About Sarawak

General Info  |  The People  |  Accommodation  |  Sarawak Tourism Board

GEOGRAPHY
SARAWAK, the largest state in Malaysia, is bordered by Sabah on its northwestern side, and Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) to the south, occupying the bottom-top portion of the island of Borneo. Covering an area of about 124,000 sq km, it stretches some 700 km along the northwestern coast of Borneo (the third largest island in the world).

Sarawak's history is colourful, filled with adventure, piracy, head-hunting and romance. When English adventurer James Brooke arrived in 1839, Sarawak was rebelling under the rule of the Brunei sultanate. As a reward for the role he played in quelling the rebellion, the Pengiran Mahkota of Brunei made Brooke the Rajah of Sarawak in 1841. Through 3 generations of British rule, Sarawak still holds steadfast until today its undying passion and respect for its own traditions and cultures.

During the second World War, Sarawak was occupied by the Japanese forces, but it was subsequently ceded to Britain after the war and became a British Crown Colony. On 16th September 1963, Sarawak joined the Federation of Malaysia, and today she observes a democratic system of government.

Kuching (pop. 306,000) is the economic and political centre of the state, and was declared a city on 1st August, 1988 while Miri, the longest town in Sarawak, lies next to the oil-rich sultanate of Brunei. Sarawak is home to some of Borneo's most amazing natural wonders, like Mulu Caves in Miri, claimed to be some of the longest network of caves in the world. Niah Caves is another of these wonders that played part in the birth of civilisation in Asia.

It's economy is largely dependent on its rich natural resources, particularly oil, liquefied natural gas. (LNG), timber and the famous Sarawak black and white pepper. Nevertheless, it is also a state developed in agriculture, commerce, and industries. Apart from the petroleum products and timber, other important exports are coconut oil, rubber, palm oil, cocoa beans and urea.

CLIMATE
Sarawak has a warm and equatorial climate, with an average annual temperature of 25.6°C. The rainy season or landas is between November and February. The average annual rainfall is between 330 cm and 460 cm.

Being tropical, we dress (e.g. Lightweight linens & cottons, T-shirt, short, jean) very informally. For dinners and night spots, smart casual wear is the norm. Either safari suits or lounge suits are acceptable for business meetings. Topless sunbathing is not allowed.

CULTURE
The Iban forms the largest indigenous group, comprising 29.6% of the population, while Chinese comprises 29.1%, Malay - 20.7% Bidayuh (formerly known as Land Dayaks) - 8.4%, Melanau - 5.8%. Other indigenous peoples of Sarawak fall under the orang ulu ethnic category and make up a further 5.4% of the population. Although Islam is the official religion of the state, the people of Sarawak enjoy religious freedom. Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism are widely practiced, while some forms of paganism still exists in the rural interior.