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Land Tours from Dive Into Lembeh
North Sulawesi Info
North Sulawesi (Indonesian: Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the northern peninsula of the island of Sulawesi, on the Minahasa Peninsula, lies south of Philippines and southeast of Malaysia. The province's capital and largest city is Manado, which is also the main gateway and the economic center of the province. Other major towns includes Tomohon and Bitung.
North Sulawesi in the past was an area of potential spices, rice and gold which became a battleground for the interests of economic hegemony between the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and the Kingdoms around this area, which ultimately led to political and military struggles. The Portuguese first landed on the area at the 16th century. Following decades of war between the Portuguese, the Spanish and the Dutch to control the area, the area ultimately fell to the Dutch at the 17th century. The Dutch ruled the area for three centuries, before being ousted by the Japanese on the eve of World War II. Following the Japanese surrender in 1945, the Dutch briefly regained possession of the area, before finally leaving for good in 1949.
Language
The official language is Bahasa Indonesian, however, Manado Malay is the lingua franca of the province.
Ethnicity
The Minahasan is the dominant ethnic group in the province. They are the most populous ethnic group in the Minahassa Peninsula. They mostly lived in areas covering Bitung City, Manado City, Tomohon City, Minahasa Regency, North Minahasa Regency, South Minahasa Regency and Southeast Minahasa Regency. When away from the resort, be prepared to be greeted with smiles, waves and cries of ‘Hello Mister!’
Climate/Seasons best time to visit
The diving in Lembeh is year-round. North Sulawesi has an equatorial climate with two seasons: rainy and dry. The rainy season lasts from about November to March. The temperatures at sea level are uniform, varying by only a few degrees throughout the region, and throughout the year 78°- 82°F (25°- 28°C).
