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Gorontalo (province)
Encyclopedia
Provinces of Indonesia
The province is the highest tier of local government subnational entity in Indonesia. Each province has its own local government, headed by a governor, and has its own legislative body...
of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
on the northern part of Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
. The province was established in December 2000 after being split from North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia. It is on the island of Sulawesi, and borders the province of Gorontalo to the west . The islands of Sangihe and Talaud form the northern part of the province, which border Davao del Sur in the Philippines.The capital and largest city in North Sulawesi is...
province. The capital is a city with the same name, Gorontalo
Gorontalo (city)
Gorontalo is a city and the capital of the Gorontalo province, Indonesia. It has an area of 79.59 km² and population of about 153,036.- Geography :...
.
Etymology
There are various opinions concerning the origin of the name Gorontalo.:- derives from Hulontalangio, a name of a tribe that resided in the area
- derives from Hua Lolontalango, which means cavemen who used to walk back and forth
- derives from Hulutalangi, which means nobler
- derives from Huluo Lo Tola, which means a place where snakehead fish breed
- derives from Pongolatalo or Pohulatalo, which means: a waiting place
- derives fron Gunung Telu, which means three mountains
- derives from Hunto, which means a place that is always flowed by water
Geography
Gorontalo province lies on the northern SulawesiSulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
arm, known as the Minahassa Peninsula. The province has an elongated shape area, stretching from west to east almost horizontally on a map, with total area of 12215.44 km² (4,716.4 sq mi). To the north and the south of the province are the Sulawesi Sea and the Gulf of Tomini
Gulf of Tomini
The Gulf of Tomini is a gulf near the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia.It is bounded on its north and west sides by the Minahassa Peninsula and on the south side by the East Peninsula, Sulawesi....
, respectively. Prior to 2000, Gorontalo province was part of North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia. It is on the island of Sulawesi, and borders the province of Gorontalo to the west . The islands of Sangihe and Talaud form the northern part of the province, which border Davao del Sur in the Philippines.The capital and largest city in North Sulawesi is...
province on the eastern border. The western border of the province is Central Sulawesi
Central Sulawesi
Central Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia located in the centre of Sulawesi. It was established on 13 April 1964....
province.
Topography of the province is relatively low (0—40o), with the elevation ranging between 0—2400 m (7,874 ft) above sea level. Its coastline length is more than 590 km (366.6 mi). Counting the Exclusive Economic Zone
Exclusive Economic Zone
Under the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...
to the north where Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
is at the border, the total sea area of the province is more than 50500 km² (19,498.2 sq mi). There are some small islands around the north and the south of the province, 67 of which have been identified and named.
Its population has grown from 840,000 in the 2000 census to 1,038,590 for the 2010 census, with nearly half the population residing in Gorontalo Regency
Gorontalo Regency
Gorontalo is a regency of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia. Its regency seat is Limboto. It has an area of 3,408.98 km² and population of 400,000 .The regency is divided into 17 subdistricts ....
or City.
History
In 1525, with Portuguese assistance, three small rock forts were built overlooking the waters of Lake Limboto. Still in place today, the Fort Otonaha complex has commanding views. The Spanish also entered the area in limited numbers via the Philippines during the mid-16th century. They introduced corn, tomatoes, chili peppers, horses, and the afternoon siesta to Gorontalo, all of which are an integral part of life there today. The Dutch under the aegis of the Dutch East India CompanyDutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
(VOC) worked to wrest control of the lucrative spice trade away from the Sultanate of Ternate and push out all other European competitors. Gradually, the Dutch gained political control and ended the power of the local kings.
The people of Gorontalo achieved independence from Dutch rule in 1942. This was partly through the efforts of the guerrilla/freedom fighter and local hero Nani Wartabone, who forced out the occupying Japanese during World War II. Since the city escaped Allied bombing during the war, a number of Dutch-era buildings are still standing. Although many are in poor condition, Gorontalo City has a distinctive colonial appearance.
After Indonesia proclaimed its independence, Gorontalo became part of North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia. It is on the island of Sulawesi, and borders the province of Gorontalo to the west . The islands of Sangihe and Talaud form the northern part of the province, which border Davao del Sur in the Philippines.The capital and largest city in North Sulawesi is...
province, and was seceded from North Sulawesi in 2000.
Administration
The governor and vice-governor, who are elected directly by the people, head the provincial administration. The province is divided into five regencies and only one city . When it was established in 2000, there were only two regencies and one city in the province. Several splitting of regencies occurred in 2003 and 2007. As of 2007, the list of regencies and cities in Gorontalo province is given in the table below.| Name | Capital | Est. | Statute !! Area (km²) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regency of Boalemo Boalemo Boalemo is a regency of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia. Its regency seat is Tilamuta.... |
Tilamuta Tilamuta Tilamuta is a town in Sulawesi in Indonesia and is the seat of the Regency of Boalemo... |
1999 | UU 50/1999 | |
| Regency of Bone Bolango Bone Bolango Bone Bolango is a regency of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia. Its regency seat is Suwawa. It has an area of 1,984.40 km² and population of 123,300 .The regency is divided into 4 subdistricts .... |
Suwawa Suwawa Suwawa is a town in Indonesia and the regency seat of The Regency of Bone Bolango... |
2003 | UU 6/2003 | |
| Regency of Gorontalo | Limboto Limboto Limboto is a town in Indonesia and the regency seat of The Regency of Gorontalo... |
1959 | UU 29/1959 | |
| Regency of Pohuwato Pohuwato Pohuwato is a regency of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia. Its regency seat is Marisa.... |
Marisa Marisa (town) Marisa is a town in Gorontalo, Indonesia, and the regency seat of Pohuwato Regency.... |
2003 | UU 6/2003 | |
| Regency of North Gorontalo North Gorontalo North Gorontalo is a regency of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia. Its regency seat is Kwandang.... |
Kwandang Kwandang Kwandang is a town in Indonesia and the regency seat of The Regency of North Gorontalo... |
2007 | UU 11/2007 | |
| City of Gorontalo Gorontalo (city) Gorontalo is a city and the capital of the Gorontalo province, Indonesia. It has an area of 79.59 km² and population of about 153,036.- Geography :... |
* | 1959 | UU 29/1959 |
Sumalata Waters Reserve
The islands of Pepaya, Mas and Raja islands are located in the Sumalata Waters in North Gorontalo have been named a nature reserve since the Dutch colonial time in 1936. There are only 7 turtles species in the wold and 4 of them are found in the islands as the world's best turtle habitat, they are Penyu Hijau (Chelonia midasGreen Sea Turtle
The Green sea turtle or green turtle is a large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
), Penyu Sisik (Eretmochelys imbricata), Penyu Tempayan (Caretta caretta) and Penyu Belimbing (Dermochelys coriacea). In 2011, the habitat threatened by human activities such as illegal poaching besides fish bombing activities, furthermore a lot of coral reefs where the food for the turtles come from have been damaged.