Borneo, here we come!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Michael and I are headed to Borneo from Tuesday the 12th to Sunday the 17th. From the 14th to the 16th we will be joining Jill, Michael's step mom, for a guided jungle eco-tour. We hope to see many of Borneo's ecological treasures like orangatangs, probiscus monkeys, pygmy elephants, Sumatran/ Borneo rhinos, and more.

Aren't quite sure where Borneo is? Don't be embarrassed, most westerners don't, and we didn't either until we started planning this vacation!

A geography/ history/ useless facts lesson:

Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is divided among three countries: Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory. The Malaysian states of Sarawak (NW Borneo) and Sabah (NE Borneo) are in the north and occupy about 26% of the island. Brunei is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island, comprising only about 1% of Borneo's land. Michael and I will be traveling within the Malaysian state of Sabah.

In relation to the rest of SE Asia, Borneo is pretty much the geographic center. It is surrounded by the South China Sea to the north and northwest, the Suls Sea to the northeast, the Celebes Sea and the Makassar Strait to the east, and the Java Sea and Karimata Strait to the South. In relation to other SE Asia land masses, it is southeast of the Malay Peninsula and southwest of the Philippines.

Borneo itself is primarily mountanous land with dense areas of rain forest. The climate is hot and wet all year round, and given the abundance of rain, Borneo's flora is among the most diverse in the world. For example, in one 16 acre area of Borneo's lowland forest, over 700 species of trees have been identified... in comparison, all of eastern North America has only 171 native tree species. Amazing!

Historically, Borneo was not a major destination for trade routes or political power struggles. However, the Dutch and British did hold power in Borneo from the 17th century into modern times. In 1949, Indonesia became a foreign state, and in 1957, Malaysia followed suit and gained its independence.
Today, Borneo's population is composed of non-Muslim Dayaks, Islamic Malays, Chinese, and Europeans. In addition, inland Borneo hosts a variety of native tribes with distinct languages and cultures. Today, the Ibans are the largest indigenous group in East Malaysia. (Useless knowledge tidbit: historically, Ibans were headhunters. Yikes!)

Well, students, that concludes the lesson for today. If you want to know anything else about Borneo, I suggest you look it up yourself! Or, alternatively, await our return from vacation, and I will fill you in on our fun experiences.