Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Land & Environmental Issues
Borneo is one of the most geologically complex and biologically diverse places on the
planet. Situated at the convergence of three great tectonic plates, the island owes much of
its astounding biological range to the fact that as recently as 10,000 years ago it was con-
nected to mainland Southeast Asia.
Within the lifetimes of many people alive today, almost the entirety of Borneo's land
mass was covered with old-growth forests. Today, the rainforests of Borneo, a biodiversity
hot spot of global importance, are critically imperilled - a quick look at Google Earth
(compare Brunei's pristine Temburong District with adjacent parts of Sarawak) will illus-
trate what has been wrought over the last few decades. Fortunately, vast areas of the interi-
or of Kalimantan are still relatively untouched, presenting humanity with one last oppor-
tunity to preserve Borneo's incredible natural riches.
COLONIALISM & CONSERVATION
Borders established in the 19th century ended up having a profound impact on the fate of Borneo's rainforests in the
21st century. Vast areas of forest land pried away from the sultan of Brunei by the White Rajahs and the British
North Borneo Company ended up being clear-cut in the decades after Malaysian independence, whereas the vast
majority of the territory that the sultan managed to retain is now pristine and protected wilderness.
The Land
At 740,330 sq km, Borneo is the third-largest island in the world (after Greenland and New
Guinea). It is about one-third larger than France, and almost exactly the same size as Texas.
Bisected by the equator, Borneo is remark-
ably flat, with over 50% of the landscape less
than 150m above sea level. Lowland areas tend
to be swampy, with serpentine rivers and poor
drainage. Malaysia's longest river is the Batang
Rejang (563km) in Sarawak, while Indonesia's
For an excellent, colourful introduction to Borneo's
environment, check out
Wild Borneo
by Nick Gar-
butt.
