Sulawesi, Indonesian administrative division in Sulawesi, Indonesia
This place is an island with four long peninsulas that stretch in different directions, creating mountain ranges, forests, and extended shorelines. The landscape shifts between rice terraces, tropical forests, and rocky bays surrounded by several seas.
Traders from China, India, and the Middle East visited the shores centuries ago to exchange spices and precious metals. European merchants followed in the 1500s, reshaping political structures across the region.
Residents speak over a hundred regional languages across thousands of scattered villages, following ancestral traditions in their daily routines. Local craftspeople carve boats and weave textiles using methods passed down through generations.
Several cities and ports serve as starting points for traveling between the different regions and coastal areas. Local ferries and smaller aircraft connect remote settlements, with travel times varying depending on weather conditions.
In some mountain villages, families preserve the remains of their deceased relatives inside wooden figures placed on cliffs or beneath rock overhangs. The figures are regularly cleaned and re-dressed, keeping them visible over decades.
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