Page 36 - The Guide To Sarawak

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INTRODUCTION TO THE STATE OF SARAWAK
Kuching, the State Capital and administrative centre for Kuching Division, straddles both banks of the Sarawak River, with the Government Quarter to the north (left) and the Central Business District to the south (right).
Divisions, Towns & Cities
By YB Dato’ Sri Wong Soon Koh
Sarawak is divided into 11 administrative Divisions, each named after its principal town or city and administered by a Resident. Each Division is further divided into Districts and Sub-Districts.
KUCHING DIVISION
(Pop. 730,700, Area 4,559.5 sq km)
The most populous division comprises the Districts of Kuching, Lundu and Bau and is focused around Kuching (Pop. 639,100),
the state capital and the former seat of the Brooke Rajahs. The city occupies both banks of the Sarawak river and combines a vibrant mixture of old and new, the historic city centre giving way to residential suburbs, booming commercial and industrial developments,
university campuses and cutting-edge technology parks, with mountains
and rainforest visible in
the distance. Its diverse population reflects the ethnic make-up of Sarawak, the largest groups being Iban, Malay, Chinese, and Bidayuh.
Kuching itself has two
city councils (Council of
the City of Kuching South and Commission of the City of Kuching North) and a municipal council (Padawan Municipal Council). Kuching Town was elevated into
a city on 1st August 1988 and split into Kuching City North and Kuching City South to provide for better city administration and development. The southern and eastern outskirts of the city come under Padawan Municipal Council. The system has been retained because it works; Kuching, a WHO Healthy City since 1994, is one of the cleanest and healthiest cities in
Southeast Asia.
Other notable towns
include the old gold-mining centre of Bau, and the picturesque fishing towns of Lundu and Sematan. Kuching Division is also
a tourism hot spot, with historic Old Kuching, the Damai beach resorts, exquisite tropical islands,
the Fairy and Wind Caves, Borneo Highlands Resort, world-class golf courses, five national parks, two wildlife rehabilitation centres and many nature reserves.
SAMARAHAN DIVISION
(Pop. 270,000, Area 4,967.4 sq km)
Samarahan is focused around the fast-growing town of Kota Samarahan in Kuching’s southern corridor and includes the Districts
of Samarahan, Serian, Simunjan and Asajaya. It is an area of great contrasts, with high-tech industrial zones and booming satellite townships giving way to