Sarawak (/səˈrɑːwɒk/sə-RAH-wok, 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 Malaysia census, the population of Sarawak was 2.45 million. 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 the state. Sarawak is the only state of Malaysia with a Christian majority.
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 prompted a communist insurgency that lasted until 1990. (Full article...)
Image 17Built in the 6th century AD, Candi Bukit Batu Pahat is the most well-known ancient Hindu temple found in Bujang Valley (from History of Malaysia)
Image 29Peninsular Malaysia Precipitation Map in December 2004 showing heavy precipitation on the east coast, causing floods there. (from Geography of Malaysia)
Image 41Tugu Negara, the Malaysian national monument is dedicated to those who fell during World War II and the Malayan Emergency. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 65Map of the Sinophone world, where Chinese languages are spoken as a first language among ethnic Chinese in countries where their population is significant:
Chinese-speaking majority (Coastal and central areas of China, Taiwan and Singapore)
Large Chinese-speaking minority (Highland China, Malaysia and Brunei)
Image 78Members of the Cobbold Commission were formed to conduct a study in the British Borneo territories of Sarawak and Sabah to see whether the two were interested in the idea to form the Federation of Malaysia with Malaya and Singapore. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 106The Buddha-Gupta stone, dating to the 4th–5th century AD, was dedicated by an Indian Merchant, Buddha Gupta. Found in Seberang Perai and kept in the National Museum, Calcutta, India (from History of Malaysia)
Image 113Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) in Kuala Lumpur, where Malaysians celebrate Independence Day on 31 August each year. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 122Inside the former house of a Peranakan (Baba-Nyonya or 峇峇娘惹) in Malacca which has now been converted into a museum, a Nyonya can be seen sitting inside wearing the traditional kebaya. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 124The discovery of a skull estimated to be around 40,000 years old in the Niah Caves in Sarawak has been identified as the earliest evidence for human settlement in Malaysian Borneo. (photo December 1958) (from History of Malaysia)
Image 134Map of the geographic origin of the present-day ethnic Chinese Malaysians since their early migrations from China to Nanyang region more than a hundred years ago. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Kota Iskandar is the administrative centre of Johor Launched in 2009, it was named after the Sultan Iskandar of Johor. It houses all of the main buildings of the Government of Johor.
