Sarawak (pop. 2,471,140) is the largest state in Malaysia. It covers about 48,050 square miles (124,450 square kilometers) on the north coast of the island of Borneo. The coastal plains are swampy, and the interior is mountainous. Most people live in towns and rural settlements near the rivers. Sarawak’s chief products are oil and natural gas from offshore fields. Its capital is Kuching.
A majority of the people of Sarawak are Ibans, Chinese, or Malays. Other groups include the Bidayuh and the Melanau. The Ibans are mostly animists (worshipers of ancestors and spirits). They live mainly in the lowland forest areas. The Chinese live in the major towns. Most of them are Buddhists. Islam is the religion of the Malays.
Economy.
The economy depends heavily on forestry, petroleum, and natural gas, which account for almost half of the state’s gross domestic product. Sarawak is rich in natural gas, most of which is in the Laconia field off Bintulu. Oil was first discovered in the state in 1910. Production is about one-third of Malaysia’s total output. The Malaysian Liquefied Natural Gas Scheme is the single largest industrial project in the country.
Sarawak is the chief pepper-producing state in Malaysia. The state is rich in agricultural land and there are many farmers with small plots producing crops for sale, or farming at subsistence level. The government is encouraging the large-scale production of cocoa and oil palm.
Tourists from abroad and other parts of Malaysia also contribute to Sarawak’s economy. Visitors take an interest in the state’s variety of peoples and their different languages and ways of life. There are several national parks with unspoiled jungle and scenic views, which offer the attractions of unusual animals, birds, flowers, and insects. Some of them have extensive cave systems and sites of ancient settlements.
Land.
Sarawak consists of three distinct landforms: the coastal plain, the highland interior, and the foothills between. The alluvial coastal plain consists largely of mangrove and peat swamps up to 100 miles (150 kilometers) wide. The mountainous interior rises from 1,000 feet (300 meters) to more than 4,000 feet (1,200 meters), culminating at Mount Murud, which is 7,956 feet (2,425 meters) above sea level. These areas are heavily forested and inaccessible except by river. Within this zone are spectacular limestone outcrops and their caves. The largest of these caves are in Mount Mulu. The intermediate zone consists of undulating land and foothills, extending throughout the length of the state and the most densely settled area.
The Rajang River extends 350 miles (560 kilometers) and is the longest in Malaysia. Sibu is its largest port. The Baram is the second longest river and provides access to the Kelabit Highlands and the Mulu National Park in the east.
History.
Until 1841, the greater part of Sarawak was under the rule of Brunei. As a reward for his success in pacifying a revolt against Brunei, James Brooke became the first rajah of Sarawak in 1841, with control of the Sarawak river basin. Brooke, an Englishman, extended his power to Bintulu in 1861. Under the reign of the second rajah, Charles Brooke, the area of the state stretched eastward until its frontier reached the Trusan Valley in 1885. Sarawak received British protection in 1888. In 1890, the Limbang Valley became part of the state. Brooke purchased Lawas from the British North Borneo Company in 1905.
Charles Brooke reigned until 1917 when he was succeeded by his son, Charles Vyner Brooke. In 1941, there was a new constitution which marked progress toward self-government. The Japanese occupation of 1942 to 1945 prevented further development. In 1946, Sarawak became a British crown colony under the controversial Cession Bill. In 1963, the region joined the new nation of Malaysia.
