arawak

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For the river, see Sarawak River. For the ship, see HMS Sarawak (K591).

Sarawak

State

Flag

Coat of arms

Nickname(s): 

Bumi Kenyalang[1]
Land of the Hornbills

Motto(s): 

Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti

United, Striving, Serving
Unitum, Pertinacem, Servientes (Latin)

Anthem: Ibu Pertiwiku My Motherland[2]

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    Sarawak in    Malaysia

Coordinates:  2°48′N 113°53′ECoordinates:  2°48′N 113°53′E

Country Malaysia

Raj of Sarawak 1841

Japanese 1942
occupation

Crown colony 1 July 1946

Self-governance gra 22 July 1963[3][4]

nted

Federated into 16 September 1963[6]

Malaysia[5]

Capital Kuching
(and largest city)

Divisions show

List

Government

 • Type Dominant-party parliamentary representative
democracy

 • Governor Abdul Taib Mahmud

 • Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg (GPS-PBB)

Legislature Legislative Assembly (82 seats)

Federal Parliament of Malaysia

representation
 • Dewan Rakyat 31 of 222 (14.0%)
seats

 • Dewan Negara 2 of 70 (2.9%)

seats

Area

[7]

 • Total 124,450 km2 (48,050 sq mi)

Highest elevation 2,424 m (7,953 ft)

 (Mount Murud)

Population

 (2020)[7]

 • Total  2,907,500 (4th)

 • Density 22/km2 (60/sq mi)

Demonym(s) Sarawakian

Languages

 • Official English • Malay

 • Other spoken Bornean • Sarawak

Malay • Hakka • Hokkien • Teochew • Fuzhou
Other ethnic minority languages

Demographics

 • Ethnic 62.8% Dayak
groups (2016)[8] 15.5% Malay
14.7% Chinese
6.5% Melanau
0.3% other Bumiputera

Time zone UTC+8 (MST[9])

Postal code 93xxx[10] to 98xxx[11]

Calling code 082 to 086[12]

 ISO 3166 code K (MY-13, 50–53)[13][14]

Vehicle registration QA to QT[15]

GDP (2019)  RM 149.724 billion ($36.682 billion) (3rd)[16]

GDP per  RM 53,358 ($13,072) (5th)[16]

capita (2019)

HDI (2019)  0.745 (high) (14th)[17]

Driving side Left

Electricity voltage 230 V, 50 Hz

Currency Malaysian ringgit (RM/MYR)

Website Official website 

Sarawak (/səˈrɑːwɒk/; Malay: [saˈrawaʔ]) 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 2020 census, the population of
Sarawak was estimated over 2,907,500. 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 and independence 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, involving the British Army. The creation of Malaysia also prompted
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. Under the Malaysian constitution, Sarawak has greater autonomy than the
states of Peninsular 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. Widely, more
Sarawakian speaks Iban for communication across ethnic groups.

Contents

 1Etymology
 2History
 3Politics
o 3.1Government
o 3.2Administrative divisions
 4Security
o 4.1Military
o 4.2Territorial disputes
 5Environment
o 5.1Geography
o 5.2Biodiversity
 5.2.1Conservation issues
 6Economy
o 6.1Energy
o 6.2Tourism
 7Infrastructure
o 7.1Transportation
o 7.2Healthcare
o 7.3Education
 8Demographics
o 8.1Ethnic groups
o 8.2Languages
 9Religion
 10Culture
 11International relations
 12See also
 13Notes
 14References
 15External links

Etymology[edit]
The rhinoceros hornbill is the state bird of Sarawak.

The generally-accepted explanation of the state's name is that it is derived from

the Sarawak Malay word serawak, which means antimony.[18] A popular alternative
explanation is that it is a contraction of the four Malay words purportedly uttered by
Pangeran Muda Hashim (uncle to the Sultan of Brunei), "Saya serah pada awak" (I
surrender it to you), when he gave Sarawak to James Brooke, an English explorer in
1841.[18] However, the latter explanation is incorrect: the territory had been named
Sarawak before the arrival of James Brooke, and the word awak was not in the
vocabulary of Sarawak Malay before the formation of Malaysia. [19]
Sarawak is nicknamed "Land of the Hornbills" (Bumi Kenyalang). These birds are
important cultural symbols for the Dayak people, representing the spirit of God. It is also
believed that if a hornbill is seen flying over residences, it will bring good luck to the
local community. Sarawak has eight of the world's fifty-four species of hornbills, and
the Rhinoceros hornbill is the state bird of Sarawak.[20]