Palu
Palu, officially known as the
City of Palu (; ), is the
capital and largest city of
Central Sulawesi Province in
Indonesia. Palu is located on the northwestern coast of
Sulawesi and borders
Donggala Regency to the north and west,
Parigi Moutong Regency to the east, and
Sigi Regency to the south. The city boundaries encompass a land area of . According to the
2020 Indonesian census, Palu had a population of 373,218, making it the third-most populous city on the island after
Makassar and
Manado; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 387,493 - comprising 194,340 males and 193,150 females. Palu is the center of finance, government, and education in Central Sulawesi, as well as one of several major cities on the island. The city hosts the province's main port, its biggest airport, and most of its public universities.
Palu is located in
Palu Bay; it was initially a small agricultural town until it was selected to become the capital of the newly created province of Central Sulawesi in 1953. Palu is sited on the
Palu-Koro Fault and is frequently struck by earthquakes, such as the
2018 Sulawesi earthquake. According to Indonesia's
National Disaster Management Agency, the 2018 earthquake caused "the largest natural
soil liquefaction phenomenon in the world". Much of the city's infrastructure was destroyed and large swathes of land were rendered uninhabitable, prompting the local government to plan to relocate the city to a safer location instead of rebuilding in the same place.
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