The New Student's Reference Work/Celebes

Celebes (sĕl′e-bēz), an island possession of the Netherlands in the East Indies, lying between Borneo on the west and the Moluccas on the east. It was first visited by the Portuguese in 1512, but in 1660 was taken and occupied by the Dutch. The center and north of the island are mountainous, and have deposits of gold, copper, tin and diamonds. It is rich in forest wealth and its vegetation is luxuriant. The area of Celebes is 49,390 square miles, with an estimated population (1900) of 454,368. Among its chief products are coffee, sugar, indigo and tobacco. The capital is Macassar, situated on the southwestern peninsula. The Celebes Sea, on the north of the island, separates the latter from the Philippines; the Strait of Macassar on the west separates it from the island of Borneo.