Page 39 - The Guide To Sarawak

THE GUIDE TO SARAWAK
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Sibu, the largest town in Central Sarawak, is the gateway to the Upper Rejang River and the administrative centre for Sibu Division.
the 19th/20th Centuries by Foochow Chinese settlers. It is the centre of Sarawak’s timber industry, and is also renowned for its food. The population is primarily a mixture of Chinese, Iban, Melanau and Malay.
Sibu’s economy is based on timber, downstream processing, shipbuilding, agriculture and plantations, with ecotourism playing
a growing role. The other main towns are Kanowit, the furthest point on the Rejang accessible by road, and Selangau.
KAPIT DIVISION
(Pop. 114,200, Area 38,934 sq km)
Sarawak’s largest Division is administered from
Kapit, 3 hours upriver by express boat from Sibu and accessible only by river or air. Other towns include Song and remote Belaga, both District centres. It is the most rural division; 86% of its area comprises forest reserve while the rest is largely agricultural. Its
SARIKEI DIVISION
(Pop. 120,700, Area 4,332.4 sq km)
Sarawak’s second smallest Division is centred on the bustling riverine port of Sarikei, and divided into the Districts of Sarikei, Meradong, Julau and Pakan. The population
is predominantly Iban,
with sizeable numbers
of Melanau, Malay and Chinese. Sarikei is the largest producer of pepper in Sarawak. Rice, palm oil, rubber, market gardening and forestry are also important.
Sarikei is famed throughout Sarawak for
its superb pineapples and pomelos, while the town of Bintangor is known for its green-skinned oranges. New transport infrastructure, such as the striking Meradong Red Bridge,
is transforming former cottage industries into major agricultural producers with ease of access to urban
markets. In the interior,
Julau district has the highest density of longhouses per square km in all of Sarawak.
SIBU DIVISION
(Pop. 307,400, Area 8,278.3 sq km)
Sarawak’s third largest town (Pop. 254,200), Sibu is the gateway to the Division of the same name and the Districts of Sibu, Kanowit and Selangau. Situated
on the Batang Rejang, Malaysia’s longest river, Sibu was founded at the turn of
Kapit, the last major town on the Rejang River, is the administrative centre for Kapit Division and a major gateway to Sarawak’s vast coal, hydropower and forestry resources.