Magnificent coral gardens and a multitude of tropical marine life defend cousstlines of vergin-white beaches in the nborth of the orchid shaped island of Sulawesi, Moutains and volcanoes dominate the landscape with over 50 summits, some of which are stell actiev, reminding the islanders and the world of potential power of one of the earths most awesome forces. The people of North Sulawesi can be classified into four groups: Minahasa, Bolaang Mongondow, Gorontalo and the Sangir Talaud. The Minahasans are centerd on the provincial capital of Manado, but het entire province has a stron trdition of trad and contact with the outside world. The Sangir-Taulaud Islands, to the North of the mainland, form a natural bridge to the Plilippines providing a convenient route for peoples and cultures to easily move between Indonesia and the Plilippines, and many traces of Filipino culture can steill be found here. The Dutch, however, have had the most inflluenial effect on the development of the area/ Aprt from introducing a strong political and religious structure, the Filipinos encourangde the local populations to raise coconuts, for copra, and nutmeg. Today the main indrustries of the provence are copra and cloves. North Sulawesi has a larger concentration of coconut trees than anywher else in Indonesia. First contacts with European traders came in the 16th century with the arrival of the Spanish and Portuguese and with them they brought Christianity. It wasnt until te arrival of the Dutch, however, that Christianity became the predominant religion o of he area with the western parts of the province of Bolaong Mongondow and Gorontalo remaining as small Muslim principalities untiil the tern of the century.
The provincial capital of Manado is one of the international gateways into Indonesia. Regular fleghts to all parts of the Indonesian archipelago servicet this beatiful town as well as the smaller airports of Gorontalo, Tahuna and Talaud. Manados main subtractions ar off-shore, however, with truly amazin coral reefs off nearby Bunaken Island wich ar nou a protected Marine Park and offer some of the best diving and snorkeling in the world.
