
The Betong Arch, Betong
'Betong Division', formed on
March 26 2002, is the 11th and newest of the eleven administrative divisions in
Sarawak, east
Malaysia, on the island of
Borneo. Formerly part of
Sri Aman Division, Betong is in the
Saribas area. It has a total area of 4,180.8 square kilometers, and is the smallest of the administrative divisions of Sarawak.
Saribas is famous for its
Iban longhouses (''rumah panjang'' in Malay) and is regarded as the center for Iban culture. It was annexed to Sarawak by Rajah
James Brooke, after his victory over the Sekrang and Saribas Iban at the
Battle of Beting Maru on
July 31 1849.
Betong Division contains two administrative districts:
Betong and
Saratok. The total population is 99,800. The population is culturally mixed, with the majority Iban interacting well with the
Malay and
Chinese in almost all spheres of activity since the pre-colonial days.
Betong Division is divided into three broad
topographical regions — the coastal or riverine region, the midland region, and the inland or hilly interior region. The coastal or
riverine region is mainly made up of
peat swamp with very limited suitable area for agricultural activities in its natural condition. In areas with improved irrigation systems, the soil has gradually improved to enable some agricultural activities to be carried out. Some of the crops planted in the coastal or riverine region are wet
paddy,
sago,
coconuts and
perennial crops. Some of the coastal or riverine areas have potential for aquaculture activities such as brackish water fish, tiger prawn and crab cultivation. The midland region has more suitable areas for agricultural activities. Crops such as
pepper,
rubber,
paddy, and
oil palm are planted in the midland region. Most of the livestock and pond fish rearing are also found in this region. All the
commercial livestock in the division area are in this region. The inland or hilly interior region is mountainous with steep terrain and only pockets of the areas are cultivated with hilly paddy, pepper and rubber.
Betong's sub-districts are
Spaoh,
Debak and
Pusa.
See also
★
Betong
External links
★
Betong
★
Betong Tourism