:: Makasar City - South Sulawesi Travel Guides ::
Makasar City ( Formerly Ujung Pandang
)
Makassar, (Macassar,
Mangkasar) is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi,
Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From
1971 to 1999, the city was formally named Ujung Pandang,
after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names
are often used interchangeably. The port city is located
at 5°8′S, 119°25′E, on the southwest coast of the island
of Sulawesi, facing the Makassar Strait.
Its area is 175.77 km˛ and has population of 1.25
million.
History
The first
European settlers were the Portuguese sailors.
Beginning
in the sixteenth century, Makassar was the dominant
trading/pao center of eastern Indonesia, and soon became
one of the largest cities in island Southeast Asia. The
Makassarese kings maintained a policy of free trade,
insisting on the right of any visitor to do business in
the city, and rejecting the attempts of the Dutch to
establish a monopoly over the city. Further, tolerant
religious attitudes meant that even as Islam became the
dominant faith in the region, Christians and others were
still able to trade in the city. With these attractions,
Makassar was a key center for Malays working in the
Spice Islands trade, as well as a valuable base for
European and Arab traders from much further afield.
The importance of Makassar declined as the Dutch became
more powerful in the
region, and were better able to enforce the monopoly
over the spice trade that they
desired. In 1667 the Dutch, allied with the Bugis prince
of Bone state Arung Palakka, invaded and captured
Makassar, eliminating its role as an independent trading
center. It became a free port in 1848.
Economy
The city is
southern Sulawesi's primary port, with regular domestic
and international shipping connections. It is n
ationally
famous as an important port of call for the pinisi
boats, sailing ships which are among the last in use for
regular long-distance trade.
During the colonial era, the city was famous for being
the namesake of Makassar oil, which it exported in great
quantity. Makassar ebony is a warm black, streaked with
deep red, and highly prized for fine cabinetry and
veneers.
Makassar is also a major fishing center in Sulawesi. One
of its major industries is the trepang (sea cucumber)
industry
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