SABAH SARAWAK DIVIDED FROM INDONESIAN KALIMANTAN BY 2 MOUNTAIN RANGES STRETCHING NORTH TO SOUTH
“Two connecting mountain ranges cut through Borneo. The Kapuas Range lies in the center, and the Schwaner Range in the south”
You are wrong. The mountain ranges that go from north of Sabah and down to the south part of Sarawak acting as natural physical line not imaginary line…UMNO geography has not taught a correct description of our land- so to enlighten everyone below a short physical description of Borneo by school kids overseas…..
BORNEO, pronounced “BAWR nee oh”, is the third largest island in the world. Only Greenland and New Guinea are larger. Borneo is about 400 miles (640 kilometers) east of Singapore in the East Indies. About one-fourth of Borneo consists of Brunei and part of Malaysia. About three-fourths is part of the Republic of Indonesia.
The Land and Its Resources. Borneo covers 288,151 square miles (746,308 square kilometers). Indonesian Borneo covers 208,287 square miles (539,460 square kilometers). Sabah (formerly North Borneo) and Sarawak cover 77,638 square miles (201,081 square kilometers). Brunei’s area is 2,226 square miles (5,765 square kilometers). They lie along the northern and northwestern coasts of Borneo. Two connecting mountain ranges cut through Borneo. The Kapuas Range lies in the center, and the Schwaner Range in the south. Mount Kinabalu, 13,431 feet (4,094 meters) high, is the highest peak.
Swamps cover much of the coastal area. Tidal silt obstructs the entrances to many rivers and ports. Brunei Bay, on the north coast, has the best harbor. It served as an important Japanese naval base in World War II. Major rivers include the Rajang in Sarawak, the Kapuas in western Indonesian Borneo, the Barito in the south, and the Mahakam in the east. Shallow-draft vessels can navigate these rivers up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) inland. There are many waterfalls in the mountain regions. A hilly plateau circles the mountains in many areas, before dropping to the coastal lowlands.
Borneo has a tropical monsoon climate. Its rainy season lasts from November to April each year. Rainfall ranges from 100 to 210 inches (250 to 533 centimeters). Average rainfall is 120 inches (305 centimeters). The temperature ranges from 70 to 95 degrees F (21 to 35 degrees C) with an average annual temperature of 80 degrees F (27 degrees C).
Borneo has some of the world’s richest deposits of petroleum. Diamonds have been discovered in many places. The Indonesians call Borneo Kalimantan, meaning River of Diamonds. However, Borneo’s diamonds have a yellow tint, and are not as valuable as the diamonds of Africa. Copper, gold, iron, manganese, and tin have also been found in Borneo. The thick forests contain more than 50 kinds of lumber. Teakwood is the most valuable forest product from Borneo. Benzoin, camphor, rattan, and cutch, a gumlike mangrove-bark product used in tanning, are also gathered in Borneo.
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Of course the “thick forests” are not just vast areas of bare land taken over by oil palm plantations….thanks to the greed of men.