Sulawesi Population 2023

What is the Population of Sulawesi Island?

The original census of the population of Sulawesi Island was 14, 946,488 which is just
over 7 percent of the total population of the country of Indonesia. During the next
conducted census in 2010, it reached a total population of about 17.3 million. As of the
census conducted in 2020, the population was just under 20 million and is estimated to
currently be well over 2.1 million souls on the island. The largest city in Sulawesi is
Makassar.

Like most of Indonesia, the dominant religion in Sulawesi is Islam. The conversion to
Islan occurred in the 17th century, starting with the kingdom of Luwu in the Gulf of
Bone. This was recorded in February of 1605, and the region surrounding the modern-
day city of Makkasar followed suit in September of the same year. The people of the
northern peninsula were one of the slowest to adopt Islam, as it took until the late 19th
century. Within the Muslim population, most observe the Sunni religion.

Christianity forms a substantial minority on the island, making up one-fifth of the

population. Most of the Christians on the island identify with the protestant faith and are
concentrated at the top of the northern peninsula around Manado, a major city.
Although most of the people living within Sulawesi identify themselves largely with these
two Abrahamic religions, the cultural influence of the native population has kept intact
some local traditions, which include the original folklore and religious deities.

What is Sulawesi Island?

Sulawesi is one of the four islands found in the Greater Sunda and is governed by the
sovereign nation of Indonesia. Sulawesi is the world's 11th largest island and is located
east of Borneo and west of the Maluku islands. Within the country of Indonesia, only
Borneo, Papua, and Sumatra are larger in the territory. Sulawesi is the third most
populous island, with only Sumatra and Java having more inhabitants.

The landmass of Sulawesi includes four peninsulas which are separated by three gulfs.
The strait of Makassar, which is the namesake of the capital city of the island, separates
it from the nearby island of Borneo.

In central Sulawesi, it was rumored that the Portuguese host of that section of the island
had a fort in Parigi in 1555. The Kalili was a group that was critically based in the Palu
valley and related to the Toraja. The Dutch were the other major colonial power in the
area, which had attempted to pacify the local populations of the kail groups. The Dutch
colonial government intervened in the situation. In the late 19th century, Sarasins made
their way through the Palu valley to bring the Kaili under Dutch rule.

What are Some Interesting Facts About Sulawesi

Island?