Sulawesi Tengah

▪ province, Indonesia

English  Central Celebes 

      provinsi (province), consisting of the northeastern peninsula, the north-central part of Celebes island, and a part of the northernmost peninsula, Indonesia. It is bounded by the Makassar Strait to the west, the Celebes Sea to the north, the Gulfs of Tomeni and Tolo to the east, and the provinces of Gorontalo to the northeast, Sulawesi Tenggara (Southeast Celebes) to the southeast, and Sulawesi Selatan (South Celebes) to the southwest. Its area includes the Togian Islands in the Gulf of Tomini and the Banggai and Bowokan island groups in the Gulf of Tolo. The provincial capital is Palu.

      The central area, like the rest of Celebes, had settlements of South Asians from the 2nd century AD and was part of the Buddhist and Hindu empires that ruled Indonesia until the arrival of Islam in the beginning of the 16th century. Subsequently, a number of Muslim states, including Makasar (now the city of Ujungpandang (Makassar)) and Bone (now Watampone), ruled the island at the beginning of the 17th century. The Makasarese state of Gowa emerged as one of the most powerful and brought nearly all of Celebes under its control. Its chief rivals were the state of Bone and the Dutch (who had entered the region in 1609). The Dutch conspired with the Buginese of Bone (led by Arung Palakka) and succeeded in overthrowing Gowa. Arung Palakka emerged in 1668–69 as the most powerful ruler in the island; internecine warfare, however, paved the way for the gradual extension of the Dutch hegemony. Celebes, briefly occupied by the British in 1810–16, reverted to the Dutch in 1817. Although rebellions against the Dutch broke out, they were crushed, and Dutch colonial supremacy was firmly established by 1860. The Japanese occupied the islands during World War II (1942–45), and, after the war, Sulawesi Tengah was included in the Dutch-sponsored state of East Indonesia until the formation of the Republic of Indonesia in 1950.

      The general topography is mountainous, marked by volcanic cones including Mounts Malino (8,015 feet [2,443 metres]), Ogoamas (9,557 feet [2,913 metres]), and Nokilalaki (10,863 feet [3,311 metres]). Extensive uplifting, faulting, and subsidence have formed deep valleys and gorges, particularly in north-central Celebes, where there are a number of lakes, including Lake Poso. The coastal lowlands are discontinuous and relatively narrow. There are extensive coral reefs in the Gulfs of Tomini and Tolo. Rapid, perennial streams include the Palu, Poso, Lanang, and Bongka. Luxuriant tropical rainforests (with many ferns) cover most of the area up to 1,000 feet (300 metres) in elevation, and dense forests of teak, sal (Shorea), and ironwood occur at higher elevations. Agriculture is the principal means of livelihood; its products include rattan, resin, sugarcane, copra, and rice. Ironwood and ebony are also important. Industries include wood carving and rice milling and the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and mats and baskets, and the extraction of palm oil. Transport is by river and road (mainly located along the coasts). Palu, Poso, and Luwuk have airports and, together with Douggala, Kolonodale, and Tolitoli, are the important towns. Area 24,586 square miles (63,678 square km). Pop. (2000) 2,218,435.

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