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| Sarawak is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. Natural gas and petroleum form the major income to the state. Its forest provides the world of tropical hardwood timber. It produces approximately 9 to 10 million cubic metres of logs annually. | Sarawak is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. Natural gas and petroleum form the major income to the state. Its forest provides the world of tropical hardwood timber. It produces approximately 9 to 10 million cubic metres of logs annually. | ||
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| {{Malaysia}} | {{Malaysia}} | ||
Revision as of 16:53, 16 September 2004
Sarawak is one of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Situated on the north-west of the island, Sarawak (124,450 km²) is the largest state of Malaysia, the second largest being its sister state, Sabah. The administrative capital is Kuching (pop. 423,800 in 2000) which literally means 'cat'. Major cities and towns also include Sibu (pop. 166,322), Miri (pop. 167, 535) and Bintulu (pop. 102,761). As of last census (July 5, 2000), the state population was 2,071,506. For more details about the population see Demographics of Malaysia.
History
Sarawak had been a loosely governed territory under the control of the Brunei Sultanate in the early 19th century. James Brooke became governor of Sarawak on September 24, 1841 and was appointed Rajah by the Sultan of Brunei on August 18, 1842; originally this territory was just the western end of later Sarawak, around Kuching. He ruled Sarawak until his death in 1868. His nephew Charles Anthoni Johnson Brooke became Rajah after his death; he was succeeded by his son Charles Vyner Brooke. The territory was greatly expanded under these three, mostly at the expense of areas nominally under the control of Brunei. In practice Brunei had only controlled strategic river and coastal forts in much of the lost territory, and so most of the gain was at the expense of Muslim warlords and of the lost de facto independence of local tribes.
The Brooke dynasty ruled Sarawak for a hundred years and became famous as the "White Rajahs", accorded a status within the British Empire similar to that of the Indian Princes. In contrast to many other areas of the empire however the Brooke family was intent on a policy of paternalism to protect the indigenous population against exploitation. They governed with the aid of the local Malay and Muslim classes and employed the Ibans and other 'Dayak' peoples as their army. They also encouraged the immigration of a Chinese merchant class.
Japan invaded in 1941. The area was secured by Australian forces in 1945, and the Rajah formally ceded sovereignty to the British Crown in 1946, under pressure according to his wife among others. His nephew Anthony continued to claim sovereignty as Rajah of Sarawak. The Malays in particular resisted the cession to Britain, most dramatically with the assassination of the first British governor.
Sarawak was one of the main sites of the Indonesian Confrontation between 1962 and 1966. It became an autonomous state of the federation of Malaysia on September 16, 1963 despite initial opposition from parts of the population.
Demography
Iban is the native of Sarawak. They are the major ethnic group on this land. It follows by Bidayuh, Melanau, etc. Chinese and Malay constitute large portion of the population as well.
Economy
Sarawak is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. Natural gas and petroleum form the major income to the state. Its forest provides the world of tropical hardwood timber. It produces approximately 9 to 10 million cubic metres of logs annually.