I am going to Borneo. I decided ealier this week. It was between Borneo (to climb Mt. Kinabalu) or Kerala (in Southern India) to cycle for 2 weeks. I’ve been to India, so Borneo won. Everyone is asking me, “Where is Borneo?” I didn’t even really know! (Except that it was beautiful and tropical – from seeing it on Survivor.) So, to answer your questions, I turned to that bastian of facts, Wikipedia. (I’ve added a few of my own notes 🙂
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borneo
Borneo (Malay: Borneo, Indonesian: Kalimantan) is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Australia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia.
The island is divided among three countries: Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory (Kalimantan). The Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah (East Malaysia), in the north, occupy about 26% of the island. The sovereign state of Brunei (doesn’t a sultan live there?), located on the north coast, comprises about 1% of Borneo’s land area.
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. It is the largest island in the Malay archipelago, with an area of 743,330 square kilometres (287,000 sq mi). To the west of Borneo are the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. To the south is Java. (I think that means there’s going to be GREAT coffee!) To the east is Sulawesi, and to the northeast, the Philippines.
Borneo’s highest point is Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia, with an elevation of 4,095 m (13,435 ft) above sea level it is the third highest peak in South East Asia, making Borneo the world’s third highest island.
Borneo has significant cave systems. Clearwater Cave, for example, has one of the world’s longest underground rivers. Deer Cave is home to over three million bats, with guano accumulated to over 100 metres (330 ft) high. (Ewwwww. Gross!)
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