| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | South East Asia |
| Area | 4,408 km2 (1,701.9 sq mi) |
| Country | |
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Indonesia
|
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| Province | South East Sulawesi |
| Largest city | Bau-Bau (pop. 120,000) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 500,000 |
Buton (also Butung or Boeton), is an island in Indonesia located off the southeast peninsula of Sulawesi. It covers roughly 4408 square kilometers of area, or about the size of Madura, it is the 129th largest island in the world and Indonesia's 19th largest in area.
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In the precolonial era, the island, then usually known as Butung, was within the sphere of influence of Ternate. Especially in the sixteenth century it served as an important secondary regional center within the Ternaten empire, controlling regional trade and collecting tribute to be sent to Ternate.
Sultan Murhum, the first Islamic monarch on the island, is remembered in the name of the island's major harbor, Murhum Harbor, in Baubau.
Its largest town is Bau-Bau, where the Wolio and Cia-Cia languages are spoken. 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. Also the Bouton Passage(as it was known in pre Independence era) was an important inter-island navigational location of the northern Flores Sea.[1]
The island is largely covered by rainforest and is known for its wildlife. It is one of only two habitats of the anoa, a type of buffalo.
The languages spoken on Buton include Wolio, Cia-Cia, various dialects of Muna, Tukang Besi, Kumbewaha, Lasalimu, Kamaru, Pancana, Busoa, Taloki, Kulisusu and Kioko.[2][3] The Indonesian language, the national language of Indonesia, is also widely used and taught in schools.
In 2009, the Cia-Cia tribe in Bau-Bau city began to use the Korean Hangul alphabet for their language, based on textbooks created by the Hunminjeongeum Society, a linguistic society in Seoul.[4]
The island is a major producer of asphalt and other minerals. July 2011: PT Wijaya Karya Tbk (IDX:WIKA) and PT Timah Tbk (IDX:TINS) have agreed to make Rp. 250 billion ($29.4 million) first-stage asphalt plant with share 60 percent and 40 percent respectively.[5]
Buton island is administered under 3 second level administrative divisions (Daerah Tingkat II): Bau-bau City, Buton Regency, and North Buton Regency. However, the eponymous archipelago is administered under additional 3 more: Muna Regency, Wakatobi Regency, and Bombana Regency.