| Simatang Island | |
| Native Name: | Pulau Simatang |
| Location: | Central Sulawesi, Indonesia |
| Waterbody: | Celebes sea |
Simatang Island (id:Pulau Simatang) is an island in the Celebes sea off the north-central coast of Sulawesi. The island is administered as part of the Indonesian province of Central Sulawesi.[1]
The island is covered in greenery and is famous for its level of marine diversity.[2] In the 1960s, the island was described as being heavily wooded with extensive reefs surrounding it.[3]
Simatang was used as a reference point during World War II. In one notable instance, American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt requested to see Simatang island on a map. When the White House staff and the United States navy were unable to find an accurate map showing Simatang, the National Geographic Society was contacted to provide a map. This incident spurred the society to create a special map cabinet for President Roosevelt, starting a tradition of the society gifting maps to US presidents.[4]