Sulawesi

Sulawesi, also known as Celebes, is a large island in Indonesia, located in the central part of the country's archipelago. It lies in the Wallacea biogeographical zone, between Borneo to the west and the Maluku Islands to the east, and is bordered by the Celebes Sea, the Gulf of Tomini, and the Makassar Strait. The island is famous for its distinctive shape, with four peninsulas that project from a central highland region, giving it a rough "K" appearance.

Administratively, Sulawesi is divided into six provinces: North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, and West Sulawesi. The largest city is Makassar in the south; major provincial capitals include Manado, Gorontalo, Palu, Kendari, Makassar, and Mamuju. The population is ethnically diverse, with groups such as the Bugis, Makassar, Toraja, and Kaili speaking a variety of Austronesian languages; Indonesian is the lingua franca.

Economy centers on agriculture (coffee, cocoa, cloves, coconut), fisheries, and mining, with tourism focusing on cultural landscapes such as Toraja, as well as biodiversity-rich sites like Bunaken National Park and the Maros-Pangkep limestone caves. The island hosts a number of endemic species, including the anoa, babirusa, and the Sulawesi tarsier, as well as the maleo bird.

Sulawesi has significant biodiversity but is prone to natural hazards due to its tectonic setting, lying near the boundary of the Australian and Eurasian plates. The 2018 Palu earthquake and tsunami highlighted the region's vulnerability to seismic activity.