Photo : Bako National Park

History

Sarawak's inception as a State and its present borders are a legacy of the work of the famous Brooke Dynasty. In 1839, when Sarawak was rebelling against the Brunei Sultanate, an English adventurer named James Brooke arrived and volunteered to quell the revolt. Brooke was successful.

As a reward, Raja Muda Hassim of Brunei granted Brooke the cession of territory between Tanjung Datu and Sungai Samarahan (Samarahan River) in 1841. In the following years, James Brooke, who was installed as the Raja (King) of Sarawak, consolidated his power by establishing a firm government and quashing the Iban's stronghold in the northern region. Raja Brooke also added to his domains by further acquisitions of territory at the expense of Brunei.

By 1868 when Raja Brooke died, his territory of Sarawak stretched up to Tanjung Kidurong. He was succeeded by his nephew Charles Brooke. Charles continued to expand the state until, with the acquisition of Lawas in 1905, it had acquired the boundaries it holds until today.

The third Brooke, Charles Vyner, acceded in 1917. In 1941, Vyner took the first step to a more democratic government by granting the State a written constitution in 1941. However, his administration was temporary halted during the Japanese Occupancy (1941-1945). Vyner resumed administration in 1946 but he was convinced that Sarawak could not recover and progress on its own resources.

Sarawak was subsequently ceded to Britain and became a British Crown Colony. The colonial status came to an end after an announcement by the first Prime Minister of Malaya, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj in 1961 pertaining to the formation of the Federation of Malaysia which were to include Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Singapore. On August 31, 1963, North Borneo obtained self-government from the British.

Together with Sabah, Singapore and Malaya, Malaysia was formally established on September 16, 1963. However by 1965, Singapore was out of the Federation.

Today, Sarawak is a prosperous state with an expanding economy, fuelled by mining, forestry, agriculture, manufacturing and tourism.

Economy

The economic activity of Sarawak is mostly dominated by mining, agriculture and forestry sectors. Other sectors like manufacturing, wholesale and retail trading and construction also contributed to the State's income.

Over the years Sarawak has succeeded in maintaining a strong economic development. The agriculture, livestock and fishery share of the State's GDP increased from RM510 million in 1980 to RM954 million in 1997. The forestry contribution of RM459 million in 1980 increased to RM877 million in 1997 while the mining and quarrying sector's figure of RM1,064 million in 1980 rose to RM2,944 million in 1997.

The share of secondary sector in the State's GDP (construction and manufacturing) has been increasing from about RM432 million in 1980 to RM3,458 million in 1997. Meanwhile the share of the wholesale and retail sector increased from RM288 million in 1980 to RM921 million in 1997.

The State's GDP increased from RM3,488 million in 1980 to RM11,297 million in 1997 - a growth of 224%. The Sarawak State Government is confidence the growth will maintain exceed 5.3% this year. The per capita income went up from RM2,665 in 1980 to a projected RM6,103 in 1999.

Geography

Sarawak is the largest State in Malaysia. The State is bounded on the north and north west by the South China Sea, the north-east by Sabah and the Sultanate of Brunei, which forms a double enclave, and the south by Kalimantan, Indonesia. Measuring 124,449 sq km, Sarawak can be classified into three terrain groups: the alluvial coastal plain, the mountainous interior and the central undulating belt. Sarawak's highest point is Gunung Murut (2,434 metres).

Climate

On the whole, Sarawak has an equatorial climate. The temperature is relatively uniform within the range of 23°C to 32°C throughout the year. During the months of March to September, the weather is generally dry and warm. Humidity is consistently high on the lowlands ranging between 85% to 95% per annum. The average rainfall per year is between 3,300 mm and 4,600 mm, depending on locality, and the wettest months are from November to February.