Sarawak was until relatively recently mainly inhabited by indigenous peoples present on the island of Borneo for thousands of years. Like the Chinese, they constitute a large percentage of the coastal and urban population. They are in fact a heterogeneous group of people since many are probably the descendants of indigenous peoples who started to convert to Islam from the fifteenth century and became Malay through their adoption of the Malay language. The number of Malays has increased to about 24 per cent of Sarawak’s population. Most live in urban areas and are Buddhists or Christians or practise Taoism. The Chinese, at around 24 per cent, make up the second largest ethnic group in Sarawak, though they themselves can be subdivided as including speakers of Hakka, Fu-chou (Hokchiu), Cantonese and Hokkien. Only a few hundred of the Eastern Penan continue to live as a nomadic people of the rainforest. Members of this group typically live in longhouses and practise shifting cultivation they engage in fishing to supplement their diet if they live near a river. Dayaks who live in the interior of Sarawak are sometimes referred to as Orang Ulu, or people from the interior. The two biggest ethnic groups within the Dayak community are the Iban (also known as Sea Dayak), making up 30 per cent of the population, and the Bidayuh others include the Kenyah, Kayan, Kedayan, Murut, Punan, Bisayah, Kelabit, Berawan and Penan. The non-Muslim indigenous communities are collectively called Dayaks – most of whom are Christians or practise animist beliefs – and they account for about 40 per cent of Sarawak’s inhabitants. Sarawak has a population of more than 2.6 million, made up of some 26 different ethnic groups. Religion/s: Christianity, Animism, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism We have a small favour to ask: if you appreciate our work, would you mind considering making a donation to support our work?įirst language/s: Iban, Bidayuh, Malay, Hakka, Hokchiu, Cantonese, Hokkien Thanks for using our World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples! We hope you find it interesting.
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