North Sulawesi at A Glance

North Sulawesi is the north most province of Indonesia. Cities (Manado, Bitung, Tomohon and Kotamobagu) and districts (Minahasa, Bolaang Mongondow, Sangihe Islands, Talaud Islands, South Minahasa, North Minahasa, South East Minahasa, and North Bolaang Mongondow) are striving to build and maintain a convenient setting for their residents and visitors. For the last five years the provincial economic and development indices have always been above national average. Natural beauty, compassionate people, and peaceful environment have added startling flavor to the astounding economic prospect.

There are 33 provinces Indonesia comprising over 17.000 islands along the equator covering 1.9 million km² land and 5.8 million km² sea. It stretches to about 5,185 km of earth surface overlaying the area of the US from coast to coast, from Seattle to New York. It goes well beyond the distance between Lisbon in Spain and Moscow in Russia and easily covers the equatorial Africa. The islands are small and big surrounded by corrals and blue waters. They are the pearls of the equator.

Indonesia has a long history of offering first-rate spices, fine teak and ebony, and splendid cultures. After the World War, Indonesia grew to become oil producer, major tropical timber supplier, tourist destinations and recently massive conservation sites. Escalating economic potential as well as environmental concern must be equally dealt with as the 220-million population grow at 1.23% annually and natural resources are drained in an alarming rates.

Cultural and ecological wealth has enriched the islands for centuries concealing their unquestionable potential for tourism and science development. Over 350 ethnic groups mold the Indonesian culture. In general, distinct languages and traditions are found in every 100-kilometer cruise. For this very reason, Sinyo Sarundayang, the Governor of North Sulawesi, believes that “to unify Indonesia in one nation is a miracle.”

Scenic and unique sightings characterize the ecological significance of Indonesian islands. Global geological formation and ocean dynamics are colliding in Indonesia to create an enormous biological diversity which has significant contribution to understand the functions and processes of the Earth. WCS reveals that Indonesia is a home 1,519 species of birds, 515 species of mammal, 25,000 species of flowering plants, 250,000 species of insects, 8,500 species of fish, 1000 amphibian species and 2000 reptilian species. That figures stand for 17% of all world’s bird species, 12% of mammals, 16% of reptiles and amphibians and an incredible 33% of all world’s insects. Supposedly extinct 30 million years ago, the living fossil coelacanth are recently discovered in North Sulawesi waters.

Naturalists, scientists, explorers has been fascinated with the natural history of the region. Trying to explain the magnitude of biogeographical significance of the region, Alfred Wallace recognized an imagery line that divides Indonesia into areas that belong to the Asia and to Australasia biogeographical regions. Seven other people also drew lines. They are all different to Wallace’s line delineating out Sulawesi from the Australasia region. The east most line was penciled in by Lydecker. In the last decade, the region between Wallace and Lydecker lines was globally recognized to be the Wallacea Bioregion and immediately baptized to be a biodiversity hotspot. The Wallacea region mixes the Afro-Asia and Australasia plants and animals. The most striking merge takes place in Sulawesi, the main island in the region.

There are six provinces in Sulawesi i.e. South Sulawesi, South East Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Gorontalo and North Sulawesi covering 200,000 km² of land area with 6.100 km coast line. The main earnings come from agriculture, fishery, mineral mining, and forestry.

Biological uniqueness of Sulawesi surpasses any other islands in the world. About 42% of mammalian, bird and reptilian species that live in Sulawesi are endemic or confined to the island. That figure comprises one third of all mammals, birds and reptiles that are endemic to Indonesia.

North Sulawesi embraces more than 70% of the entire Sulawesi biological richness. Protected areas in North Sulawesi contains Bunaken National Park, Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park, Tangkoko-Duasudara Nature Reserve, Ambang Nature Reserve, Manembo-nembo Nature Reserve, and Lokon Nature Reserve, Karakelang Wildlife Sanctuary, Batuputih Nature Recreation Park, and Batuangus Nature Recreation Park.

Bunaken island within the Bunaken National Park is a diving paradise. The flat, sloping and vertical fringing reef, and lagoons are easily found in a close perimeter around the island. Sparking clear water with concentration of highly diverse fish, coral and sponge communities in any spot around the island is a stunning magnet for tourists. The 70 genera of corals in Bunaken dwarf the 10 genera of Hawaii Islands. About 2,500 species of fish in Bunaken represent 70% of all fish species known to the western Indo-Pacific region. There are many more to explore. North Sulawesi water is decorated with a 380-km chain of over 150 islands to the north some of which retain a quality as good as Bunaken if not better. There is an underwater volcano within the chain.

North Sulawesi is in the rim of Pacific and a gate of two international sea lanes connecting Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean. Sam Ratulangi International Airport and Bitung Seaport have opened the province and the neighboring provinces an access to global markets. With the total population of 2.2 million, the province grows and is a global supply of cloves, nutmegs, cinnamon, vanilla, coffee and coconuts. It is self-contained on rice and vegetables. Palm sugar, fishery and tourism industries are on the rise and believed to be the province’s future. Mining and forestry is progressing with cautious. Natural resource conservation and environmental management are seriously respected to guard the economic development.

Manado, February 6^th, 2007

Johny S. Tasirin

Satwa Unik Sulawesi Utara

J.S. Tasirin

Tanah vulkanik muda Sulawesi Utara menciptakan ekosistem unik yang mendukung kehidupan sejumlah satwa yang tidak ditemukan di tempat lain di dunia ini. Contoh: yaki (monyet hitam berjambul sulawesi; crested-black macaques; Macaca nigra), tangkasi (tarsius; tarsiers; Tarsius spectrum), manguni (celepuk Sulawesi; Sulawesi scops-owl; Otus manadensis), sampiri (nuri Talaud; Red-and-blue lory; Eos histrio), dan kuse (Sulawesi dwarf cuscus, strigocuscus celebensis)

Kawasan Sulawesi Utara juga merupakan bagian yang penting bagi komunitas fauna Sulawesi secara keseluruhan. Contoh: sengkawor (maleo; Macrochepalon maleo); babirusa (Babyrousa babyrussa), elang Sulawesi (Sulawesi hawk eagle; Spizaetus lanceolatus), dan kuskus (cuscus; Ailurops ursinus).

Sulawesi Utara juga merupakan habitat dari sejumlah satwa yang tersebar di ekoregion Wallacea (ayam hutan merah, Gallus gallus; dan sogili, sidat Sulawesi, Anguilla celebesensis) dan satwa langka yang tersebar luas di dunia (dugong, Dugong dugong; penyu hijau, green turtle, Chelonia mydas; dan penyu belimbing, leather back turtle, Dermochelys coriacea).