Situated on the northeastern peninsula of Sulawesi, this province stretches further north to smaller islands which almost look like stepping stones to the Philippines.

Covering an area of about 27,487 sq. km, it is divided into four districts: Minahasa, Bolaang Mongondow, Gorontalo, and Sangihe Talaud islands, all of which having their different cultures. The capital, Manado, is reachable by air from Ujung Pandang, Jakarta, Surabaya, Balikpapan, Ternate, Ambon, and jayapura. Other airports in this province i.e. Gorontalo, Tahuna and Talaud are served mainly by domestic feather-line traffic. It is also accessible by sea. The port of Bitung is undoubtedly the most important port, serving shipping lines of the peninsula and the eastern part of Indonesia.