The Island Of Borneo: A Three-Way Split

Borneo is the third-largest island in the world, located north of Java, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. The island is divided among three countries: Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory, with the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak in the north occupying about 26% of the island. The sovereign state of Brunei, located on the north coast, comprises about 1% of Borneo's land area.

Borneo is the third-largest island in the world

Indonesia constitutes the largest political component of the island, with approximately 73% of the island being Indonesian territory. In Indonesian, Borneo is known as Kalimantan and is divided into five provinces: Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan. Borneo's second-largest river, the Mahakam, flows through East Kalimantan. West Kalimantan's capital, Pontianak, lies directly across the equator and is a bustling economic hub with Indonesia's longest river, the Kapuas, dividing the town. South Kalimantan is known for its colourful and distinctive traditional arts and cultures, while Central Kalimantan is the biggest province on the island, with approximately 80% of its area covered in jungle.

The Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak in the north occupy about 26% of the island. Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia's tallest peak, is located in Sabah and is also the highest point on Borneo, with an elevation of 4,095 metres (13,435 feet). Sarawak shares a border with the Indonesian province of Kalimantan to its south and the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam to its northeast. Sarawak's economy is largely driven by its abundant natural resources, such as oil, gas, and timber.

The sovereign state of Brunei, located on the north coast, comprises about 1% of Borneo's land area. Bandar Seri Begawan is its capital. Brunei's economy is dominated by the oil and liquefied natural gas industries, and the country is the third-largest producer of oil in Southeast Asia.

Borneo is divided among Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei

Borneo, the world's third-largest island, is divided among three countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. Located at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, Borneo is the only island on the planet divided among three nations. The island is largely mountainous, with a long series of mountain ranges running from southwest to northeast. Borneo has a wet and hot climate, with rain being a common occurrence and some places receiving 350 to 500 cm of rainfall per year.

The southern two-thirds of Borneo, known as Kalimantan in the Indonesian language, belongs to Indonesia and comprises approximately 73% of the island's territory. Kalimantan is divided into five provinces: Central, East, North, South, and West Kalimantan. The region is home to the Kapuas River, the island's largest river system, as well as significant cave systems such as the Clearwater Cave and the Deer Cave.

Along the northwest coast of Borneo lie the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, which make up about 26% of the island. Mount Kinabalu, the island's highest peak, is located in Sabah and reaches an elevation of 4,095 metres. Sabah's economy is largely driven by agriculture, while Sarawak's economy relies on natural resources such as oil, gas, and timber.

The sovereign state of Brunei, located on the north coast of Borneo, comprises about 1% of the island's land area. A small sultanate with significant oil wealth, Brunei has a coastline on the South China Sea and is known for attractions such as the Istana Nurul Imam and the Ulu Temburong National Park.

Borneo's economy is largely dependent on agriculture, logging, mining, oil and gas, and ecotourism. The island has a sparse population by Asian standards, with over two-thirds of its inhabitants residing in Indonesian territory. Borneo's diverse cultural and natural attractions make it a popular tourist destination, despite it being less developed as a travel destination compared to nearby spots in the Philippines, peninsular Malaysia, and Indonesian islands such as Java and Bali.

Borneo's name is derived from Brunei

The name Borneo is derived from European contact with the Brunei kingdom in the 16th century during the Age of Exploration. On a map from around 1601, Brunei city is referred to as Borneo, and the whole island is also labelled Borneo. The name Borneo may derive from the Sanskrit word "varuṇa" (वरुण), meaning either ""water" or Varuna, the Hindu god of rain. Another source suggests that the name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Kalamanthana", meaning "burning weather", possibly to describe the hot and humid tropical weather of Borneo.

The local people of Borneo referred to their island as "Pulu K'lemantang", which became the name for modern-day Indonesian Borneo after contact with the Portuguese explorer Jorge de Menezes in the 16th century. The term "kelamantan" is used in Sarawak to refer to a group of people who consume sago in the northern part of the island. According to Crowfurd, the word "kelamantan" is the name of a type of mango, so the island of Borneo is called a mango island by the native people.

Borneo is home to the world's oldest rainforest

Borneo, the third-largest island in the world, is shared by three countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. It is home to the world's oldest rainforest, the Borneo Lowland Rainforest, which is about 140 million years old.

The Borneo rainforest covers a massive area of 165,100 square miles (427,500 square kilometres) and is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. It is home to over 15,000 species of flowering plants, including 6,000 endemic species, 3,000 species of trees, 221 species of terrestrial animals, and 420 species of resident birds. The island also has significant cave systems, with one of the world's longest underground rivers in the Clearwater Cave and the Deer Cave, home to over three million bats.

The dominant tree group in the Borneo rainforest, the dipterocarps, has dominated the lowland rainforests for millions of years. The rainforest is a centre of evolution and distribution for many endemic species and is one of the few remaining natural habitats for the endangered Bornean orangutan, one of only two remaining species of orangutan in the world. It is also an important refuge for several other endangered species, including the Borneo elephant, the eastern Sumatran rhinoceros, the Bornean clouded leopard, the Bornean rock frog, the hose's palm civet, and the dayak fruit bat.

Unfortunately, the Borneo rainforest is facing intense deforestation, with an estimated loss of about 30% of its forest cover over the past 40 years. The main drivers of deforestation are industrial logging, the establishment of oil palm and timber plantations, and fires, often associated with land clearing. Despite the threats, conservation efforts are ongoing, and in 2007, the "Heart of Borneo" agreement was signed, leading to the discovery of 123 new species in Borneo by 2010.

Borneo's highest peak is Mount Kinabalu

Borneo is the third-largest island in the world, with an area of 748,168 square kilometres. It is divided among three countries: Malaysia and Brunei in the north, and Indonesia to the south. The island is home to around 23 million people.

The mountain is considered a challenging but rewarding climb. It takes around two days to reach the summit, with the first day's hike taking climbers to Laban Rata, where they can rest for the night. The final push to the summit begins early in the morning, with climbers aiming to reach the peak in time for sunrise. The temperature at the summit is often below freezing, and climbers need to be accompanied by accredited guides at all times due to national park regulations.

Mount Kinabalu is an important biological site, with a rich collection of wildlife, including Rafflesia plants and orangutans. The mountain has a diverse range of plant life, with an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 plant species. It is also home to around 326 species of birds and more than 100 species of mammals.

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