Belait District
| Belait | |
|---|---|
| District | |
 |
|
| Capital | Kuala Belait |
| Government | |
| • Chief of District | Awang Haji Harris Bin Othman |
| Area | |
| • Belait District | 2,724 km2 (1,052 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Belait District | 60,744 |
| • Density | 22/km2 (58/sq mi) |
Belait is the largest as well as the western-most district (Malay: daerah) in Brunei. The word 'Belait' is taken from the name of the native inhabitants of Belait, the Belait People. The district is administered from the town of Kuala Belait, its capital. Belait is governed by an appointed District Officer. The current District Officer of Belait is Awang Haji Harris Bin Othman and its current Belait District Assistant Officer is Awang Hasmiron Bin Haji Taib. Other major towns include Seria town and Sungai Liang.
The district borders the South China Sea to the north, the Bruneian district of Tutong to the east and the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the south and west.
The district covers 2,727 km2/1,052 mi², which is about half the area of the entire nation. The landscape of the district varies from the peat swamps and lowland forests near the coast to the montane rainforest in the interior parts of the district.
The Belait River (Sungai Belait) flows through Belait and it is the longest river in Brunei. The Belait River, together with its tributaries drains the district – the Belait district roughly corresponds to the drainage basin of the Belait River.
The district is further subdivided into 8 Mukims (English: sub-districts). These are often named after the most important town or village contained within. These are:
Each Mukim is composed of a number of villages or kampongs.
The district has a population of around 70,000 people (2006 census) most of whom live in Kuala Belait, the main town and Seria. The native inhabitants of the district are the Belait People and together with the other Bumiputera races form a majority in the district. A minority of this population is ethnic Chinese, particularly those speaking Cantonese, Taishan, and Hakka. Ibans, Penans and other indigenous people make up the rest of the population. Also present are a large community of expatriates (Caucasians, Indians, Filipinos) mostly working with or associated with the oil and gas industry.
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Wikipedia