Makassar is the capital of South Sulawesi, land of spice, previously known as Ujung Pandang that derives from the Bugis ethnic call the city where in ancient year growth "pandan"along the coast of Makassar, which means "end of pandan". Makassar is the gateway to the famous Toraja land, deep in the fertile plateaus of Sulawesi, or also known as Celebes.

The unique Torajan culture, including their animistic burial rites, makes this region one of the most fascinating wonders in Indonesia. Another culture the Bugis, traditionally a great seafaring people whose history goes back to the formidable maritime empire of Crivijaya, are known for their shipbuilding expertise. A few spots in the city are worth exploring. Among them are the "Rotterdam" Castle, a Dutch fortress, the old wooden palace which is known as the "Balla Lompoa"; means the Grand House, the waterfall of "Bantimurung" which means refuse the sadness, quaint town like Bantaeng, Jeneponto and Takalar which are recorded in Chinese maritime records. For pristine beaches head for Barombong and Tanjung Bira.

The harbor is in the city, just a few steps from the business and China town. All sea-liners that sail to eastern Indonesia, will transit here for 6 hours. The harbor is named after Soekarno-Hatta, to honor the proclamator and founding fathers of the Republic of Indonesia.

General Information:
Location:

The province of South Sulawesi is part of Sulawesi island, the southwestern leg is orchid shaped and lies at the crossroads of east and west Indonesia. It covers a land area of 82,768 square kms surrounded by the sea on there side.Population: Approximately 7,000,000. Predominantly Moslem coastal people in the south and Christian in the Toraja highland.

Climate:

Tropical with two seasons, dry from march to september and rainy from october to february. Temperatues range from 21o to 31o along the coast and from 20o to 25o in the highland.
GEOGRAPHY. Area: 72,781 sq.km. Capital: Makassar. Borders: Province of Central Sulawesi on the north, Makassar Straits on the west, Flores Sea on the south, and Bone Bay and the Province of Tangkok, Kalaena and Jene-Berang. Mountains: Rantemario, Lampobatang, Kambuna, Kabinturu, Gandadiwata, Proreang and Balinese. Lakes: Tempe, Matana, Towuti, Mahalong and Sidenreng.
Humidity: 72 %.

Rainfall:

Average around 1,000-1,500 mm per year.
Time: South Sulawesi belongs to the Central Indonesia Standard time zone which is 8 hours ahead of GMT, and one hour ahead of Jakarta.

PRIMARY PRODUCTS:

Agriculture - Food Crops: Rice, Corn, peanut and Soybean.
Commercial Crops: Coconut, clove, rubber and cacao.
Livestock: Cows, buffaloes, horses, goats, sheep, pigs, layer, chickens and ducks.
Fishery - Fish Products: Tuna, skipjack tuna, barramundi, shrimps, anchovy, common carp, tilapia and milk fish.

Forestry 

Forest Products : Rattan, resin and ebony.
Mining: Manganese, nickel, silver, cement and petroleum.
Handicrafts : Plaiting and carvings.

Tana Toraja,

South Sulawesi-Land of The Heavenly Kings
The road from Makassar or Ujung Pandand to Toraja runs along the coast for bout 130 km's and then hits the mountains. After the entrance to Tana Toraja you enter a majestic landscape with giant gray, granites and stones and blue mountains at a distance after passing the market village of Mebali. They form a sharp contrast with the lively green of the fertile, rain-fed terraces and the rusty read of the tropical laterite soil. This is Tana Toraja, one of the most splendid areas in Indonesia. Tana Toraja has a specific and unique funeral ceremony which is called Rambu Tuka'. In Tana Toraja, dead body is note more than ten years until the family have enough money to held the ceremony. After ceremony, the dead body is brought to the cave or to the wall of the mountain. The skulls show us that the dead body is not buried but just put on stone or ground, or put in the hole.The funeral festival season begins when the last rice has been harvested, usually in late June or July, and lasts through to September.