Sarawak is situated on the island of Borneo, and is
one of the two states that make up East Malaysia. Sarawak and Sabah are separated from West Malaysia (Peninsula Malaysia) by the South China Sea about 600 km away. With an area of 124,449.51 square km, Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia, making up some 37.5 per cent of the country's total area.
Physical Features
The State is bounded on the north and northwest by the South China
Sea, the northeast by Sabah and Brunei Darussalam, which forms a double enclave, and
the south by Kalimantan, Indonesia. 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 m). Malaysia's longest river, the Batang Rajang, glides through
the State.
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 from 85 per cent to 95 per cent 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.
Capital and Towns
The administrative capital is Kuching which literally means ‘cat’ (kucing). Major cities and towns also include Sibu, Miri and Bintulu. Though it is interesting to note that Sarawak is, like Sabah to the north, a multicultural state, with no ethnic majority.
