Page 28 - The Guide To Sarawak

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INTRODUCTION TO THE STATE OF SARAWAK
The Land of the Hornbills
Sarawak occupies much
of the northwest coast of Borneo and is Malaysia’s largest state by a considerable margin, with an area of 124,450 sq km, almost the size of England. However it is also the most sparsely populated state, with only 22 of its 2.6 million inhabitants per sq km. It is
a land of tropical rainforests and rugged mountains, mighty rivers and mangrove forests, white sandy beaches and pristine islands. Just
a few degrees from the Equator, Sarawak enjoys a warm tropical climate all year round.
Known as “The Land of the Hornbills”, the state is
The Rhinoceros Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros) is the state bird of Sarawak. One of the largest hornbill species - about the size of a swan - it was believed by the Iban to be a message bearer between humankind and the gods.
divided into 11 Divisions, some considerably urbanized and others idyllically rural and remote. Infrastructure is modern in
the urban areas and the road network is expanding, but Sarawak’s 55 major rivers and hundreds
of tributaries remain
A land of mighty rivers. Sarawak is criss-crossed by 55 major rivers - including the Rejang and the Baram, Malaysia’s longest and second longest rivers - and literally thousands of tributaries.