The Octopus on the Equator
The volcanic island of Sulawesi harbours lush vegetation and 15 million inhabitants. The most important source of livelihood is the abundance of fish on the coast.
Sulawesi (formerly Celebes) lies between Borneo and New Guinea and is the most easterly island in Indonesia. Some 15 million people live on the island, most in the southwest in and around the capital Makassar, or in the north around Manado. The island's origins are volcanic and it is heavily fragmented. Its shape resembles that of an octopus. The Makassar Strait links the northern Celebes Sea to the Java Sea west of Sulawesi. The Equator runs through the northern part of the island, ensuring strong rainfall throughout the year in the central highlands. This results in lush vegetation and thick rainforest and high fog forests in which scattered groups of endemic animals live.
The most important sectors of the economy are agriculture and fishing. Fishing is still partly done using traditional methods. The logging of mangroves resulted in dramatically lower catches in recent years. In Puntondo you can now witness first hand the impact of reforestation. Several fish and bird species have already returned.
