Spaoh is a small town and district in the Betong Division

Betong Division

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...

 in the state of Sarawak

Sarawak

Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...

, Malaysia, formerly known as Saribas District

Saribas District

Saribas District is the old name for what is now called Spaoh District. The name derives from the Saribas river flowing through the Spaoh district....

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Geographically (not administratively), Spaoh is divided into areas such as Ili Pasar Spaoh (Spaoh downriver), Bungin, Paku Ili (Brutan), Ulu Paku

Ulu Paku

Ulu Paku is an area the small district of Spaoh, Sarawak, Malaysia. It is a primarily native Iban area. It is made up of 11 Iban longhouses . The lounghouses here, despite being called longhouses are relatively short with the longest is only around 25 biliks or houses...

 and Ulu Anyut

Ulu Anyut

Ulu Anyut is the sub-area of Ulu Paku, Spaoh, Betong Division in the Sarawak State of Malaysia. It is primarily an Iban area with a few small longhouses. Ulu Anyut areas consists the longhouses:#Lingit#Sungai Rian #Udau...

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The main economical activity in Spaoh is farming. Most of the farmers here plant paddy or pepper

Black pepper

Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...

 and some do rubber-tapping.

The total population of Spaoh is around 17,000: Iban

Iban people

The Ibans are a branch of the Dayak peoples of Borneo. In Malaysia, most Ibans are located in Sarawak, a small portion in Sabah and some in west Malaysia. They were formerly known during the colonial period by the British as Sea Dayaks. Ibans were renowned for practising headhunting and...

s (5,950), Malay

Malay people

Malays are an ethnic group of Austronesian people predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, including the southernmost parts of Thailand, the east coast of Sumatra, the coast of Borneo, and the smaller islands which lie between these locations...

 (Orang Laut) (11,050) and Chinese

Han Chinese

Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...

 (850). Although Ibans are only the second-largest group in Spaoh, most people in Spaoh interact in the Iban dialect which is understood by both Chinese and Malays. English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 and Malay

Malay language

Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...

 are widely spoken too.

The main attractions of this district include the Bukit Saban

Bukit Saban

Bukit Saban is a recently established Malaysian state parliamentary seat in the district of Spaoh, Betong Division, Sarawak. The area formerly was a tourist resort, but went bankrupt and was closed down. The resort has since been converted into a Malaysian National Service training camp for...

 resort & the production of the salted pufferfish

Pufferfish

Tetraodontidae is a family of primarily marine and estuarine fish of the Tetraodontiformes order. The family includes many familiar species which are variously called pufferfish, balloonfish, blowfish, bubblefish, globefish, swellfish, toadfish, toadies, honey toads, sugar toads, and sea squab...

known as Ikan Masin Buntal, which is a local delicacy, in the Malay villages around Spaoh. The pufferfish, known to locals as buntal, is also the mascot of Spaoh.
1.455186°N 111.472193°E