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LOCATION

Sarawak, the largest of the 13 States in Malaysia, is located on the NorthWestern shore of Borneo island, between 11O° and 115° longitude East and between 1° and 5°, latitude North. Sarawak shares Borneo with the Malaysian State of Sabah, the Sultanate of Negara Brunei Darussalam and the Indonesian province of Kalimantan.

TIME
(Sarawak is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and 16 hours ahead of United States Pacific Standard time). There is only one time zone throughout Malaysia.

AREA
124,450 sq.km(48,613 sq.m) or about 37% of Malaysia's total land area. Around 70%, of Sarawak's land area is forested.

POPULATION
(1.85 million (est.) or about 10% of Malaysia's overall population. Sarawak's population is composed of some 24 ethnic groups, the major ones being the Than (29.5%), Chinese (28.5%), Malays (20.8%), Bidayuh (8.4%) and Melanau (5.6%),)with the Kayan, Ke"yah, Kelabit, Penan and other indigenous groups, as well as Indians, Eurasians, Europeans and other Asians making up for the remainder.

LANGUAGE
Bahasa Malaysia (Malay) is the official language. English is widely spoken, especially in business and tourism circles. Other languages commonly used in Sarawak include Mandarin and lban, as well as several Chinese and indigenous languages and dialects.

RELIGION
Malaysia's official religion is Sunni Islam, but freedom of worship is respected. In Sarawak the major religions are Christianity (29%), Islam (26%), Buddhism-Taoism (I 7%), traditional beliefs and small numbers of Hindus, Sikhs and Baha'is.

CLIMATE
Typical equatorial climate, daily temperatures in lowland areas range between 23 °C and 32° C with little variation throughout the year Rainfall is spread throughout the year, with heavier rainfall occurring mostly during the Landas season (November to February).

ENTRY REGULATIONS
Visitors to Malaysia must be in possession of a valid passport or travel document with a minimum validity of six months beyond the intended visiting period; Most nationalities do not require visas for social or business visits. Sarawak issues its own visit passes upon entry into the territory, however these passes are valid for the rest of Malaysia. For latest updates on entry requirements, it is recommended to check with Malaysian Diplomatic missions or Tourism Offices.

HEALTH
No vaccinations required, unless coming from yellow fever endemic areas in the last six days. Very good overall health situation with most tropical diseases eradicated. Anti-malaria treatment indispensable, most malaria cases occurring in remote, seldom visited areas. In doubt consult your physician.Clean and efficient private or government clinics and hospitals are found throughout Sarawak, even in remote areas.

WORKING HOURS
Government offices open from 08:OOAM to 04:15PM, private sector offices from 09:OOAM to 05:OOPM, banks from 09:30AM to 03:30PM, Mondays to Fridays, half day on Saturdays. Shops generally open 10:OOAM to 05:OOPM, Mondays to Saturdays, while many closes later and remain open on Sundays. Shopping complexes close by 09:30PM and open on Sundays.

CURRENCY
The local currency is the Malaysian Ringgit (RM), a very stable and fully convertible currency. Foreign currency is best exchanged at licensed moneychangers, banks or in hotels. (Traveler cheques and credit cards are widely accepted and money can be withdrawn from ATM machines found in most towns. ( For updated conversion of foreign currency, click on the image at left ).

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
International Direct Dialing is available in most hotels and from most public phones, with many accepting credit cards. Colorful stored value phone cards can easily be purchase.

MEDIA
Sarawak receives three Malaysian TV channels with programs in Malay, English, Mandarin and Tamil. Major hotels have in-house video channels as well as satellite dishes receiving major international networks. Radio and print media reflect Sarawak's ethnic diversity with programs and publications in several languages, including English. International magazines in English are easily available in major towns.

ELECTRIC CURRENT
Electric supply is on a 220-240 Volt / 50 cycles system, with three pin plugs. Adapters are easily available.

WATER

Water is safe to drink from the tap in towns' & Hotels and restaurants usually provide boiled water, while bottled mineral water is easily available.