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South Sulawesi

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South Sulawesi is a large province in Indonesia.

Celebes in 1905
Celebes in 1905

It sits on the southern part of the island of Sulawesi. The province is surrounded by many different bodies of water. To the west lies the Makassar Strait. To the south is the Flores Sea. The Gulf of Bone sits to the east.

South Sulawesi-Indonesia-Mountains
South Sulawesi-Indonesia-Mountains

To the north, it borders Central Sulawesi and West Sulawesi. The capital city is Makassar, which is also the largest city in the province.

Many different people live in this region. It is the most crowded province on the island of Sulawesi. In 2025, the population was about 9,563,130 people. This includes 4,751,880 males and 4,811,250 females. The population grows by almost 100,000 people every year. Three main ethnic groups live here. The Buginese are the largest group with almost 4 million people. The Makassarese are the second largest group with over 2 million people. The Torajan people live in the northern mountains.

Kete' Kesu' Toraja
Kete' Kesu' Toraja

Work in South Sulawesi involves many different tasks. Many people work in agriculture or fishing. Others work in mining for metals like gold, iron, and magnesium. The Buginese and Makassarese people use traditional sailing ships called pinisi. These ships have two masts and use sails. They use them for fishing and moving goods across the islands.

COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Huis Zuid-Celebes TMnr 10027864
COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Huis Zuid-Celebes TMnr 10027864

People also live in many small offshore islands. There are 369 islands in the province. The Selayar Islands are part of this province.

Humans have lived in this area for a very long time. People first moved here around 30,000 years ago. Archaeologists found old stone tools near limestone hills in Maros. They also found bones from giant pigs and elephants that are now extinct.

COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Regent van Maros met gevolg Makassar Celebes TMnr 10001612
COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Regent van Maros met gevolg Makassar Celebes TMnr 10001612

Some cave paintings are very old. These handprint paintings are between 35,000 and 40,000 years old. They were found in the Pettakere cave near Maros.

History shows that many kingdoms once ruled this land. Between the 15th and 19th centuries, it was a place for the spice trade. There were kingdoms like Makassar and the Bugis kingdom of Bone.

Tamalate Palace of Gowa Kingdom
Tamalate Palace of Gowa Kingdom

Later, the Dutch East India Company began working in the region. They fought with the Kingdom of Gowa. The king of Gowa was named Sultan Hasanuddin. He had to sign a treaty that reduced his power. This changed how the different groups lived together for a long time.

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🖼️ Images & Media (15)
File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Huis Zuid-Celebes TMnr 10027864.jpg
COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Huis Zuid-Celebes...
File:Celebes in 1905.jpg
Celebes in 1905.jpg
File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Regent van Maros met gevolg Makassar Celebes TMnr 10001612.jpg
COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Regent van Maros...
File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Mangi Mangi Karaëng Bontonompo koning van Gowa luistert naar de installatierede van waarnemend gouverneur van Celebes en Onderhorigheden de heer Bosselaar TMnr 10001592.jpg
COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Mangi Mangi...
File:Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year in South Sulawesi, 2001-2024.png
Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year...
File:Ladang garam Jeneponto.JPG
Ladang garam Jeneponto.JPG
File:Pedagang markisa Malino.JPG
Pedagang markisa Malino.JPG
File:South Sulawesi-Indonesia-Mountains.jpg
South Sulawesi-Indonesia-Mountains.jpg
File:Tari Paraga.jpg
Tari Paraga.jpg
File:Tamalate Palace of Gowa Kingdom.jpg
Tamalate Palace of Gowa Kingdom.jpg
File:Kete' Kesu' Toraja.jpg
Kete' Kesu' Toraja.jpg
File:Coto Makassar dish.JPG
Coto Makassar dish.JPG

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