Manado

Manado is the capital city of the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi. It is the second largest city in Sulawesi after Makassar. In 2020, the city had a population of 451,916 people, and by mid-2023, this number had grown to about 458,582. The city covers an area of 157.26 km².

Manado is a popular tourist destination, especially because of Bunaken National Park, which is famous for its beautiful underwater world. Other natural attractions near the city include Tunan Waterfall and Mount Tumpa. The city is connected to many places through Sam Ratulangi International Airport, which offers flights within Indonesia and to some countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia.

Manado is also known for its peaceful and tolerant community. Most of the people there follow the Christian faith, and the city holds the biggest Christmas celebration in Indonesia each year.

Etymology

The name Manado comes from a word in the Sangir language, manaro, which means 'on the far coast' or 'in the distance'. It originally described one of two islands seen from the mainland. Later, when people moved to the mainland, they kept the name Manado. The island then became known as Manado Tua (Old Manado). In the Sangir language, Manado is called Manaro, and in Gorontalo, it is called Moladu.

History

The first records of Manado come from an old world map. Before Europeans arrived in North Sulawesi, the area was ruled by the Sultan of Ternate, who brought Islam to the people there. The Portuguese made the Sultan their ally and set up a trading post in Wenang.

Later, the Spanish set up in the Philippines and used Minahasa to grow coffee because the soil was rich. Spain built a fort in Manado and became in charge of all Minahasa. During the 1500s, one of the first mixed heritage communities in the area grew up in Manado.

Spain gave up its control of Minahasa in exchange for money and the local people made an agreement with the Dutch, driving out the Portuguese.

The Dutch East India Company built Fort Amsterdam in Manado in 1658. Missionaries from Europe brought Christianity to the area and built the first Christian church, Oude Kerk (Old church), which is still there today.

In 1942, Japanese forces took over Manado during World War II, and the city was damaged by bombing from the Allies.

In 1962, Manado was named the capital city of North Sulawesi Province.

Climate

Manado has a tropical rainforest climate, which means it does not have a real dry season. The wettest month is January, with an average rainfall of 465 millimetres, while the driest month is September with an average rainfall of 121 millimetres. The rain patterns are influenced by the monsoon. Because Manado is near the equator, the temperature stays fairly constant all year. The hottest month is August, with an average temperature of 26.6 °C, and the coolest months are January and February, with an average temperature of 25.4 °C.

Administrative districts

The city is divided into eleven districts, called kecamatan. Two new districts, Bunaken Islands and Paal Dua, were added in 2012. These districts have different sizes and numbers of people, and each one has its own center and postal codes.

The city of Manado is bordered by Minahasa Regency to the east and south, North Minahasa Regency to the north, and the Celebes Sea to the west.

Demographics

Currently, most people in Manado are from the Minahasa ethnic group. The Tombulu people are the original residents of the city. The Tombulu language is one of the Minahasa languages and is spoken in several neighborhoods in Manado.

Besides the Minahasa, other groups such as the Bantik, Sangir, Gorontalo, Mongondow, and many more also live in Manado. There are also communities from other parts of Indonesia, including Javanese, Chinese, Batak, Makassar, and Moluccans. There is a small Jewish community as well.

The main language spoken in Manado is Manado Malay, which is a mix of Malay with words from Dutch, Portuguese, and other languages.

As of 2023, most people in Manado follow Protestant Christianity, with Islam being the second largest religion. Smaller groups practice Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism. There are also about 20 Indonesian Jews living in the city. The people of Manado are known for being friendly, open, and getting along well with each other. Even during difficult times in Indonesia around 1999, Manado stayed peaceful. A local saying, Torang samua basudara, means "We are all family," showing the strong sense of community in the city.

Transportation

Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado is an important place for people to fly into Indonesia. In 2005, over 15,000 people from other countries came to Indonesia through this airport. It connects Manado to big cities like Jakarta, Surabaya, and Makassar, and also to some cities in Asia.

Manado has different ways to get around. There are local share taxi services called _mikrolet_s. Perum DAMRI buses go from the airport to Manado, and other buses travel from Manado to cities in North Sulawesi and other parts of the island of Sulawesi. The Manado–Bitung Toll Road links Manado with Bitung, and Terminal Malalayang is the main place for long-distance buses in the city.

Cityscape

Panoramic view of Manado

Manado is known for its big and important churches, many of which are along Sam Ratulangi Street.

Tourism

• Ban Hin Kiong Temple is the oldest temple in Manado and a popular spot, especially during the Chinese New Year celebration.

Citraland, a wealthy area of Manado, has Asia's second tallest and the world's fourth tallest statue of Christ, the Christ Blessing Statue, which stands in a flying posture.

Manado Boulevard Carnaval happens every year on July 16 to celebrate Manado City Birthday.

Other interesting places nearby include Lake Tondano, Lake Linow, Lokon Volcano, Klabat Volcano, and Mahawu Volcano, Bukit Kasih (hill of love), and Watu Pinabetengan.

Scuba diving and snorkelling are popular activities in Bunaken National Park, including the island of Bunaken.

The city has several shopping malls like Manado Town Square, Star Square, and Grand Kawanua City.

Cuisine

See also: Minahasan cuisine

Typical foods from Manado include tinutuan, a porridge made from different vegetables. Another popular dish is cakalang fufu, smoked skipjack fish (Katsuwonus pelamis). Other foods include roa fish, kawok made from forest rodent meat, paniki made from bat meat, and rinte wuuk (RW), a local name for dog meat. Pork dishes like babi putar, made with special Manado spices and cooked in bamboo, are also enjoyed.

A common drink in the area is saguer, a type of wine made from the enau or aren tree (Arenga pinnata), which is then fermented. It has about 40% alcohol content, depending on how it is made.

Woku is a special spice mixture used in Manado cuisine of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. It includes red ginger, turmeric, candlenut, red chili pepper, shallot, scallion, tomato, lemon or citrus leaf, lemon basil leaf, and lemongrass. The main ingredient, like chicken or fish, is mixed with salt and lime juice and left for 30 minutes. Then all the spices are cooked in coconut oil until they release their aroma and mixed with the main ingredient, water, and a little salt.

Another famous dish is nasi kuning, yellow rice mixed with a special sauce from cakalang rica fish and served in sugar palm leaves. Grilled fish heads and Dabu-dabu, a sauce made from red chilies, cayenne pepper, red onion, tomatoes, and soy sauce, are also popular.

Sister cities

Manado has several sister cities around the world. These include Davao City in the Philippines, Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Koror in Palau, Qingdao in China, San Sebastian in Spain, and Zamboanga City in the Philippines. These partnerships help promote cultural exchange and cooperation.

Language

In Manado and nearby areas, people speak a special mix of the Malay language called Manado Malay. This language has influences from Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch. For example:

• In Indonesian, "but" is "tapi", but in Manado, it is called "mar" (from the Dutch word "maar").
• A chair in Indonesian is "kursi", but in Minahasa, it is called "kadera" (from the Portuguese word "cadeira").
• A horse in Indonesian is "kuda", but in the town of Tomohon, it is called "kafalio" (from the Portuguese "cavalo" and Spanish "caballo").

The writing system used for the local Minahasan languages is very similar to the one used for Indonesian today.

Notable people

Manado has been home to many talented people who have achieved great things.

Adrianus Taroreh was a boxer who competed in the men's lightweight event at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Alexander Andries Maramis was a politician and a national hero of Indonesia. Audrey Vanessa Susilo won Miss Indonesia 2022. Benny Dollo was a football coach and former head coach of the Indonesia national football team. Bonyx Saweho was a boxer who competed in the men's flyweight event at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Daan Mogot was a military officer involved in the Indonesian National Revolution. Firman Utina was a footballer and former captain of the Indonesia national football team. Greysia Polii was a badminton player and gold medalist at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Henk Ngantung was a painter and politician who served as governor of Jakarta from 1964 to 1965. Jeanne Mandagi was a Police Brigadier General and the first Indonesian woman to become a police general. John Lie was a navy officer and a national hero of Indonesia. Kezia Warouw won Puteri Indonesia 2016. Liliyana Natsir was a badminton player and gold medalist at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Monica Khonado won Miss Earth Indonesia 2020. Rocky Gerung is an Indonesian philosopher and public intellectual. Yaakov Baruch is the rabbi of the Sha'ar Hashamayim Synagogue (Tondano).