Sarawak Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Sarawak

State

Flag	Coat of arms

Nickname(s):

Bumi Kenyalang
Land of the Hornbills

Motto(s):

Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti
United, Striving, Serving

Anthem: Ibu Pertiwiku
My Motherland

Sarawak in Malaysia

Country

Malaysia

Established under the Bruneian Empire

15th century

Raj of Sarawak

1841

Japanese occupation

1942

British crown colony

1 July 1946

Gained self-governance

22 July 1963

Federated into Malaysia

16 September 1963

Capital
(and largest city)

Kuching

Divisions

List

Betong
Bintulu
Kapit
Kuching
Limbang
Miri
Mukah
Samarahan
Sarikei
Serian
Sibu
Sri Aman

Government

• Type

Parliamentary

• Body

Sarawak State Legislative Assembly

Area

• Total

124,450 km² (48,050 sq mi)

Population

(2018)

• Total

2,780,000 (4th)

Demonym(s)

Sarawakian

Demographics (2014)

• Ethnic composition

Dayak: 43%
Malay: 24%
Chinese: 24%
Melanau: 6.7%
Other Bumiputera: 0.3%

• Dialects

Bornean • Sarawak Malay • Hakka
Other ethnic minority languages

State Index

• HDI (2017)

0.737 (medium) (12th)

• TFR (2017)

1.7

• GDP (2016)

RM124,513 million

Time zone

UTC+8 (MST)

Postal code

93xxx to 98xxx

Calling code

082 to 086

ISO 3166 code

K (MY-13, 50–53)

Vehicle registration

QA to QT

Official language(s)

Sarawak is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, Kalimantan (the Indonesian portion of Borneo) to the south, and Brunei in the north. The capital city, Kuching, is the largest city in Sarawak, the economic centre of the state, and the seat of the Sarawak state government. Other cities and towns in Sarawak include Miri, Sibu, and Bintulu. As of the 2015 census, the population of Sarawak was 2,636,000. Sarawak has an equatorial climate with tropical rainforests and abundant animal and plant species. It has several prominent cave systems at Gunung Mulu National Park. Rajang River is the longest river in Malaysia; Bakun Dam, one of the largest dams in Southeast Asia, is located on one of its tributaries, the Balui River. Mount Murud is the highest point in Sarawak.

The earliest known human settlement in Sarawak at the Niah Caves dates back 40,000 years. A series of Chinese ceramics dated from the 8th to 13th century AD was uncovered at the archaeological site of Santubong. The coastal regions of Sarawak came under the influence of the Bruneian Empire in the 16th century. In 1839, James Brooke, a British explorer, arrived in Sarawak. He, and his descendants, governed the state from 1841 to 1946. During World War II, it was occupied by the Japanese for three years. After the war, the last White Rajah, Charles Vyner Brooke, ceded Sarawak to Britain, and in 1946 it became a British Crown Colony. On 22 July 1963, Sarawak was granted self-government by the British and subsequently became one of the founding members of Malaysia, established on 16 September 1963. However, the federation was opposed by Indonesia leading to a three-year confrontation. The creation of Malaysia also resulted in a communist insurgency that lasted until 1990.

The head of state is the Governor, also known as the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, while the head of government is the Chief Minister. Sarawak is divided into administrative divisions and districts, governed by a system that is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system and was the earliest state legislature system in Malaysia.

Because of its natural resources, Sarawak specialises in the export of oil and gas, timber and oil palms, but also possesses strong manufacturing, energy and tourism sectors. It is ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse; major ethnic groups including Iban, Malay, Chinese, Melanau, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu. English and Malay are the two official languages of the state; there is no official religion.

Languages

The official languages of Sarawak are Malay and English.

Images for kids

The rhinoceros hornbill is the state bird of Sarawak.
James Brooke, the first White Rajah
Territorial expansion of the Raj of Sarawak from 1841 to 1905 played a significant role to the present-day boundaries of the modern state of Sarawak.
Crowds throng a street in Kuching to witness the arrival of Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 12 September 1945.
Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan declaring the formation of the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963
Julan waterfall (located at Usun Apau Plieran) is the highest waterfall in Sarawak
The Rajang River is the longest river in Malaysia
An orangutan peeling a banana at Semenggoh Wildlife Reserve.
A logging camp along the Rajang River
An LNG port at Bintulu, Sarawak
Turbines inside the Bakun Dam power house. The dam is the main source for electric energy in Sarawak.
French Romani Manouche band performing during Rainforest World Music Festival 2006
Kuching International Airport terminal
Bintulu International Container Terminal (BICT) at Bintulu seaport
The Sarawak General Hospital
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) chancellory building
Major ethnic groups in Sarawak. Clockwise from top right: Melanau girls with the traditional Baju Kurung, Sarawakian Chinese woman in her traditional dress of Cheongsam, a Bidayuh girl, and an Iban warrior in his traditional dress.
A Kayan tribesman, playing the Sapé.
Ngajat, the Iban warrior dance gazetted as part of Sarawak culture.
A bowl of Sarawak laksa
Pinnacles at Gunung Mulu National Park
The vegetations at the summit of Mount Murud
South China Sea view from Sarawak
Parts of the Bako National Park
St. Joseph Cathedral
Old Sarawak State Mosque
Hong San Si Temple

Sarawak facts for kids

Languages

Images for kids

See also