  sulawesi (formerly known as celebes  or ) is an island in indonesia. one of the four greater sunda islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated between borneo and the maluku islands. in indonesia, only sumatra, borneo, and papua are larger in territory, and only java and sumatra have larger populations. sulawesi comprises four peninsulas: the northern minahasa peninsula; the east peninsula; the south peninsula; and the south-east peninsula. three gulfs separate these peninsulas: the gulf of tomini between northern minahasa peninsula and east peninsula; the tolo gulf between east and southeast peninsula; and the bone gulf between the south and southeast peninsula. the strait of makassar runs along the western side of the island and separates the island from borneo. == etymology == the portuguese were the first to refer to sulawesi as 'celebes'. the name 'sulawesi' possibly comes from the words sula ('island') and besi ('iron') and may refer to the historical export of iron from the rich lake matano iron deposits.watuseke, f. s. 1974. on the name celebes. sixth international conference on asian history, international association of historians of asia, yogyakarta, 26â30 august. unpublished. ==geology== the island slopes up from the shores of the deep seas surrounding the island to a high, mostly non-volcanic, mountainous interior. active volcanoes are found in the northern minahassa peninsula, stretching north to the [[sangihe isl
Greater_Sunda_Islands Islands_of_Indonesia Sulawesi