indonesia.
Makassar has used many different names over the years. Long ago, it was known as the center of the Gowa Sultanate. In 1971, the city was renamed Ujung Pandang. This name was used for a long time as the city grew. However, many local people did not like that name very much. In 1999, the name was changed back to Makassar.
Today, the city is divided into fifteen different districts. It is a place where many different cultures meet and live together.
Today, Makassar is a huge and lively place to visit. About 1.474 million people live within the city limits. If you count the nearby areas, the population is even larger.
The city is home to important places like Hasanuddin University.
You might see people traveling in local taxis called pete-pete. The city remains a vital link for the islands in Eastern Indonesia. It connects the sea to the land through its many paths of trade.
Makassar is a major urban center located in Indonesia. It serves as the capital of the South Sulawesi province. The city sits on the southwest coast of the island of Sulawesi. It faces the waters of the Makassar Strait.
As a vital part of Eastern Indonesia, it is the largest city in that region. Nationally, it is the fifth-largest urban center. It follows Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, and Bandung in size. It is also one of Indonesia's four main cities.
For centuries, Makassar functioned as a critical international trading port. Its importance grew because of the high demand for spices in the West. The city was the center of the powerful Gowa and Tallo sultanates. These two kingdoms formed a partnership that lasted through the city's peak. The center of this dual kingdom was at Sombaopu. This site was near the mouth of the Jeneberang River.
International traders, including Malay, Portuguese, English, and Chinese merchants, all used this port. The local rulers maintained a policy of free trade. They refused to let any single group establish a monopoly over the goods.
Many different groups shaped the city's history through conflict and cooperation. In the 16th century, Portuguese sailors used the port as a base. They called the city Macáçar. By the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company, known as the VOC, arrived. The VOC wanted a monopoly on nutmeg and cloves. This led to intense struggles between the Dutch and local powers. After the death of the ruler Karaeng Pattingalloang, conflicts escalated. The Bugis people rebelled, and the Dutch used this opportunity to conquer the area.
The Dutch destroyed Sombaopu and moved the city center to the north. They rebuilt a fort there and named it Fort Rotterdam.
Names for the city have changed many times over the years. In English, it was often spelled Macassar. The Portuguese used the spelling Macáçar. After the Dutch rule, the spelling Makassar was kept. In 1971, the city was renamed Ujung Pandang. This name was based on a pre-colonial name for Fort Rotterdam. The change happened as the city expanded to include neighboring regions. However, the name Ujung Pandang was not popular with local people. In 1999, President B. J. Habibie changed the name back to Makassar.
In the local language, the city is known as Mangkasara'.
Makassar has experienced significant shifts in its political status. After World War II, Indonesia proclaimed its independence in 1945. In 1946, Makassar was named the capital of the State of East Indonesia. This was a Dutch puppet state. This arrangement did not last long. In 1950, the Makassar Uprising occurred. This event led to the integration of the state into the Republic of Indonesia. During World War II, Japanese forces landed near the city in 1942. The Dutch defenders were overtaken and captured by the Japanese.
Today, Makassar is a massive and growing metropolitan area. The city itself has a population of approximately 1.474 million people. This includes 732,391 males and 742,002 females as of mid-2023. The city is divided into fifteen administrative districts. The wider metropolitan area is known as Mamminasata. It includes thirty-three additional districts from neighboring regencies. The population of this entire metropolitan area is around 2,795,639.
Economically, the city is very strong. Bank Indonesia reports that Makassar has the second-highest commercial property values in Indonesia. This is only behind Greater Jakarta.
Modern Makassar remains a vital hub for education and commerce. It is home to important institutions like Hasanuddin University.
The city's streets are busy with local activity. You might see people using pete-pete, which are local share taxis.
The city continues to collect important goods from Eastern Indonesia. These include items like copra, rattan, pearls, and sandalwood. It also produces oil from bado nuts. Historically, even the market streets were central to this trade.
Makassar connects the resources of the islands to the rest of the world.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (8)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.