History of West Sulawesi
Province During the colonial era, the West Sulawesi area was called Afdeling Mandar (provincial level). Post-independence, the province was included in the administration of the South Sulawesi government. Since 1962, the declaration of regional expansion into West Sulawesi Province has not been implemented. Its formation was only realized through Law Number 26 of 2004 dated 5 October 2004.
Since then the region has had the status of a province in Indonesia. Geographic Conditions of West Sulawesi Province and its Regional Division. West Sulawesi Province is located to the west of Sulawesi Island at coordinates 00 degrees 45’59”-03 degrees 34’00” South Latitude (South Latitude) and 118 degrees 48’59”-119 degrees 55’06” East Longitude (East Longitude).
In total, there are six districts under the government of West Sulawesi Province. Among them are Pasangkayu, Mamuju, Polewali Mandar, Mamasa, Central Mamuju and Majene regencies. Meanwhile, the provincial capital is Mamuju Regency. All districts are divided into 69 sub-districts, 74 sub-districts and 576 villages. Meanwhile, the total area of this province reaches 16,787.18 square kilometers. The number of residents living in it is 1,436,842 people. There are various local languages that originate from the West Sulawesi region. Of these, there are nine, including Baras, Benggaulu, Budong-Budong, Kone-Konee, Mamuju, Mamasa, Pannei, Mandar and Topoiyo. Topographically (the shape of the earth’s surface), it consists of mountains, highlands and lowlands. According to the Housing & Settlement Area website, the highest area is located in Mamasa Regency (1,103.76 meters above sea level). Meanwhile, the lowest area is in Central Mamuju Regency (6.26 meters above sea level).
Map of West Sulawesi Province If you look at the map, West Sulawesi Province is still part of Sulawesi Island and is located at the bottom left. To the west is the Makassar sea with provincial boundaries reaching Paser Regency, East Kalimantan. According to records on the official website of the West Sulawesi Provincial Government, there is also a border in the north by the Donggala Regency area (Central Sulawesi).
After that, to the south it borders Pinrang Regency. This district is still included in the administration of Central Sulawesi Province. Finally, the eastern part of West Sulawesi also borders the autonomous region of South Sulawesi, namely Tana Toraja and Luwu. To see the regional boundaries and position of West Sulawesi Province on the map, the Ministry of Education and Culture website provides a 1:550,000 scale painting of the earth’s surface. The following is a link to see a map of West Sulawesi Province.