Miri is a city in northern Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. Miri is home to a population of about 300,000 people and is thus the second largest city in Sarawak. It serves as the government administrative centre of Miri District (4,707.1 square kilometers) in Miri Division of Sarawak. Miri was elevated to city status on May 20, 2005 and it is the 10th city in Malaysia (Kuching has 2 cities) and its local authority i.e. Miri City Council is the 10th city council in Malaysia.
Miri is the birthplace of Sarawak's petroleum industry, which remains the major industry of the city. The first oil well was drilled by Shell in 1910, and is now a state monument and one of Miri's tourist attractions. Shell also built Malaysia's first oil refinery in Lutong, a suburb of Miri in 1914. Recently, vast oil reserves were discovered just offshore northeast of the city. Miri has grown phenomenally since oil was first discovered in the early 1900's, burgeoning into the modern and dynamic business, commercial and educational centre it is today.
The city's other major industries include processed timber, oil palm production, and tourism. The world famous Gunung Mulu National Park with the Sarawak chamber, a half an hour flight from the city, is one of the favourite eco-tourism destinations. Miri is also the main tourist gateway for the Loagan Bunut National Park, Lambir National Park and the Niah Caves at the Niah Caves National Park. Miri is lately known for its exotic coral reefs as well.
The successful discovery of offshore oil in the 1970s triggered a fresh development boom in Miri; luxury hotels were built, more houses constructed and new shopping centers and industrial estates established. Miri ranked as the second most important commercial town in Sarawak after Sibu town. The shift offshore began to show results in 1962 with the discovery of oil in two areas offshore Sarawak. Other finds followed in rapid succession well into the 1970s. When production levels reached 95,000 barrels a day, Petronas, the Malaysian National oil company, made Lutong the hub of oil production activities in Miri.
Tourism thrives - Miri came to be known as "Sarawak's Northern Gateway". In the mid-nineties, development plans for rapid changes and concentration on tourism to boost the commercial sector calls for the Oil Town to be elevated to a City status - the first city in Malaysia to do so.
The successful discovery of offshore oil in the 1970s triggered a fresh development boom in Miri; luxury hotels were built, more houses constructed and new shopping centers and industrial estates established. Miri ranked as the second most important commercial town in Sarawak after Sibu town. The shift offshore began to show results in 1962 with the discovery of oil in two areas offshore Sarawak. Other finds followed in rapid succession well into the 1970s. When production levels reached 95,000 barrels a day, Petronas, the Malaysian National oil company, made Lutong the hub of oil production activities in Miri.
Tourism thrives - Miri came to be known as "Sarawak's Northern Gateway". In the mid-nineties, development plans for rapid changes and concentration on tourism to boost the commercial sector calls for the Oil Town to be elevated to a City status - the first city in Malaysia to do so.
( Coordinates: 4°23′34.74″N 113°58′49.08″E / 4.3929833, 113.9803 )
(Aerial View of Miri City)
(Satellite View of Miri City)
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