South Sulawesi, Provincial territory in Sulawesi Island, Indonesia.
South Sulawesi is a province on Sulawesi Island stretching between the Gulf of Boni, Makassar Strait, and Flores Sea, with Makassar as its capital. The landscape includes coastal plains, mountainous areas to the north, and a highland plateau where rice terraces and traditional villages sit.
Several kingdoms ruled the region for centuries before Dutch colonial administration began in the 17th century. The formal province was created in 1960 after Indonesia gained independence, and its borders were adjusted in 1964 when Southeast Sulawesi separated.
The Bugis people are known as skilled sailors and shipbuilders, with wooden boats still crafted in coastal workshops today. Toraja communities in the highlands practice burial ceremonies where carved graves are set into cliff faces and rituals can last several days.
Travelers will find the easiest access to public services, markets, and lodging in central Makassar, while rural areas require longer travel times. The dry season from May to October offers better road conditions for trips into the highlands and to coastal villages.
Konjo craftsmen build pinisi ships in open-air coastal yards, working without written plans and passing knowledge from one generation to the next. The hulls are assembled from wood following traditional proportions, so each vessel remains recognizable by its twin masts.
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