Ujung Pandang

 

(üjŭng' pändäng') , formerly Makasar (məkăs'ər) , city (1990 pop. 944,685), SW Sulawesi, capital of Sulawesi Selatan prov., Indonesia. The largest city in Sulawesi, it is one of Indonesia's important seaports, a distribution and transshipment point for goods from Europe and Asia. Exports include coffee, teak, spices, copra, rubber, rattan, and gums and resins. The city is also a commercial center, with a large central market. Industries include the manufacture of cement and paper and the assembly of automobiles. Once a center of spice smuggling, Ujung Pandang was a thriving port when the Portuguese arrived (16th cent.). The Dutch supplanted the Portuguese, triumphing over the indigenous sultan in 1667. Ujung Pandang became a free port in 1848. It is the seat of several universities. In World War II, Makasar Strait (between Borneo and Sulawesi) was the scene of a Japanese naval defeat.

Makassar
Seal
Makassar Location of Makassar in Indonesia
Coordinates: 5°8′S 119°25′E / -5.133, 119.417
Country	Indonesia
Province	South Sulawesi
Government
- Mayor	Ilham Arief Sirajuddin
Area
- City	km²  ( sq mi)
Population
- City
Time zone	WITA ([[UTC+8]])
- Summer (DST)	not observed ([[UTC+8]])
Website: [1]

Makassar, (Macassar, Mangkasar) is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was formally named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably. The port city is located at 5°8′S, 119°25′E, on the southwest coast of the island of Sulawesi, facing the Makassar Strait.

Its area is 175.77 km² and has population of 1.25 million.

History

The first European settlers were the Portuguese sailors. Beginning in the sixteenth century, Makassar was the dominant trading/pao center of eastern Indonesia, and soon became one of the largest cities in island Southeast Asia. The Makassarese 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 over the city. Further, 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 Islands trade, as well as a valuable base for European and Arab traders from much further afield.

The importance of Makassar declined as the Dutch became more powerful in the region, and were better able to enforce the monopoly over the spice trade that they desired. In 1667 the Dutch, allied with the Bugis prince of Bone state Arung Palakka, invaded and captured Makassar, eliminating its role as an independent trading center. It became a free port in 1848.

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 famous for being the namesake of Makassar oil, which it exported in great quantity. Makassar ebony is a warm black, streaked with deep red, and highly prized for fine cabinetry and veneers.

Makassar is also a major fishing center in Sulawesi. One of its major industries is the trepang (sea cucumber) industry.

See also

• Makassar language
• Carronade Island

References

• Reid, Anthony. 1999. Charting the shape of early modern Southeast Asia. Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books. ISBN 974-7551-06-3. pp. 100-154.

Sulawesi Selatan
Regencies: Bantaeng | Barru | Bone | Bulukumba | Enrekang | Gowa | Jeneponto | Luwu | Luwu Timur | Luwu Utara | Maros | Pangkajene Islands | Pinrang | Selayar | Sinjai | Sidenreng Rappang | Soppeng | Takalar | Tana Toraja | Wajo Cities: Makassar | Palopo | Pare-Pare
See also: Provinces of Indonesia

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