Baubau

Baubau – Quaint city with nation's largest fortress

When talking about the city of Baubau in Southeast Sulawesi, the first thing that typically comes to mind is its Buton Palace Fortress. This 16th-century palatial fortress, overlooking the city, is the largest of its kind in the world, boasting a circumference of 2,740 meters for its circular fort walls built on top of 23,375 hectares. Its impressive stature earned it recognition from the Guinness Book of Records in 2006.

The fortress, offering scenic views, is steeped in Indonesian precolonial history, having sheltered four centuries worth of Buton Sultanate family members, enabling them to detect, survive, and avoid enemy threats. Its cannons also stand as remnants of the colonial era, attributed to the Portuguese and Dutch. Additionally, the fort houses a grand mosque constructed in 1542, which remains open to this day. Recently, the Indonesian government initiated efforts to secure UNESCO recognition for the fort as a world heritage site.

Beyond its historic fortress, the city is home to the beautiful Nirwana Beach, along with the nearby Wakatobi National Marine Park boasting over 900 species of fish and over 700 species of coral reef.

With roughly 160,000 inhabitants, Baubau exhibits promise as a burgeoning business hub beyond its renowned fortress. Ending 2023 with Rp 650 billion in investment, significantly surpassing the year's target of Rp 213 billion, much of the investment was allocated for constructing jetties and gas terminals. Housing development was also a key focus, along with the establishment of F&B outlets and healthcare centers.

The government has diligently endeavored to enhance the city's prospects, exemplified by the USD 17.48 million development of Murhum Baubau Port, aimed at meeting escalating demands and positioning the city as the economic and tourism gateway of Southeast Sulawesi. In addition, efforts are underway to transform Baubau into an investment magnet, with particular emphasis on developing the city's service sector and fisheries industry.

In 2023, Baubau recorded its Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) totaling Rp 11.52 trillion, with construction contributing 22.05 percent, followed by trade at 20.16 percent, and agriculture at 14.94 percent.