Population
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 large minority of this population is ethnic Chinese, particularly those speaking Cantonese, Toisanese, 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.
Although it is the second most populous district, it has the lowest average population density (23 persons per square kilometer) of all four districts due to its large area. The population distribution is uneven, the areas around the coast are more densely settled than the mountaineous interior rainforests. The largest urban areas in terms of population are the district administrative capital of Kuala Belait and the oil town of Seria.
Read more about this topic: Belait District
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