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Mukah is a coastal town, which serves as the administrative centre of the Mukah District (2,536 square kilometers) in Mukah Division, Sarawak. It is located on the South China Sea, about 3.5 hours by road from Sibu. The district population (year 2000 census) was 47,900, and was overwhelmingly ethnic Melanau.
Mukah is an ancient trading and fishing port, situated at the mouth of the Mukah River adjacent to the South China Sea. Historically, the town was an outpost of the Sultanate of Brunei. It became part of Sarawak in 1861. It is now the centre of Melanau culture, and the "Pesta Kaul" festival, celebrated by the local fishermen in April to appease the spirits of the sea, is one of the major events of the Melanau calendar. Just beyond the center of town is the Lamin Dana Water Village, which contains a Melanau Cultural Center.
The Mukah hinterland was traditionally a major sago producing area. Of late however, most of the predominantly peat swamp areas that dominate the hinterland have been developed into oil palm plantations.
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