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Southeast Sulawesi

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Southeast Sulawesi is a province located in Indonesia. It sits on the southeastern peninsula of the island of Sulawesi.

Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year in Southeast Sulawesi, 2001-2024
Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year in Southeast Sulawesi, 2001-2024

Many large islands sit in the sea nearby. These include Buton, Muna, Kabaena, and Wawonii. The province also has many smaller islands around it. It shares borders with South Sulawesi and Central Sulawesi to the north. To the east, it shares a sea border with Maluku and North Maluku. To the south, it is near East Nusa Tenggara and East Timor.

The land in this province has many different features. There are two major mountain ranges called Tanggeasinua and Mekongga. Three big rivers flow through the area. These rivers are the Lalinda, the Lasolo, and the Sampara. Traveling around the province can be a bit tricky. There is no highway road that connects it to the rest of Sulawesi. Instead, people often use a ferry to cross the Bone Gulf. This boat travels between Watampone and the port of Kolaka.

The history of this region goes back a long time. From the seventeenth century until the early twentieth century, it was the site of the Buton Sultanate. Today, the province is divided into many different parts for local government. It has fifteen regencies and two cities. In 1995, there were only four regencies in the whole province. These were Buton, Kolaka, Konawe, and Muna. Over the years, many new regencies were created from these original areas.

Many people live in Southeast Sulawesi. The population was about 2.2 million in 2010. By 2020, it grew to about 2.6 million people. A recent estimate for mid-2025 says there are about 2,836,740 people. Most people, about 96.2%, follow the religion of Islam. There are also Hindus, Protestants, Roman Catholics, Buddhists, and others. Many people live on the islands of Buton and Muna. About 15% of the people live in or around the capital city, Kendari.

There are many different ethnic groups in the province. Some groups include the Buton, Muna, Wakatobi, and Tolaki. Other groups are the Culambacu, Kalisusu, Moronene, and Wawonii. Each group has its own unique identity. The province is also known for the Wakatobi National Park.

Wakatobi beach 2006
Wakatobi beach 2006

You can find several airports and ports to help people travel. These include Haluoleo Airport and the many ferry ports near the islands.

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File:Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year in Southeast Sulawesi, 2001-2024.png
Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year...
File:Wakatobi beach 2006.jpg
Wakatobi beach 2006.jpg
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