About South East Sulawesi

Formerly called the Celebes, Sulawesi is one of the world's most uniquely shaped islands. It is often referred to as the "Orchid Shaped Island". Historically, Sultans ruled this land and the Local area is Governed by regents. Today, Sulawesi is divided into four provinces, one of them being Southeast Sulawesi, covering the lower eastern leg of this beautiful island.

Southeast Sulawesi is an Indonesia province on Sulawesi Island. 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 Bone Sea between Watampone (Bone) in South Sulawesi and Kolaka port.

The population of the province is 1.771,951 (in 2000 Census), most of which is centered on Buton island of the Sulawesi south coast, and around Kendari. From the seventeenth century until the early twentieth century, the region was the site of the Buton (Butung) sultanate.

The Southeast Province is populated by more than 1,2 million people, in five diverse and interesting cultural groups: Tolaki, Morunene, Buton, Muna (Locally called Wuna), and Bajo. All offer the visitor a glimpse of life-styles, which have survived man's rush to modernization while using much of today's technology to their advantage.

Most of the land area of southeast Sulawesi is covered by natural jungle, with extensive plantations of teak and ironwood, which are used for local handicraft and contribute to the local economy. Much of the beauty of the region has been preserved for prosperity by declaring it "National Parks" and "Nature Preserve.

Wonereous animals, living freely, easily seen and appreciated by visitors, inhabit the entire province. Deer, Wild Pigs, Small Rodent-Like animals called Kus-Kus, Monkey, Snakes, Anoa (small buffalo) and numerous varieties of birds abound. But the hunting of animals is forbidden in national parks preserves and carefully controlled by local government, in other areas.

The friendly of the Sulawesi People, the local flora, fauna, and untouched beaches, are the highlights of this unique located. It is truly one of the world's last remaining. Natural habitats are waiting to show for the visitor who can appreciate such natural beauty and the people who live in it.

GEOGRAPHICALLY

The southeast province 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

West side: Bone Gulf

AREA AND LOCATION

The province consist of four regencies, one municipality and an administrative municipality, which area of each region as follows:

Regency of Kendari ..............................16,319 sq. Km. (42,8 %),

Regency of Kolaka ................................10,310 sq. Km. (27.0 %),

Regency of Buton...................................6,242 sq. Km. (16.4 %),

Regency of Muna...................................4,887 sq. Km. (12.8 %),

Municipality of Kendari ........................161 sq. Km. (0.4 %),

Administrative Municipalities of Bau-Bau .........221 sq. Km. (0.6 %),

T O PO G R A P H Y

Topography of Southeast Sulawesi is dominated by hills. There is some lowland plain between hills, and these are potential for agriculture activity.

G E O L O G Y

The geological condition of the province consists of sediment rocks are about 67.64 %, metamorphoses rocks about 19. 78 % and coagulated rocks is 15.58 %. The general soil type is red yellow podzolic.

H Y D R O L O G Y

Southeast Sulawesi has many rivers, such as; Lalindu, Lasolo, Konaweha, Lahumbuti, Lawe Roraya, Rante Angin, Poleang, Meeta, longkowala, Kambara, kabongka, Towari, Oko-Oko, Sampolawa, etc.

Konaweaha river has stream's flow as about 200 m3 / sec. It has built Wawatobi Dam on this river, which is expected to irrigate the rice-field of up to 18,000 Ha. The Lalindo, Lasolo and Konaweha are very potential rivers for hydroelectric power. To set up the Industrial sector in the near future we need to supplied by PLN (State Electric Company), but in general for household consumers.

There are also some swamplands in this region; such as Aopa swampland with total area about 32,800 Ha and Tinonda Swampland with total about 1,240 Ha. The swampland and the rivers (e.g. Lahumbuti) can be use as water resource for agriculture development, hydroelectric power and as tourism object.

C L I M A T E

The highest temperature in the province is about 31o c, the lowest is 19o C, and average is 25o C to 27o C. The rainfall in Southeast Sulawesi generally is not same in all regions, so that, this province can be divided in two regions, namely:

Wet region, with total rainfall of more than 2,000 mm per year is Northern part region of Kendari - Kolaka, and Northern part of Buton and Wakatobi area.

Semi-dry region, with a total rainfall of less than 2,000 mm per year the region of Kendari and Kolaka and Southern part of Southeast Sulawesi peninsula.

During five years later, the average rainfall in this province is about 1,904 mm per years, and the average of rainy-dry-days is 109 days per year.

There are two seasons all over Indonesia as well as on Sulawesi Island. Temperature range from 21 C to 35 C. Average temperature through the year is 27. Dry season is from May to October and rainy season is from November to April. The heavy rain happened in January and February.

O C E A N O G R P H Y

The offshore water of Southeast Sulawesi covering about 110,000 sq. Km and has an abundance of fish. The potential resource is estimated at 500,000 tons of Fish annually. Permanent potency is 250,000 tons consist of Tuna, Skipjack, yellow fin, lobsters, shrimp, trout's and some other sea-products such as seaweed, sea cucumbers, and pearls.

D E M O G R A P H Y

In 1990, due the result of population census there was 1,349,619 people in this province. Now, in post 1997, the population became 1.693.400people. The density, according to the area of the province is 38,140 sq. Km 0 is about 39 people per square kilometer.

TRANSPORTATION

Mainland Transportation.

Mainland transportation system is very important for further Southeast Sulawesi economic development. The improvement and extension of road system will provide to motivate marketable commodities and row materials into and out the rural agriculture production areas, and to the manufacturing and distribution center's.

Until the end of 1998 the length of road is Southeast Sulawesi has been developing about 8,444.78 kilometers.

Ferry Transportation

The rapid mainland transportation activities, which connects Southeast Sulawesi and South Sulawesi, Torobulu to Tampo and Tolandona to Bau-Bau, has an important role for the region economic growth. The Government has a great emphasis of the improvement of this ferry transportation system.

Sea Transportation

There are five harbors visited by ocean-going ship, inter-island ship, local and special ships. There are an also ocean fishing harbor named Kendari Ocean Fishing Harbor as center of fishing industrial activities.

Air Transportation

There are four airports in the region follows:

- Wolter Mongonsidi Airport ................................: Kendari Regency

- Betoambari Airport ..........................................: Buton Regency

- Pomalaa Airport ..............................................: Kolaka Regency

- Sugimanaru Airport .........................................: Muna Regency.

Flight Schedule of Kendari to Ujung Pandang (South Sulawesi) is available daily. This route flight is served by Merpati Nusantara Airlines.

INDUSTRY

The rapid development in the first long Term Development Plan (the last 25 years) especially in agriculture sector, such as food crops, plantation, fishery, forestry, animal husbandry and mining sector and supporting by sufficient transportation network, is potential for development industrial sector, especially for agro based industry and small scale industry.

TELECOMMUNICATION

The main communication system postal telegraph and telephone are well established in the four regencies in the province.

BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT PROSPECT

Regional development of Southeast Sulawesi province has 4 priority sectors, namely:

- Agriculture in broad meaning

- Mining and energy

- Industry

- Tourism

AGRICULTURE IN BROAD MEANING

 Crops and plantation 

Sub sectors of crops and plantation have good prospect to be development are as follows:

Corn with area potential more than 500,000 ha in Kendari and Muna region.

Soybean plantation with area potential of 10,000 ha in Kendari region.

Sugarcane plantation in Kolaka, Kendari and Muna region.

Paddy field development

Horticulture's development.

Fishery 

Investment opportunities in this field are:

Shrimp aquaculture with potential of 44,899 ha.

Pearl shell aquaculture.

Seaweed, sea cucumber aquaculture with a potential of 500 ha.

Other coastal like lobster, living fish, etc.

Catching of tuna, skip jack, octopus, etc.

Cattle Breeding

Presently, cattle from Southeast Sulawesi have been marketed to Java and Irian Jaya. The development of cattle breeding at large scale is possible because of the availability of extensive land farming, and also enough animal feed naturally, and the possible of waste of sugar factory and other agriculture industry.

Forestry

Business opportunity is potential in industry plantation Forest for pulp and paper, and furniture. Wood species of pulp and paper are: Acacia mangium, Pinus merkuli, eucalyptus spp and Paraseriantes falcataria. Whiles for furniture are: Tectona grandis (Teak Wood), Swientenia mahagoni, pericopsis, Insia bijuga, etc.

In many, we could also develop rattan and bamboo. The latter is potential for chopstick industry. The possible total areas for forest plantation industrial are 438,000 ha.

MINING and ENERGY

Investment opportunity in the field of mining and energy that can be immediately started as follows:

Chromate

The potential of this mineral is very large due to the fact that One-third of Southeast Sulawesi soil consist ultra basic rocks. A careful research recently conducted prove that chromate is found massively in tree location of the province at depth of 1 to 2 meters down with a Cr2O3 content of 50 %.

Marble

Deposit of marble is found at three location namely in Kolaka region, kendari region and Buton with reserve of more than one trillion metric tons of marble and crystalline limestone. The color are white, Grey, dark and red.

Nickel

Nickel deposit is found in southern part of Southeast Sulawesi Peninsula. It is mixed with iron, asbestos, and chromate. A state mining company on area up to 7,000 ha is exploiting this mineral.

Hydro-electric

Capacity of power supply at the end of the sixth PELITA is about 65 MW. The state electric company (PLN) is able to cover about 25 MW only. The gap between the supply and demand will be more increasing especially for industries. It is expected that the problem can be solve by build hydroelectric station the electric output is cheaper. There are three potential river for this purpose namely lalindu, konaweha and Lasolo rivers.

Source:www.indonesia-tourism.com