It covers a land area of 17,152.99 km2, and its capital is the town of Mamuju.

On 11 December 2019, a team of researchers led by Dr. Maxime Aubert announced the discovery of the oldest hunting scenes in prehistoric art in the world which is more than 44,000 years old from the limestone cave of Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4.

Archaeologists determined the age of the depiction of hunting a pig and buffalo thanks to the calcite ‘popcorn’, different isotope levels of radioactive uranium and thorium.

The province now forms one of Indonesia's 84 national electoral districts to elect members to the People's Representative Council.

The West Sulawesi Electoral District consists of all of the 6 regencies in the province, and elects 4 members to the People's Representative Council.