Sarawak
Sarawak (Malay pronunciation: [saˈrawaʔ]) is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang ("Land of theHornbills"), Sarawak is situated on the northwest of the island, bordering the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, Indonesia to the south, and surrounding Brunei. It is the largest Malaysian state.
The administrative capital is Kuching, which has a population of 700,000.[6] Major cities and towns include Miri (pop. 350,000), Sibu (pop. 257,000) and Bintulu (pop. 200,000). As of the last census (2010), the state population was 2,420,009.[2]
Sarawak
Area: 124,450 km²
Geography
Having land area of 124,450 square kilometres (48,050 sq mi) spreading between latitude 0° 50′ and 5°N and longitude 109° 36′ and 115° 40′ E, it makes up 37.5% of the land of Malaysia. Sarawak also contains large tracts of tropical rainforest home to an abundance of plant and animal species.
The state of Sarawak stretches for over 750 kilometres (470 mi) along the northeast coastline of Borneo, interrupted in the north by about 150 kilometres (93 mi) of Brunei coast. Sarawak is separated from the Indonesian part of Borneo (Kalimantan) by ranges of high hills and mountains that are part of the central mountain range of Borneo. These get higher to the north and culminate near the source of the Baram River with the steep Mount Selidang (4504 ft) at central plateau of Usun Apau, Mount Batu Lawi, Mount Mulu in the park of the same name and Mount Murud with the highest peak in Sarawak.
The major rivers from the south to the north include the Sarawak River, Lupar River, Saribas River, and Rajang River, which is the longest river in Malaysia at 563 kilometres (350 mi). The Baleh River branch, the Baram River, and the Limbang River drains into the Brunei Bayas it divides the two parts of Brunei and the Trusan River. The Sarawak river is 2,459 square kilometres (949 sq mi) in area and is the main river flowing through the capital of Kuching.
Sarawak can be divided into three natural regions. The coastal region is rather low lying flat country with large extents of swamps and other wet environments. The hill region provides most of the easily inhabited land and most of the larger cities and towns have been built in this region. The ports of Kuching and Sibu have been built some distance from the coast on rivers. Bintulu and Miri are close to the coastline where the hills stretch right to the South China Sea. The third region is the mountain region along the border and with the Kelabit (Bario), Murut (Ba Kelalan) and Kenyah (Usun Apau) highlands in the north.
Environment[edit]
See also: Fauna of Borneo, Deforestation in Borneo, Sarawak Biodiversity Centre, and #Agriculture, logging and land usage
Sarawak has vast areas of both lowland and highland rainforest. However, Sarawak has been hit hard by the logging industry and the expansion of monoculture tree plantations and oil palmplantations. Malaysia's deforestation rate is increasing faster than anywhere else in the world. Statistics estimate Sarawak's forests have been depleted but there is no definitive study to know how much. Malaysia's deforestation rates overall are among the highest in Asia, jumping almost 86 percent between the 1990–2000 period and 2000–2005. In total, Malaysia lost an average of 1,402 km2 —0.65 percent of its forest area—per year since 2000.[17] By comparison, Southeast Asian countries lost an average of 0.35% of their forest per annum during the 1990s.
Demographics[edit]
Main article: Demographics of Sarawak
Population[edit]
As of the 2010 census, the population of Sarawak was 2,399,839, making it the 4th most populous state in Malaysia.[18] Due to the large area of Sarawak, it has the lowest population density in Malaysia, which stands at 22 people per km2. Sarawak also has some of the lowest population growth in Malaysia.
Ethnic groups[edit]
Sarawak has more than 40 sub-ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language, culture and lifestyle. Cities and larger towns are populated predominantly by Malays, Melanaus, Chinese, Indians, and a smaller percentage of Ibans and Bidayuhs who have migrated from their home villages to look for employment.
Generally, Sarawak has seven major ethnic groups namely Iban, Chinese, Malay, Bidayuh, Melanau, Orang Ulu, and "others".[19] Several more minor ethnics which do not belong to any of these seven major ethnic groups are Kedayan, Javanese, Bugis, Murut, and Indian. Unlike Indonesia, the term Dayak is not officially used to address Sarawakian's native ethnicity.
Iban[edit]
Main article: Iban people
The Ibans comprise the largest percentage (almost 30%) of Sarawak's population.[18] Iban is native to Sarawak and Sarawak has the highest number of Ibans in Borneo.
The large majority of Ibans practise Christianity. However, like most other ethnic groups in Sarawak, they still observe many of their traditional rituals and beliefs. Sarawak celebrates colourful festivals such as the generic Gawai Dayak (Harvest Festival), Gawai Kenyalang (Hornbill Festival), Gawai Burong (Bird Festival), Gawai Tuah (Luck Festival), Gawai Pangkong Tiang (House Post Banging Festival), Gawai Tajau (Jar Festival), Gawai Sakit (Healing Festival) and Gawai Antu (festival of the dead).
Chinese[edit]
Main article: Malaysian Chinese
Chinese pioneers first came to Sarawak as traders and explorers in the 6th century. Today, they make up 24% of the population of Sarawak[18][19] and consist of communities built from the economic migrants of the 19th and early 20th centuries. They are classified as a non-Bumiputera ethnic group, despite bearing the largest contribution and hardship towards the development of Sarawak since the early 19th century.
The Sarawak Chinese belong to a wide range of dialect groups, the most significant being Foochow, Hakka, Hokkien, Teochew, Hainanese, and Puxian Min. The Chinese maintain their ethnic heritage and culture and celebrate all the major cultural festivals, most notably the Chinese New Year and theHungry Ghost Festival. The Sarawak Chinese are predominantly Buddhists.
Ethnic Chinese in Sarawak were encouraged to settle because of their commercial and business acumen. The biggest dialect group is the Hokkien; many originated from Jinmen and Taiwan, Republic of China and Xiamen in China. The Hakka and Cantonese represent a minority of the Chinese population. Despite their small numbers, the Hokkien have a considerable presence in Sarawak's private and business sector, providing commercial and entrepreneurial expertise and often operating joint business ventures with Malaysian Chinese entreprises.[20]
There are number of Chinese settled down in Sarawak between the years 1911–1949 after the Nationalist led-Kuo Min Tang lost in civil war in 1949 between against Communist Party of China. Most of the Nationalist refugees or Neutral fled from Mainland China.[21][22]
In 1963, when Sarawak helped Malaya to form Malaysia, most of them automatically gained the Citizenship of Malaysia despite of having the Kuo Min Tang Republic of China Citizenship.[23]
Malay[edit]
Main article: Malaysian Malays
The Malays make up 23% of the population in Sarawak.[18] They mostly populate the southern region and urban areas of Sarawak.
Melanau[edit]
Main article: Melanau
The Melanaus have been thought to be amongst the original settlers of Sarawak.[24] They make up 6% of the population in Sarawak.[18]
Today most of the Melanaus community profess Islam and Christianity, though they still celebrate traditional animist festivals such as the annual Kaul Festival.
Bidayuh[edit]
Main article: Bidayuh
Concentrated mainly on the West end of Borneo, the Bidayuhs make up 8% of the population in Sarawak.[18]
The Bidayuhs speak a number of different but related dialects. Some Bidayuhs speak either English or Sarawak Malay as their main language. While some of them still practise traditional religions, the majority of modern-day Bidayuhs have adopted the Christian faith. Another ethnic associated to Bidayuh is Salako, classified as Bidayuh by the Malaysian government for political convenience.
Orang Ulu[edit]
Main article: Orang Ulu
Orang Ulu is an ethnic group in Sarawak. The various Orang Ulu ethnics together make up roughly 6% of Sarawak's population. The phrase Orang Ulumeans upriver people and is a term used to collectively describe the numerous tribes that live upriver in Sarawak's vast interior. Such groups include the majorKenyah and Kayan people, and the smaller neighbouring groups of the Kajang, Kejaman, Punan, Ukit, and Penan. Nowadays, the definition also includes the down-river tribes of the Lun Bawang, Lun Dayeh, "mean upriver" or "far upstream", Berawan, Saban as well as the plateau-dwelling Kelabits. Orang Ulu is a term coined officially by the government to identify several ethnics and sub-ethnics who live mostly at the upriver and uphill areas of Sarawak. Most of them live in the district of Baram, Miri, Belaga, Limbang, and Lawas.
A vast majority of the Orang Ulu tribe are Christians but traditional religions are still practised in some areas.
Some of the major tribes making up the Orang Ulu group include:
Others[edit]
Other minority ethnic groups residing in Sarawak are the Kedayan ethnic groups and also the Punan Bah people (in fact is a collective of obscure and unaccounted ethnic communities grouped together as a single ethnic entity), and also non-Bumiputera ethnic groups, which are the Indian and Eurasian.
The Kedayan are an ethnic group residing in parts of Sarawak. The Kedayan language is spoken by more than 37,000 people in Sarawak, with most of the members of the Kedayan community residing in Lawas, Limbang, Miri, and Sibuti areas. Unlike its Peninsular counterpart, Sarawakians of Indian descent are small in number and have assimilated very well to the other communities. Eurasians continues to be the smallest among the minority ethnic groups in Sarawak, mostly due to assimilation and interracial marriages. The Punan Bah communities are usually located in areas that encompass the borders of Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei, and Indonesia. More studies need to be carried out about them, as they are one of the lesser known group in the state.
Religions[edit]
Main article: Demographics of Sarawak#Religions of Sarawak
As of 2010 the population of Sarawak disregarding foreign immigrants is 44% Christian, 30% Muslim, 13.5% Buddhist, 6.0% Taoist orChinese religion follower, 3.1% follower of other religions, and 2.6% non-religious.
Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia where Christians form a majority. Major Christian denominations in Sarawak are the Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM or Sidang Injil Borneo, S.I.B.), and Baptists. Many Sarawakian Christians are non-Malay Bumiputera, ranging from Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu and Melanau. Islam is the second largest religion in Sarawak. Many Muslims are from Malay, Melanau, and Kedayan ethnic groups. Buddhism is the third largest, predominantly practiced by Chinese Malaysians. Taoism and Chinese Folk Religion are together the fourth largest religious group, also represented by ethnic Chinese. Other minor religions in Sarawak are Baha'i, Hinduism, Sikhism, and animism. Many Dayaks especially the Ibans, continue to practice theirethnic religion, particularly with dual marriage rites and during the important harvest and ancestral festivals such as Gawai Dayak, Gawai Kenyalang and Gawai Antu. Other ethnics who have trace number of animism followers are Melanau and Bidayuh.
Government[edit]
The parliament of Sarawak is the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly.
Unlike other states in Malaysia, Sarawak is divided into divisions rather than districts. Each division is headed by one resident. Divisions are further divided into districts, each of which is headed by a district officer; and each district is divided into sub-districts, each headed by an administrative officer.
Administrative divisions[edit]
Sarawak is divided into 11 Divisions:
Administrative districts[edit]
Each division is further divided into districts. There are 31 districts in Sarawak.
| Division | District | Subdistrict |
|---|---|---|
| Kuching | Kuching | Siburan, Padawan |
| Bau | ||
| Lundu | Sematan | |
| Samarahan | Samarahan | |
| Asajaya | ||
| Simunjan | Sebuyau | |
| Serian | Tebedu | |
| Sri Aman | Sri Aman | Lingga, Pantu |
| Lubok Antu | Engkilili | |
| Betong | Betong | Pusa, Spaoh, Debak, Maludam |
| Saratok | Roban, Kabong, Budu | |
| Sibu | Sibu | |
| Kanowit | ||
| Selangau | ||
| Mukah | Mukah | Balingian |
| Dalat | Oya | |
| Daro | Belawai | |
| Matu | Igan | |
| Miri | Miri | Subis, Niah-Suai |
| Marudi | Beluru, Long Lama | |
| Bintulu | Bintulu | Sebauh |
| Tatau | ||
| Limbang | Limbang | Ng. Medamit |
| Lawas | Sundar, Trusan | |
| Sarikei | Sarikei | |
| Meradong | ||
| Julau | ||
| Pakan | ||
| Kapit | Kapit | Nanga Merit |
| Song | ||
| Belaga | Sungai Asap | |
