The
Minahasans (alternative spelling:
Minahassa or
Mina hasa) are an
ethnic group located in the
North Sulawesi province of
Indonesia, formerly known as North Celebes. The Minahasa people would refer to themselves as
Kawanua people,
Touwenang people or more commonly as
Manado people. They are actually a nation with oldest democracy and federal nation in the middle of the other Indonesian Tribes, even in Asia, because of their old tribal united government (declared in ). They are the most populous ethnic group in the
Minahassa Peninsula. They have the big majority
Christian among the country (Indonesia) with Muslim majority. The Minahasans speak
Minahasan languages as sub-tribal language for every sub-tribe of Minahasa and
Manado Malay (also known as
Minahasa Malay), a language closely related to the
Malay language as national language in the local area.