Borneo

Borneo is the third-largest island in the world, covering an area of 748,168 km². It is located at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and east of Sumatra. The island is crossed by the equator, which divides it roughly in half. In Indonesia, the island is also known as Kalimantan.

Borneo is rich in biodiversity, with seven unique ecoregions and large expanses of some of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world. It is also home to hundreds of different Indigenous groups, cultures, and languages, many of whom are loosely grouped under the term "Dayak".

Throughout history, Borneo has been an important trading location. It was later part of the Majapahit Empire, and ruled by the Sultanate of Sulu and the Sultanate of Brunei. Today, the island is divided among three countries: the sovereign state of Brunei, Indonesian territory, and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. Major economic activities on Borneo include oil and gas, agriculture, timber, and tourism.

Etymology

The island of Borneo has many names from different cultures. In the 1300s, a Javanese book called Nagarakretagama mentioned it as Nusa Tanjungnagara, meaning "island of the Tanjungpura Kingdom".

When Portuguese explorers arrived in the 1500s, the people there called their island Pulu K'lemantang. This turned into the name Kalimantan, used today in Indonesia. Some say this name comes from an old word for a special type of mango, while others think it means "burning weather" because of the island's hot climate.

The name Borneo started when Europeans met the Brunei kingdom in the 1500s. Early maps labeled the island Borneo, perhaps from an old Sanskrit word meaning "water" or linked to a rain god. Chinese records from the 900s called the island Bo-ni, and today in Chinese it is 婆羅洲.

Geography

See also: Geological history of Borneo

Borneo was formed through processes in ancient times, joining pieces of land together over millions of years. It sits at the center of Maritime Southeast Asia, surrounded by seas and other islands. The island is split nearly in half by the equator and is the third-largest island in the world.

The island has many rivers, with the Kapuas River being the longest. It is also home to some of the world's oldest rainforests, filled with unique plants and animals. However, these forests face threats from human activities such as logging and farming.

History

Early history

Archaeological evidence from Samang Buat Cave in Lahad Datu, Sabah, shows that humans lived there as early as 46,000 years ago, making it an important place in Southeast Asian history. Tools found in Mansuli Valley in the same area are even older, dating back 235,000 years.

In Tingkayu Valley, Kunak, Sabah, old tools were found, showing people lived there between 28,000 and 30,000 years ago. In Niah Cave, Sarawak, signs of humans go back about 40,000 years. Scientists found very old tools and remains there, some from between 55,000 and 65,000 years ago.

In November 2018, scientists found one of the oldest known paintings, more than 40,000 years old, in the cave of Lubang Jeriji Saléh on Borneo. It shows an unknown animal.

Ancient manuscripts from China, India, and Japan mention that by the first millennium AD, western Borneo had become busy trading ports. Traders brought valuable items like gold, camphor, tortoise shells, hornbill ivory, rhinoceros horn, crane crest, beeswax, and spices.

Stone pillars with writing from the Pallava script found in Kutai along the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan show that Hindu ideas reached Southeast Asia early on. By the 14th century, Borneo became part of Majapahit. Islam arrived in the 10th century, brought by traders who later converted many coastal people.

The Sultanate of Brunei became independent from Majapahit in the mid-14th century. During its golden age from the 15th to the 17th century, it ruled much of coastal Borneo and nearby islands. In 1457, the Sultanate of Sulu was founded. Both sultanates traded often with China.

British and Dutch control

Main articles: British Borneo and Dutch East Indies

After the fall of Malacca in 1511, Portuguese traders visited Borneo, especially Brunei. The Spanish tried to control Brunei’s areas in the Philippines, leading to the Castilian War in 1578. The British began trading with Sambas in southern Borneo in 1609, and the Dutch started in 1644.

The Dutch set up places in southern Borneo in 1815. In 1842, the Sultanate of Brunei gave land in Sarawak to British adventurer James Brooke, who became its leader. He and his family ruled Sarawak for 100 years, known as the White Rajahs. Brooke also got the island of Labuan for Great Britain in 1846.

Before the British took over, Americans tried to set up a colony called “Ellena” in northwestern Borneo but failed. The Germans also got land in northeastern Borneo.

In 1888, northern Borneo became a British protectorate, and southern Borneo became Dutch. The British and Dutch agreed on their borders in 1891.

In the late 1800s, oil was discovered in east Borneo, leading to the growth of oil fields and refineries.

World War II

See also: Japanese occupation of British Borneo and Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies

During World War II, Japanese forces took control of Borneo from 1941 to 1945. Many people moved to the interior to escape and find food. Some people in Borneo resisted the Japanese.

In Kalimantan, the Japanese executed many leaders and others they thought were threats. After Japan’s surrender, Indonesia declared independence, but the Dutch tried to take back control.

Recent history

In 1961, Tunku Abdul Rahman of Federation of Malaya wanted to create a larger country called the Federation of Malaysia, including Sarawak, North Borneo, Singapore, and Brunei. Indonesia and the Philippines opposed this.

In 2019, the president of Indonesia announced plans to move the country’s capital from Jakarta to a new location in East Kalimantan on Borneo.

Demographics

The people who live on Borneo are called Borneans. In 2020, about 23 million people lived on the island. Most of them live in cities along the coast, but there are also small towns and villages deeper inside the island, near the rivers.

Borneo is home to many different groups of people with their own languages and traditions. One group is called the Dayak, which includes people like the Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, and Ngaju. Historically, many of these people lived together in special houses called longhouses and worked the land in a way that let them move to new spots when needed.

Administration

The island of Borneo is shared by three different countries. Part of it belongs to the independent sultanate of Brunei, including a small area called Temburong. Another part is in Indonesia, divided into several areas known as provinces, such as East, South, West, North, and Central Kalimantan. The last part belongs to Malaysia, specifically the states of Sabah and Sarawak, along with a small group of islands called the Federal Territory of Labuan.

Economy

Borneo's economy is based on several key areas, including farming, cutting down trees for wood, and mining. It also relies on oil and gas, as well as tourism that focuses on nature and wildlife. Brunei makes a lot of money from oil and gas, making it one of the biggest producers in Southeast Asia. In Malaysia, the areas of Sabah and Sarawak export a lot of wood. Sabah is also famous for growing rubber, cacao, and vegetables, and for fishing. Both Sabah and Sarawak, along with a place called Labuan, sell liquefied natural gas and petroleum. In Indonesia, the areas known as Kalimantan mainly work in mining, but they are also involved in cutting trees and looking for oil and gas.

Further information: List of Indonesian provinces by GDP, List of Indonesian provinces by GRP per capita, and List of Malaysian states by GDP

Human Development Index by territory

Further information: List of Indonesian provinces by Human Development Index and List of Malaysian states by Human Development Index

HDI is a measure that looks at how well people live. It checks things like how long people live, their health, how much schooling they have, and how much money they earn. This helps us understand the quality of life in different places.