Most Sula people live on the island of Sula, while some of them live on Mangole Island and in other parts of the Sula archipelago. Most of these islands are in the province of North Maluku. The Sula language has three dialects. The first, Fasei, is spoken in the villages in the southern part of Fasei Island. The second, Falahu, is spoken by the people in the villages of Falahu and Bega on the island of Sulabesi and in some communities on the island of Mangole. The third dialect, Fangudu, is spoken in other villages on the island of Sulabesi and villages scattered on the eastern and western ends of the island of Mangole. Three other languages are spoken by the community in the Sula area: Kadai, Mangole and Taliabu. All three are closely related to the Sula language. Some immigrants from South and Central Sulawesi also live in the Sula archipelago. The Sula language is part of a larger linguistic grouping called the Sula which also includes the Kadai, Taliabu and Mangole. In the distant past, the Sula archipelago was forcibly controlled by the Tidore Sultanate and Sulabesi became a port of call for spice traders. Long before Europeans knew of these "Spice Islands," tobacco from North Maluku and nutmeg from Central Maluku were being traded in other parts of Asia. With the coming of the Portuguese in 1511, extended conflict raged in this area. Finally the Dutch won this conflict and gained enormous profit from the spice trade, until its decline at the end of the eighteenth century.
The Sula archipelago has a tropical climate with a rainfall of 200-400 centimeters (79-156 inches) per year. A large part of the tropical rainforest which formerly blanketed most of the islands was felled when fields began to be cleared for farming. The Sula terrain also includes savannahs and mangrove beaches. The inhabitants of Sula make a living by hunting, fishing and gathering sago. Coconut trees are cultivated intensively and the primary export commodity is copra (coconut that has been dried to be processed into coconut oil). Other goods include products from the forest, spices and salt-water fish.
The Sula people are followers of Islam. However they still maintain many traditional beliefs. They mix elements of traditional customs with Islam, such as saying ritual prayers at places they consider sacred – in order to receive healing or other needs. They also believe in guardian spirits which they believe can give assistance when called by a shaman.
The people of Sula and the surrounding area need assistance to advance their community. To become more productive and efficient, the Sula community needs to be acquainted with appropriate technology. The unavailability of both formal and informal education leaves the Sula community lacking in opportunities to find work. The limited supply of electricity, clean water and health services also hinder development of the Sula community.
Scripture Prayers for the Sula in Indonesia.
Profile Source: IPN, 2011 Copyrighted © Used with permission |
Global Prayer Digest: 2013-06-16 |
People Name General | Sula |
People Name in Country | Sula |
Alternate Names | Facei; Sanana |
Population this Country | 93,000 |
Population all Countries | 93,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 2 |
People ID | 14718 |
ROP3 Code | 108631 |
Country | Indonesia | ||
Region | Asia, Southeast | ||
Continent | Asia | ||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||
National Bible Society | Website | ||
Persecution Rank | 33 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||
Location in Country | Maluku Utara Province; Sula islands; Sulabesi island, widespread, scattered on Mangole island, east and west ends, north coast, Buru island, northeast coast. Source: Ethnologue 2016 |
Country | Indonesia |
Region | Asia, Southeast |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 33 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Location in Country | Maluku Utara Province; Sula islands; Sulabesi island, widespread, scattered on Mangole island, east and west ends, north coast, Buru island, northeast coast.. Source: Ethnologue 2016 |
Primary Religion: | Islam |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
100.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
Primary Language | Sula (93,000 speakers) |
Language Code | szn Ethnologue Listing |
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
Primary Language | Sula (93,000 speakers) |
Language Code | szn Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
People Groups | Speaking Sula |
Primary Language: Sula
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (2023) |
Bible-New Testament | No |
Bible-Complete | No |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name | Source |
---|---|---|
Film / Video | Jesus Film: view in Sula | Jesus Film Project |
Photo Source | Copyrighted © 2023 Anonymous All rights reserved. Used with permission |
Map Source | People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project. |
Profile Source | IPN, 2011 Copyrighted © Used with permission |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |