Makassar

Makassar (Buginese-Makassar language: ᨀᨚᨈ ᨆᨀᨔᨑ) – sometimes spelled Macassar, Mangkasara' – is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is the largest city on Sulawesi Island in terms of population, and the fifth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, and Medan. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably. The city is located on the southwest coast of the island of Sulawesi, facing the Makassar Strait.

The city's area is 19926 km2 and it had a population of around 1.6 million in 2013. Its built-up (or metro) area has 1,976,168 inhabitants covering Makassar City and 15 districts. Its official metropolitan area, known as Mamminasata, with 17 additional districts, covers an area of 2548 km2 and had a population of around 2.4 million according to 2010 Census.

History
Beginning in the sixteenth century, Makassar was the dominant trading center of eastern Indonesia, and soon became one of the largest cities in island Southeast Asia. The Makassar 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.

The trade in spices figured prominently in the history of Sulawesi, which involved frequent struggles between rival native and foreign powers for control of the lucrative trade during the pre-colonial and colonial period, when spices from the region were in high demand in the West. Much of South Sulawesi's early history was written in old texts that can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries.

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 trade, as well as a valuable base for European and Arab traders from much further afield.

The first European settlers were Portuguese sailors. When the Portuguese reached Sulawesi in 1511, they found Makassar a thriving cosmopolitan Entrepôt, where Chinese, Arabs, Indians, Siamese, Javanese, and Malays came to trade their manufactured metal goods and textiles for pearls, gold, copper, camphor and spices – nutmeg, cloves and mace imported from the interior and the neighbouring Spice Islands of Maluku. By the 16th century, Makassar had become Sulawesi's major port and centre of the powerful Gowa and Tallo sultanates which between them had a series of 11 fortresses and strongholds and a fortified sea wall that extended along the coast. Portuguese rulers called the city Macáçar.

The arrival of the Dutch in the early 17th century altered events dramatically. They finally replaced the Portuguese as colonial masters in 1667. Their first objective was to create a hegemony over the spice trade and their first move was to capture the fort of Makassar in 1667, which they rebuilt and renamed Fort Rotterdam. From this base they managed to destroy the strongholds of the Sultan of Gowa who was then forced to live on the outskirts of Makassar. Following the Java War (1825–30), Prince Diponegoro was exiled to Fort Rotterdam until his death in 1855.

The character of this old trading centre changed as a walled city known as Vlaardingen grew. Gradually, in defiance of the Dutch, the Arabs, Malays and Buddhist returned to trade outside the fortress walls, and were joined later by the Chinese.

The town again became a collecting point for the produce of eastern Indonesia – the copra, rattan, Pearls, trepang and sandalwood and the famous oil made from bado nuts used in Europe as men's hair dressing – hence the anti-macassars (embroidered cloths protecting the head-rests of upholstered chairs).

Although the Dutch controlled the coast, it was not until the early 20th century that they gained power over the southern interior through a series of treaties with local rulers. Meanwhile, Dutch missionaries converted many of the Toraja people to Christianity. By 1938, the population of Makassar had reached around 84,000 – a town described by writer Joseph Conrad as "the prettiest and perhaps, cleanest looking of all the towns in the islands".

In World War II the Makassar area was defended by approximately 1000 men of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army commanded by Colonel M. Vooren. He decided that he could not defend the coast, and was planning to fight a guerrilla war inland. The Japanese landed near Makassar on 9 February 1942. The defenders retreated but were soon overtaken and captured.

Following the Indonesian National Revolution in 1950, Makassar was the site of fighting between pro-Federalist forces under Captain Abdul Assiz and Republican forces under Colonel Sunkono during the Makassar uprising. By the 1950s, the population had increased to such a degree that many of the historic sites gave way to modern development, and today one needs to look very carefully to find the few remains of the city's once grand history.

Economy
The city is southern Sulawesi's primary port, with regular domestic and international shipping connections. It is nationally 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 widely known as the namesake of Makassar oil, which it exported in great quantity. Makassar ebony is a warm black hue, streaked with tan or brown tones, and highly prized for use in making fine cabinetry and veneers.

Nowadays, as the largest city in Sulawesi Island and Eastern Indonesia, the city's economy depends highly on the service sector, which makes up approximately 70% of activity. Restaurant and hotel services are the largest contributor (29.14%), followed by transportation and communication (14.86%), trading (14.86), and finance (10.58%). Industrial activity is next most important after the service sector, with 21.34% of overall activity.

Contact with Australia
Makassar is also a major fishing center in Sulawesi. One of its major industries is the trepang (sea-cucumber) industry. Trepang fishing brought the Makassan people into contact with Indigenous Australian peoples of northern Australia, long before European settlement (from 1788).

C. C. MacKnight in his 1976 work entitled Voyage to Marriage: Macassan Trepangers in Northern Australia has shown that they began frequenting the north of Australia around 1700 in search of trepang (sea-slug, sea cucumber, Beche-de-mer), an edible Holothurian. They left their waters during the Northwest Monsoon in December or January for what is now Arnhem Land, Marriage or Marega and the Kimberley region or Kayu Djawa. They returned home with the south-east trade winds in April.

A fleet of between 24 and 26 Macassan perahus was seen in 1803 by French explorers under Nicolas Baudin on the Holothuria Banks in the Timor Sea. In February 1803, Matthew Flinders in the Investigator met six perahus with 20–25 men each on board and was told that there were 60 perahus then on the north Australian coast. They were fishing for trepang and appeared to have only a small compass as a navigation aid. In June 1818 Macassan trepang fishing was noted by Phillip Parker King in the vicinity of Port Essington in the Arafura Sea. In 1865 R.J. Sholl, then Government Resident for the British settlement at Camden Sound (near Augustus Island in the Kimberley region) observed seven 'Macassan' perahus with a total of around 300 men on board. He believed that they made kidnapping raids and ranged as far south as Roebuck Bay (later Broome) where 'quite a fleet' was seen around 1866. Sholl believed that they did not venture south into other areas such as Nickol Bay (where the European pearling industry commenced around 1865) due to the absence of trepang in those waters. The Macassan voyages appear to have ceased sometime in the late nineteenth century, and their place was taken by other sailors operating from elsewhere in the Indonesian Archipelago.

Transportation


Makassar has a public transportation system called pete-pete. A pete-pete (known elsewhere in Indonesia as an angkot) is a minibus that has been modified to carry passengers. The route of Makassar's pete-petes is denoted by the letter on the windshield. Makassar is also known for its becak (pedicabs), which are smaller than the "becak" in the island of Java. In Makassar, people who drive pedicabs are called Daeng. In addition to becak and pete-pete, the city has a government-run bus system, and taxis.

The city of Makassar, its outlying districts, and the South Sulawesi Province are served by Hasanuddin International Airport. The airport is located outside the Makassar city administration area, being situated in the nearby Maros Regency.

In January 2012 it was announced that due to limited capacity of the current dock at Soekarno-Hatta sea port, it will be expanded to 150x30 square meters to avoid the need for at least two ships to queue every day.

A 35-kilometer monorail in the areas of Makassar, Maros Regency, Sungguminasa (Gowa Regency), and Takalar Regency (the Mamminasata region) will be realised in 2014 with cost predicted Rp.4 trillion ($468 million). The memorandum of understanding has been signed on 25 July 2011 by Makassar city, Maros Regency and Gowa Regency.

2014 saw the introduction of bus rapid transit (BRT) – locally referred to as "Trans Mamminasata". It has some routes through Makassar to cities around Makassar region such as Maros, Takallar, and Gowa. Run by Indonesian Transportation Department, each bus has 20 seats and space for 20 standing passengers.

Population
Makassar is a multi-ethnic city, populated mostly by Makassarese and Buginese. The remainder come from Toraja, Mandar, Buton, China, Java, and other areas. The current population is approximately 1.5 million, with a Metropolitan total of 2.2 million.

The city is divided into fourteen districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their 2010 Census population.

Climate
The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Am". (Tropical monsoon climate).

The average temperature for the year in Makassar is 81.5 °F (27.5 °C). The warmest month, on average, is October with an average temperature of 82.7 °F (28.2 °C). The coolest month on average is February, with an average temperature of 80.3 °F (26.8 °C).

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Makassar is 121.5" (3086.1 mm). The month with the most precipitation on average is January with 28.9" (734.1 mm) of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is August with an average of 0.6" (15.2 mm). In terms of liquid precipitation, there are an average of 187.0 days of rain, with the most rain occurring in January with 27.0 days of rain, and the least rain occurring in August with 2.0 days of rain.

Main sights


Makassar is home to several prominent landmarks including:


 * the 17th century Dutch fort Fort Rotterdam
 * the Trans Studio Makassar—the third largest indoor theme park in the world
 * the Karebosi Link—the first underground shopping center in Indonesia
 * the floating mosque located at Losari Beach.

In addition


 * the Bantimurung - Bulusaraung National Park well-known karst area, famous for the remarkable collection of butterflies in the local area, is nearby to Makassar (around 40 km to the north).

Universities

 * State University of Makassar
 * Hasanuddin University
 * Alauddin Islamic State University
 * Makassar 45 University
 * Atma Jaya Makassar University
 * East Indonesia University
 * Universitas Islam Makassar
 * Universitas Kristen Indonesia Paulus
 * Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar
 * Makassar Muhammadiyah University
 * Universitas Muslim Indonesia
 * Pancasakti University
 * Patria Artha University
 * Universitas Pepabri Makassar
 * Sawerigading University
 * Universitas Teknologi Sulawesi
 * Universitas Veteran Republik Indonesia
 * Unversitas Satria Makassar
 * Universitas Fajar Makassar
 * Universitas Indonesia Timur Makassar
 * Akademi Teknik Industri Makassar]
 * Akademi Analis Sandi Karsa
 * Akademi Farmasi Sandi Karsa
 * Akademi Ilmu Gizi Daya Makassar
 * Akademi Kebidanan Muhammadiyah makassar


 * Akademi Kebidanan Sandi Karsa
 * Akademi Keperawatan Gigi Sandi Karsa
 * Akademi Keperawatan Muhammadiyah Makassar
 * Akademi Keperawatan Sandi Karsa
 * Akademi Maritim Indonesia Makassar
 * Akademi Pariwisata Makassar
 * Politeknik Ilmu Pelayaran Makassar
 * Makassar Health Polytechnic
 * Ujung Pandang State Polytechnic
 * Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Administrasi Yappi Makassar
 * Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi (STIEM Bongaya) Makassar
 * Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Indonesia Makassar
 * Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Tri Dharma
 * Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan (STIK) Tamalatea
 * Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Nani Handayani
 * Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Panakkukang
 * Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Stella Maris Makassar
 * Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Tamalatea
 * Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Manajemen Nitro
 * Sekolah Tinggi Informatika dan Multimedia Nusa Palapa
 * Sekolah Tinggi Manajemen dan Informatika Handayani
 * Institut Teknologi Dipanegara
 * Sekolah Tinggi Manajemen dan Informatika Komputer Kharisma Makassar
 * Sekolah Tinggi Theologia Indonesia Timur Makassar (STT INTIM)
 * STIEM Nitro Muhammadiyah Makassar
 * }

Traditional food
Makassar has several famous traditional foods. The most famous is Coto Makassar. It is a stew made from the mixture of nuts, spices, and selected offal which may include beef brain, tongue and intestine. Konro rib dish is also a popular traditional food in Makassar. Both Coto Makassar and Konro are usually eaten with Burasa or Ketupat, a glutinous rice cake. Another famous cuisine from Makassar is Ayam Goreng Sulawesi (Celebes fried chicken); the chicken is marinated with traditional soy sauce recipe for up to 24 hours before being fried to a golden colour. The dish is usually served with chicken broth, rice and special sambal (chilli sauce).

In addition, Makassar is the home of Pisang Epe (pressed banana), as well as Pisang Ijo (green banana). Pisang Epe is a banana which is pressed, grilled, and covered with palm sugar sauce and sometimes eaten with Durian. Many street vendors sell Pisang Epe, especially around the area of Losari beach. Pisang Ijo is a banana covered with green colored flours, coconut milk, and syrup. Pisang Ijo is sometimes served iced, and often eaten during Ramadan.

Metropolitan region
The metropolitan area of Makassar (Mamminasata) extends over 46 administrative districts (kecamatan), consisting of all 14 districts within the city, all 9 districts of Takalar Regency, 11 (out of 18) districts of Gowa Regency and 12 (out of 14) districts of Maros Regency.


 * Makassar City – 14 kecamatan, consisting of Tamalanrea, Biring Kanaya, Manggala, Panakkukang, Tallo, Ujung Tanah, Bontoala, Wajo, Ujung Pandang, Makassar, Rappocini, Tamalate, Mamajang and Mariso;
 * Takalar Regency – 9 kecamatan, consisting of Mangara Bombang, Mappakasunggu, Sanrobone, Polombangkeng Selatan, Pattallassang, Polombangkeng Utara, Galesong Selatan, Galesong and Galesong Utara;
 * Gowa Regency – 11 kecamatan, consisting of Somba Opu, Bontomarannu, Pallangga, Bajeng, Bajeng Barat, Barombong, Manuju, Pattallassang, Parangloe, Bontonompo and Bontonompo Selatan; and
 * Maros Regency – 12 kecamatan, consisting of Maros Baru, Turikale, Marusu, Mandai, Moncongloe, Bontoa, Lau, Tanralili, Tompo Bulu, Bantimurung, Simbang and Cenrana.

This official area covers 2,473 km2 and had a population of 2,225,048 at the 2010 Census.