FACTS
Capital - Malaysian Borneo: Kuching (Sarawak) and Kota Kinabalu (Sabah)
Currency: Ringgit
Time zone: GMT+8
GEOGRAPHY
Borneo is the third largest island on Earth. Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak are to the North with Brunei, whilst Kalimantan (Indonesia) is to the South. The highest point is Mount Kinabalu at over 4000 m which makes Borneo also the third highest island. Extensive rain forest, cave systems and rivers abound.
WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENT
Both terrestrial and marine biodiversity is very rich in Borneo. It is a centre for evolution and is home to some of the most well-loved species on Earth, not least the 'man of the forest', the Orangutan. Other animals include the Asian Elephant, Sumatran Rhinocerous, Bornean Clouded Leopard and the Dayak Fruit Bat. There are around 3,000 species of trees, 221 species of terrestrial mammals and 420 species of resident birds in Borneo, and some of the most pristine coral reefs most famously at Sipandan.
PEOPLE
There are numnerous ethnic groups in Borneo with uniques cultural expressions. Many of these are yet to be documented by anthropologists. Certain indigenour Dayak people including the Penan have been fighting against logging companies and other settlers for their right to preserve their envirnoment.