la ode ida: South East Sulawesi in A Glance

Sunday, November 2, 2008

South East Sulawesi in A Glance

South East Sulawesi (Indonesian: Sulawesi Tenggara) is a province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. It consists of the southern and southeast part of Sulawesi Island and some small Islands surrounding. It is situated in the South of Equator, between 3o and 6o of South Latitude, and between 120o 45' and 124o 06' of East Longitude. Total peninsula area and the province island are about 38,140 square kilometers, and the sea is about 110,000 square Kilometers, with border area: North side: South Sulawesi and Central Sulawesi, east side: Banda Sea, South side: Flores Sea and West side: Bone Gulf. The capital of the province is Kendari, on the east coast of the peninsula.

The province is one of the most remote regions of Sulawesi; no highway connects it to the cities on the rest of the island, so the primary transportation link is a ferry across the Bone Sea between Watampone (Bone) in South Sulawesi and the port of Kolaka.

The population of the province is 1,771,951 (As of 2000[update] census), in five diverse and interesting cultural groups: The Tolaki, Morunene, Buton, Muna (locally called the Wuna), and the Bajo. Most population centered on Buton island off the south coast of Sulawesi, and in and around Kendari.

From the seventeenth century until the early twentieth century, the region was the site of the Buton sultanate (Butung).

The entire province is inhabited by wonereous animals, living freely, easily seen and appreciated by visitor. Deer, Wild Pigs, Small Rodent- like animals called Kus-Kus, Monkey, Snakes, Anoa (Small Buffalo) and numerous varieties of bird abound. But the hunting of animals is forbidden in national parks and preserves and carefully controlled by local government, in other areas. The warmth of the Sulawesi people, the local flora, fauna, and untouched beaches, are the highlights of this unique loacale. It is truly one of the world's last remaining natural habitants waiting so show off for the visitor who can appreciate such natural beauty and the people who live in it.