Kuching, city, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo, capital of Sarawak State, on the Sarawak River, near its mouth on the South China Sea. The city is a road center and chief port for the western coast of Borneo. Timber, bauxite from nearby mines, pepper, sago, and jelutong, or jungle rubber, are exported from here, and rice, fish, and livestock are traded. Industries include vegetable-oil processing, boatbuilding, and the manufacture of lumber and furniture, food products, alcohol, matches, cigarettes, and soap. In the large Chinese section of the city are several temples. Outstanding buildings are the Sarawak Museum and Library and, across the river, the Astana, residence of the white rajas of the Brooke family from 1841 to 1946 and now the governor's residence. Also in Kuching are Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals, a mosque, and a teacher-training center. The city became the state capital in 1963. It was formerly called Sarawak. Population (1996) 148,059.
