Makassar people
A Makassar man, 1913.
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (2,000,000 - 3,000,000) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Indonesia (2010 census) |
2,672,590 |
 South Sulawesi
|
2,380,208 |
 Southeast Sulawesi
|
59,301 |
 Papua
|
41,239 |
 East Kalimantan
|
31,701 |
 DKI Jakarta
|
29,444 |
 West Sulawesi
|
25,367 |
 Malaysia |
1,654,398 |
| Languages | |
| Makassarese, Makassar Malay, Indonesian | |
| Religion | |
| Predominately Islam, very few adherents of Animism, Shamanism, Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Bugis, Mandar | |
The Makassar people (also known as Mangasara, Mengkasara, Macassar, Taena, Tena, or Gowa) are an ethnic group that inhabits the southern part of the South Peninsula, Sulawesi. They live around Makassar, the capital city of the province of South Sulawesi, as well as the Konjo highlands, the coastal areas, and the Selayar and Spermonde islands. They speak Makassarese, which is closely related to Buginese and also a Malay creole called Makassar Malay.
The main source of income of the Makassar is rice farming; however, they are also famous throughout Indonesia for their skill in trading and as fishermen.
Labor division is strict because of the rigid separation of the sexes, as in all traditional Muslim communities. Men are engaged in matters outside the house such as farming, fishing, etc. Women are usually responsible for the household duties, while the man is the head of the family. While they are in public, respect should be shown to him by the wife and children. Usually the final decisions concerning the family are made by the husband. In rural areas, arranged marriage is still widely practiced.
Polygamy is accepted by the Makassar people, but, since a separate house must be provided for each wife, it is only practiced among the wealthy people.
Siri (respect and honor) is the social code by which the Makassar live. Anyone seriously offending another person's siri carries the risk of being killed, in which case authorities often refuse to intervene. The Makassar often help their neighbors in matters such as working in the rice fields and building houses.
Also referred to as "Basa Mangkasara" (ISO code: mak) is the language spoken by the tribes of Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. This language is classified as part of Makassarese sub-branch of South Sulawesi branch which in turn part of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family.
Commonly known as "Logat Makassar" (Makassar Dialect; ISO code: mfp) is a creole of Malay. This language is used as the language of commerce in the port of Makassar, South Sulawesi. The number of speakers is reached 1.889 million inhabitants in 2000 and an estimated number of speakers of these languages continue to grow until it reaches ± 3.5 million inhabitants. The language is mostly used by Immigrants from outside the city of Makassar, Makassar City Population, Youth Makassar, or people who are not proficient in Makassarese. This language is spoken along the South Peninsula region of Sulawesi.
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