The Minahasa are an ethnic group located in the North Sulawesi
Minahasa people The Minahasa are an ethnic group located in the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia, formerly known as North Celebes. They are the 2nd most populous ethnic group in the Minahassa Peninsula, after the Gorontaloans. The Minahasa speak Minahasan languages and Manado Malay (also known as Minahasa Malay), a language closely related to the Malay language. Minahasa Raya is the area covering Bitung City, Manado City, Tomohon City, Minahasa Regency, North Minahasa Regency, South Minahasa Regency and Southeast Minahasa Regency, which are altogether seven of the fifteen regional administrations in the province of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Originally inhabited by Nuclear Malayo-Polynesian languages-speaking peoples, the region was colonized in the 16th century by the Portuguese and Spanish, then in the 17th century by the Dutch. In the Dutch East Indies the Minahasa people identified strongly with the Dutch language, culture and the Protestant faith รข€" so strongly, in f...