What is the population of Palu, Central Sulawesi?

Palu has a population of approximately 335,297 according to the latest available open data.

Where is Palu, Central Sulawesi located?

Palu is located in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, at approximate coordinates -0.8958°, 119.8680°.

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Palu

Central Sulawesicity

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Palu

Total population

335,297

Founded

1978

Elevation118 m

Land area395.06 km²

Coordinates-0.90°, 119.87°

Demographic figures from BPS Indonesia. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.

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City facts

Founded

1978

Elevation

118 m

Area

395.06 km²

Official website

www.palukota.go.id

Facts from Wikidata (CC0).

Overview

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 at the mouth of the long Palu River, whose extensive valley stretches far to the south. It 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 395.06 km2 (152.53 sq mi). 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 2025 was 400,055. 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.

History & geography

History

Palu was founded as an agricultural town and had been less significant than the then-bigger town of Donggala around away. The creation of Palu was initiated by people from several villages around Ulayo Mountain. There are different accounts of the origin of the city's name; according to one explanation, it came from the word topalu'e, which means "raised land"; another version states it was derived from the word volo, the name of local bamboo plants. The early history of Palu and its surroundings can be divided into the Tomalanggai Era, the Tomanuru Era, and the Independent Era. most of the inhabitants were hunter-gatherers and relatively violent. Due to scarce resources, many tribal groups waged war against each other, and the losing group would need to settle with the winner and work for them. The leaders of these early settlers were called Tomalanggai. The power structure was not yet formalized; the Tomalanggai were essentially absolute rulers with no limits of power, which caused frequent wars and rebellions. The following Tomanuru Era, in which power was consolidated and village structures became formalized, several reforms were made and life was relatively peaceful. According to local legend, during this era, villages were ruled by descendants of gods from heaven. It was said a Tomalanggai one day wanted golden bamboos, which grew around the region, for his water container and commanded his troops to chop all of them. After the bamboo were chopped down, a storm suddenly came but soon stopped; after the storm, a beautiful women appeared where the bamboo was. The Tomalanggai took her to his village and married her, and their descendant was wiser and stronger than his father. The name of the period roughly means "the one that brings blessing". This period lasted…

Geography

The city of Palu is located in the Palu basin, close to Palu Bay, and lies directly on the Palu-Koro Fault. The basin is mostly composed of alluvial deposits of clay, silt, and sand, which were deposited by the flow of the Palu River from land above the valley. Alluvial sediments around the city are not consolidated and relatively young. The basement rock has been dated to the Cretaceous period. Below the layers of deposits, the rock in the region is mostly tertiary granite and granodiorite. The sediments are between depending on the location; sediments in the northern part of the city are thicker than those in the south because they are closer to the river's estuary. The Palu–Koro Fault runs for around through Palu Bay, cutting into the middle of the city, and is connected to a subduction zone in northern Sulawesi. The abundance of relatively weak sediments below the city was among the causes of massive soil liquefaction and landslides that occurred during the 2018 Sulawesi earthquake; the soil below the city was not consolidated enough. Palu has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af), although it is relatively dry due to the strong rain shadow of the surrounding mountains. | source 2 = climate-data }}

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