CelebesIndonesian Sulawesione of the four Greater Sunda Islands, Indonesia. A curiously shaped island with four distinct peninsulas that form three major gulfs—Tomini (the largest) on the northeast, Tolo on the east, and Bone on the south—Celebes has a coastline of 3,404 miles (5,478 km) and an area, including adjacent islands, of 87,897 square miles (227,654 square km).

The island is very mountainous, with some active volcanoes, but there are large plains on the southern peninsula and in the south-central part of the island on which rice is grown. The highest peak is Mount Rantekombola, or Mario, at 11,335 feet (3,455 mmetres). Major deep lakes (danau) are Towuti, Poso, and Matana, the latter having been sounded to 1,936 feet (590 mmetres). The rivers are short and unimportant.



Seven major ethnic groups inhabit Celebes: the Toala, ToradjaToraja, Buginese, MakasareseMakassarese, Minahasan, Mori, and Gorontalese. The Toala, who live throughout the island, are nomadic, shy jungle dwellers with their own language. The ToradjaToraja, inhabiting central, southeastern, and eastern Celebes, are of Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) stockancestry; they have their own language and are primarily agriculturists. Most of them are Christians, although they still retain many animist traditional practices. The Buginese and Makasarese are Muslims, well-built, energetic, fairly light-skinned, and devoted to gambling, feasting, and cockfighting; they Makassarese are Muslims who live in southern Celebes and are extremely industrious, especially in the manufacture of plaited goods and in weaving, gold and silver work, and shipbuilding. The Minahasan , distinct from the rest, have light skin, high noses, prominent lips, widely separated eyes, and stiff, short black hair; they are tall and strong. Inhabiting the inhabit the area around Manado , they and are the most westernized Westernized of the island peoples and : they live in European style, each village having its Christian church and school. The Mori are a highland people inhabiting much of the eastern part of the island. The Gorontalese, in the west and south-central part of the northeastern peninsula, are short, smooth-haired, rather light-skinned, and of the Muslim faithMuslims.


The eastern peninsula is largely undeveloped, with sparse population and predominantly subsistence agriculture. The southwestern peninsula and the central part of the island are centres for settlement programs, by means of which the national government is trying has sponsored plans to resettle large numbers of people from Bali and Java to reduce population pressure on those islands. These areas of Celebes are have thus becoming become both more diverse and more highly developed. Roads link the principal towns of the southwestern peninsula, but elsewhere—with the exception of the Manado-Kema, the Kendari-Kolaka, and the Toraja highlands roads—they are limited to the coast. The major airports are at MakasarMakassar, Manado, Gorontalo, Kendari, Poso, and Palu.

The earliest traces of human habitation on Celebes are stone implements of the Toalian culture. Muslim sultanates of coastal Malay were established in the southern Celebes in the century before the arrival of the Europeans. The Portuguese arrived about 1512 in pursuit of a spice-trade monopoly, and the Dutch built a settlement at Macassar (MakasarMakassar) in 1607. Dutch control gradually spread until the states of Bone and Gowa lost their independence in 1905 and 1911, respectively. Occupied by Japan during World War II, the island joined the Republic of Indonesia in 1950. Political disturbances and rebellions have continued, but flared on occasion. One response of the central government control has not been threatened. Pop. (1985 est.) 11,552,917been to form two more provinces on the island: Gorontalo (2001) in the northeast and West Sulawesi (2004) in the west. Area including adjacent islands, 74,845 square miles (193,847 square km). Pop. including adjacent islands, (2005) 15,788,005.