Difference between revisions of "Borneo" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
Line 7: Line 7:
 
'''Borneo''', the world's third-largest island, sits astride the [[Equator]] at the center of the [[Malay Archipelago]], the Earth's largest group of islands. Among islands, only Greenland and nearby New Guinea surpass it in size, which at 743,330 km² is slightly larger than Texas. It is also the only island on the planet divided among three countries.
 
'''Borneo''', the world's third-largest island, sits astride the [[Equator]] at the center of the [[Malay Archipelago]], the Earth's largest group of islands. Among islands, only Greenland and nearby New Guinea surpass it in size, which at 743,330 km² is slightly larger than Texas. It is also the only island on the planet divided among three countries.
  
The southern two-thirds of the island belongs to [[Indonesia]] and is called Kalimantan (meaning "diamond river"); it contains about 60% of the island's population, which is estimated roughly at 14 million. [[Malaysia]]'s two non-peninsular states, Sabah ("the land below the wind") and Sarawak ("antimony"), hug the north coast and take up most of the rest of the island and its population. Sarawak nearly surrounds the nation of [[Brunei]], a small sultanate with great oil wealth, which also a coastline on the [[South China Sea]].
+
The southern two-thirds of the island belongs to [[Indonesia]] and is called Kalimantan (meaning "diamond river"); it contains about 60% of the island's population, which is estimated roughly at 14 million. [[Malaysia]]'s two non-peninsular states, Sabah ("the land below the wind") and Sarawak ("antimony"), hug the north coast and take up most of the rest of the island and its population. Sarawak nearly surrounds the nation of [[Brunei]], a small sultanate with great oil wealth, which also has a coastline on the [[South China Sea]].
  
 +
Though 100% of Brunei lies on Borneo, Kalimantan comprises 28% of Indonesia's total area but less than 5% of the people of the world's fourth-most-populous nation. The portion of Malaysia's total area that is located on Borneo is 60%, but it contains less than a fifth of the country's people. The island remains a sparsely settled landscape.
  
retains an image of exoticism and even dread in the popular mind
+
Borneo retains an image of exoticism and even darkness and dread in the popular mind. Though it has remarkable natural resources, vistas, and increasingly rare wildlife, it hasn't developed as a travel destination as have nearby spots in the [[Philippines]], peninsular Malaysia, and Indonesian islands such as [[Java]] and [[Bali]].
  
 
==Geography==
 
==Geography==
Line 20: Line 21:
  
 
Borneo's highest point is [[Mount Kinabalu]] in [[Sabah]], with an elevation of 4,095 m above sea level.
 
Borneo's highest point is [[Mount Kinabalu]] in [[Sabah]], with an elevation of 4,095 m above sea level.
 
==Administration==
 
Borneo is divided politically into:
 
 
* The [[Indonesia|Indonesian]] [[Provinces of Indonesia|provinces]] of [[East Kalimantan|East]], [[South Kalimantan|South]], [[West Kalimantan|West]] and [[Central Kalimantan|Central]] [[Kalimantan]].
 
* The [[Malaysia|Malaysian]] states of [[Sabah]] and [[Sarawak]].
 
* The independent sultanate of [[Brunei]] in two parts.
 
  
 
==History==
 
==History==

Revision as of 08:34, 3 February 2006


Borneo, the world's third-largest island, sits astride the Equator at the center of the Malay Archipelago, the Earth's largest group of islands. Among islands, only Greenland and nearby New Guinea surpass it in size, which at 743,330 km² is slightly larger than Texas. It is also the only island on the planet divided among three countries.

The southern two-thirds of the island belongs to Indonesia and is called Kalimantan (meaning "diamond river"); it contains about 60% of the island's population, which is estimated roughly at 14 million. Malaysia's two non-peninsular states, Sabah ("the land below the wind") and Sarawak ("antimony"), hug the north coast and take up most of the rest of the island and its population. Sarawak nearly surrounds the nation of Brunei, a small sultanate with great oil wealth, which also has a coastline on the South China Sea.

Though 100% of Brunei lies on Borneo, Kalimantan comprises 28% of Indonesia's total area but less than 5% of the people of the world's fourth-most-populous nation. The portion of Malaysia's total area that is located on Borneo is 60%, but it contains less than a fifth of the country's people. The island remains a sparsely settled landscape.

Borneo retains an image of exoticism and even darkness and dread in the popular mind. Though it has remarkable natural resources, vistas, and increasingly rare wildlife, it hasn't developed as a travel destination as have nearby spots in the Philippines, peninsular Malaysia, and Indonesian islands such as Java and Bali.

Geography

Borneo is surrounded by the South China Sea to the north and northwest, the Sulu Sea to the northeast, the Celebes Sea and the Makassar Strait to the east, and the Java Sea and Karimata Strait to the south.

File:Borneo-VE.JPG
Satellite photo of Borneo.

To the west of Borneo are the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. To the south is Java. To the east is the island of Sulawesi (Celebes). To the northeast is the Philippines.

Borneo's highest point is Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, with an elevation of 4,095 m above sea level.

History

The whole of Borneo was controlled by the Brunei Empire during its golden age from the 15th to 17th centuries. Still all mainly Muslim.

REDO - [[[Borneo, like New Guinea, has long had two very different populations: lowly populated, highly tribalized groups in the inaccessible interior and relatively dense agricultural populations along the coast and the lower floodplains of major rivers. The inland people (Dyaks) were primarily hunter-gatherers with some shifting cultivation, spoke a number of tribal languages, and practiced mostly animist religions. In contrast, coastal populations relied heavily on oceanic trade, rice farming and fishing, spoke regional dialects of Malay, and were predominantly Muslim. The coastal Malay population dominated (as they still do today) politically and militarily the inland tribal population, which was characterized by constant clan war-fare.

When the Dutch arrived in Borneo they encouraged missionaries to convert the inland Dyaks. The Dutch had considerably less success making inroads with the coastal Muslim. There had long been animosity between the inland and the coastal populations, and the addition of organized religion only added fuel to the fire. Today violence rages on in Borneo between the largely Christian Dyaks and the Muslims of the coast and those imported into the interior through transmigration programs. New conflicts arise as greater numbers of Dyaks are displaced by logging]]]

Borneo was the main site of the confrontation between Indonesia and Malaysia between 1962 and 1966.

REDO - The Malaysia negotiations were strongly opposed by the Philippines and Indonesia. The Philippines claimed that North Borneo belonged to them. President Sukarno opposed the idea of Malaysia as it was in conflict with his own dream of Indonesia Raya which would cover the Malay world. The Philippines and Indonesia insisted that it was important to get the views of the people of the Borneo territories. A UN mission surveyed the people of Borneo and found the people of Sabah and Sarawak wanted to join Malaysia. President Sukarno declared a state of armed confrontation lasting 2 years. Malaysia was established 1963.

Demographics

With over 40 ethnic groups speaking 65 languages or dialects Highest pop density is in Sabah. Sizeable Chinese pop in Brunei - 15%

Natural resources

Dawn in Borneo

The island historically had extensive rainforest cover, but the area is shrinking rapidly due to heavy logging for the needs of the Malaysian plywood industry and also multinational companies such as Mitsubishi take their share. One half of the annual tropical timber acquisition of the whole world comes from Borneo. Furthermore, palm plantations are rapidly encroaching on the last remnants of primary rainforest. The rainforest was also greatly destroyed due to the forest fires in 1997 to 1998 which were started by man and coincided with an exceptional drought season of El Niño. During the great fire, hotspots could be seen on satellite images and a haze was created that affected Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. The remaining Borneo rainforest is the only natural habitat for the endangered Bornean orangutan. It is also an important refuge for many endemic forest species, and the Asian elephant, the Sumatran rhinoceros and the clouded leopard.

In order to combat overpopulation in Java, the Indonesian government started a massive migration of poor farmers to Borneo, called transmigrasi to farm the logged areas, albeit with little success as the fertility of the land has been removed with the trees and what soil remains is washed away in tropical downpours.

Indigenous people (e.g., Kayan, Kenyah, Punan Bah and Penan) living on the island have been fighting for decades for their rights to preserve their environment against loggers and transmigrasi settlers.

The type of rainforests found in Borneo include rare peat-swamp forests and heath forest.

Dayak people, legendary headhunters Indonesian Borneo is home to the world's second largest rainforest. Madura & communal violence, resentment about forest loss

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.