Sarawak
Sarawak, the largest state in Malaysia (covering an area of 124,450 square kilometers (48,342 square miles) with a coastline 720 kilometers in length which accounts for about 37.5% of area of Malaysia), is located on the northwestern shore of the island of Borneo. Sarawak is situated in the northwest of Borneo, between latitudes 0° and 5° North and longitudes 109° and 115° east and borders Brunei, Sabah and Kalimantan, Indonesia. Sarawak is 8 hours ahead of GMT and 16 hours ahead of the U.S. Pacific Standard Time.
Sarawak is a tropical country with an equatorial climate. It is hot and humid throughout the year with mean daily temperature ranging from 23° C during the early hours of the morning to 32° C during the day. It experiences two monsoon changes. The North East Monsoon, which usually occurs between November to February, brings with it heavy rainfall. The South West Monsoon is usually less wet. Except for monsoonal changes, the climate remains fairly stable throughout the year. Annual rainfall varies between 330 cm to 460 cm for the greater part of the country.
Sarawak has a population of over 2 million people (2000 figures) and is the least densely populated state in Malaysia. Most of the population is found in the coastal areas, the midland region and along river valleys. Sarawak is home to around 26 different ethnic groups, each with their own beliefs, traditions and customs, and speaking a vast range of languages and dialects. The main groups are Malay, Melanau, Chinese, Iban and Bidayuh. Although the main languages spoken are Malay, Chinese, Iban, and Bidayuh, most Sarawakians can speak fairly good English.
