Selayar Islands

The Selayar Islands are an archipelago of 73 islands in South Sulawesi province, Indonesia, centered on Selayar Island in the Flores Sea about 150 kilometers southeast of Makassar, and administered as a regency covering 1,357 square kilometers with a population of roughly 139,000 in 2022. The islands are built almost entirely of sedimentary rock, chiefly coralline limestone with some sandstone, and carry fertile soil except in the north. The Selayar Strait, more than 100 fathoms deep with dangerous currents for traditional boats, separates the group from Sulawesi, and the islands are known for diving, agriculture, fishing, salt production, and livestock, playing an economic role for Sulawesi comparable to that of Madura for Java.