Makassar ( Buginese - Makassar language : ᨀᨚᨈ ᨆᨀᨔᨑ) – sometimes spelled Macassar – is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi , Indonesia. It is the largest city on the island of Sulawesi in terms of population, and the fifth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta , Surabaya , Bandung , and Medan . [1] [2] From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang , after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably. The city is located on the southwest coast of the island of Sulawesi, facing the Makassar Strait . The city's area is 199.3 square kilometres (77.0 sq mi) and it had a population of around 1.6 million in 2013. [1] [3] Its built-up ( or metro ) area has 1,976,168 inhabitants covering Makassar City and 15 districts. [4] Its official metropolitan area , known as Mamminasata , with 17 additional districts, covers an area of...