Do you know where is the Borneo Rainforest? It is on the beautiful Borneo island. Borneo is the third largest island in the world, and it spans an area of about 745,000 hectares.
You can divide the region of Borneo into three parts. The first part of Borneo is Malaysia. The second part of Borneo is Brunei.
The last part of this island is the Kalimantan, which is under the control of Indonesia. This beautiful island is the third largest island in the globe.
It is also the largest island in Asia, and I want to discuss it in this article. Visit Borneo to see Bornean rhinoceros and many other animals.
History of Borneo
You can mention this island to describe Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Dutch officials gave the name of this island during the colonial period.
At present, very few local people usually love to use this name. Bruneian Empire controlled this magnificent island from the 15th to the 17th century.
The Bruneian empire gains control of it after the fall of Malacca. Later, the British gained control of the north of this island.
They did it through the James Brooke of Sarawak and the North Borneo Company of Sabah. But the Dutch controlled the southern part of this great land.
The Japanese took possession of the island during World War II and killed many people there. They handed it back to colonial authorities after losing the war.
But, Indonesia declared war after Sabah and Sarawak joined Malaysia in 1963. This event made the island the focal point of the Malaysia-Indonesia conflict.
Later, Indonesia and Malaysia resolved the issue between them. However, other countries claimed parts of the island belonging to Malaysia.
Yet, the International Court of Justice has ruled in favor of Malaysia in the cases. You have already known that the name of the island is Borneo.
In the first millennium AD, the island served as a trading harbor. The Indonesian and Malaysian sides of this majestic island became colonized.
The Dutch and the British colonized these sides. Now, this magnificent island of the world spans over three nations.
The Sultanate of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei are those nations. If you decide to visit , you will see Bornean Orangutans.
Borneo is The Third Largest Island
We know that it is the third largest island in the world and is twice the size of Germany. More than 200 ethnic groups make up the 18 million inhabitants of this lovely island.
The entire coastline of this piece of land consists of a peat swamp forest. Mount Kinabalu is the tallest summit in Southeast Asia, is in this place.
It holds rainforests, freshwater marshes, and alpine meadows. People consider the hilly interior of this area inaccessible to explorers.
But indigenous peoples have been exploring it for millennia. I tell you to visit Borneo to see the Bornean clouded leopard. The biodiversity of this island is astonishing.
On the Kinabatangan River, you can observe animals in their natural habitat. You will see a small area of rainforest along the Kinabatangan River.
This majestic river is in the Malaysian state of Sabah. You will see here orangutans, pygmy elephants, macaques, and proboscis monkeys.
You will also be able to see many crocodiles in the wild. Kingfishers, rhinoceros hornbills, and many other rare bird species will delight ornithologists.
A boat ride along the magnificent Kinabatangan River will be a great idea. It will create an opportunity to take the views and sounds of the jungle of this piece of land.
The rafflesia arnoldii lily is unique to the jungles of Borneo and Sumatra and is a sight to behold. Its blossom can weigh up to 15 pounds and spread out to be up to 3 feet across.
One of the most valuable biological places in the world is Kinabalu Park. This place is the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Malaysia.
Four thousand five hundred different types of plants and animals are available here. Fans of nature will be ecstatic.
The 13,435 feet Mount Kinabalu is the tallest mountain in both Malaysia and Borneo, without any doubt. Dedicated hikers ask for permission in advance to trek the peak of this mountain.
It is a two-day and one-night journey. The Via Ferrata is a different climbing route. Many adventurers may like use to explore Mount Kinabalu using this route.
Nine hiking paths in Kinabalu Park are accessible from the park headquarters. You can try to explore it by yourself or with an experienced guide.
Visit Bako National Park at least once while you may be in Sarawak. Make arrangements with your driver for a pick-up time and place before arriving by boat.
The proboscis monkey is the star of Bako National Park, Sarawakâs first national park. These peculiar-looking, long-nosed, and round-bellied monkeys are unique to this majestic island.
It will be eyeing you from a tree branch. You may see Macaques and silvered leaf monkeys with wild gray hair framing their faces. Try to keep your eye on these majestic animals.
Keep an eye out for an orange splash in the woods. Orange young silvered leaf monkeys often remain clung to their mothers.
Where Is The Borneo Rainforest?
More than 15,000 species of plants are available in the forests of this piece of land. But researchers have discovered 400 new species since 1994.
The rainforest is home to more than 222 mammals, and 44 of the mammals are endemic. It means these mammals are available only on this land.
You will find an exciting rainforest that meets your desire for adventure. Make sure to visit the third-largest island. If you hesitate, you’ll miss its solemn beauty.
The forests of this piece of land are home to adorable orangutans. It has Bornean rhinoceros, pygmy elephants, Bornean clouded Leopards, and many other animals.
A fight is going on in the Malaysian part of this land. Many have tried to stop deforestation since the 1980s, but they have stopped working.
Logging for timber, mines, oil palm gardens, and mega-dams is a mentionable threat. The struggle to save the rainforest of this land is as much a struggle for human rights for many.
Many people depend on the forest for biological medicine, hunting, and drinking water. They also depend on forests for clean food and cultural survival.
When some greedy people poison the rivers and level the lands, these traditions die. For this reason, many people love to describe it as bio-cultural genocide.
Local people and the international community should take steps to stop it. Deforestation adds a mentionable level of effects on climate change.
It not only generates emissions but also destroys residual forests. These types of destruction are responsible for absorbing excess carbon.
Forests contribute about 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions each year. It can compete with emissions from the global transportation sector.
Reducing fossil fuel emissions is necessary to stabilize the climate and global biodiversity. It can also help to sustain the global economy and save the livelihoods of billions of people.
FAQ: 5 Facts about the Third-largest Island in the World
Many people know that this area is the third largest island on our planet. They have the curiosity to know about this place in detail. I mentioned some facts below about this place.
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What country is Borneo in?
One of the largest islands on our globe is this area of land. This magnificent island is full of fascinating nature, culture, and history. The whole of this gorgeous land shares the territory among three south Asian nations.
These South Asian nations are the Sultanate of Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Brunei is a tiny nation. The majority of the area is under the control of Malaysia and Indonesia.
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What is Borneo famous for?
You can consider this region of Asia famous for many things. But there are some mentionable things.
These animals are a small pygmy elephant and a small sun bear. They are the smallest species of their kind in the world.
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Is Borneo worth visiting?
This majestic region has stunning islands and flourishing cities. Visitors usually come here for the jungles and exotic wildlife. The rainforests of this region are enough to quench your nature-loving thirst.
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What language is spoken in Borneo?
The official language in Sabah and Sarawak is Bahasa Malaysia. Chinese, Tamil, and English are other used languages. Every people of the native tribes speaks his language.
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Are there beaches in Borneo?
The beaches are in the eastern state of Sabah. Particularly the beaches of Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park. There is also Tanjung Aru Beach and Shangri La Rasa Ria Beach, which are close to Kota Kinabalu.
Conclusion
These rainforests in southeast Asia are the oldest on Earth, at 130 million years old. Up until recently, these lush jungles completely encircled the island.
Numerous endangered species of animals reside in these rainforests. There is no doubt that these forests are in grave danger.
It may have a variety of detrimental repercussions on both people and animals. Cutting down trees in the forest can harm people and animals, so we should work together to protect it.