BAU BAU

BUTON ISLAND SOUTH EAST SULAWESI

BUTON ISLAND AND THE SULTANATE OF BUTON
To the southeast of the Sulawesi mainland, Buton Island remains part of Southeast Sulawesi Province. Long before the independence of Indonesia and the unification of Buton with the rest of the country, Buton was a kingdom. This existed from the 14th to the 16th centuries. After this, and until Indonesia's independence, it remained a Sultanate.

During the Sultanate period, the residents conducted trade and communicated with both China and Majapahit Kingdom, on Java Island. Interestingly, the first ruler who governed this region was a queen and the last ruler was a king. It was the last ruler, King Laki Laponto, who became the first Buton Sultan.

Buton Island is well known for its asphalt, called Buton or Butas Asphalt, and for its teak and ironwood. There is daily boat service from Kendari, with a stopover in Raha, the capital city of Muna Island.

The most fascinating culture appeal of Buton Island can be enjoyed when local people conduct ceremonies, celebrations and folk events, which welcome honored guest. One such unique event is "Pakande-kandea", when foods and cakes are offered to visitors and traditional dances are performed.

Its largest town is Bau-Bau. Major nearby islands include Wowoni (North), Muna and Kabaena (West) and Siumpu (Southwest). The Tukangbesi Islands lie just to the east where Tukang Besi is spoken, and is separated by the Gulf of Kolowana Watabo (Teluk Kolowana Watabo). Batuatas Island is to the south.

Baubau is the principal on Buton Island, the former capital of the Sultan of Wolio, who ruled Buton and the nearby islands of Muna, Kabaena, Wowini and Tukangbesi. The people conducted trade communicated with both China and the Majapahit Kingdom, on the Island of Java. Interestingly enough, the first ruler who governed this region was a queen, and the last was a king. The most fascinating cultural appeal of Buton Island can be enjoyed when local people conduct ceremonies, celebration celebrations and folk events, which welcome honored guests. One is the "Pakandekandea", when food and cakes are offered to visitors and traditional dances are performed. Buton Island is well known for its asphalt, called Buton or Butas Asphalt, and for its teak and ironwood. Nirwana Beach is located 12 km from the village of Baubau, and is popular for swimming and its fine white sand beach. The small adjoining island, only thirty minutes away by sailboat, is a fisherman's paradise. There is daily boat service from Kendari, with a over in Raha, the capital city of the island of Muna.

Buton and its neighboring islands forming the southernmost extension of Southeast Sulawesi orogenic belt is related to a westward-dipping tectonic subduction on the east. This island includes within the non-volcanic Banda Arc, like Tukang Besi, Buru and Seram. Latest hypothesis suggests that those islands were originally a submerged micro-continental fragment which break up from the Australian mainland and drifted away until they collided with Southeast Sulawesi in the early Middle Miocene, and deformed. Figure 1. below interprets the drifting track.