About the "Island in the Clouds"
Borneo is the third largest island in the world. It is the only island that hosts 3 separate countries: Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Sabah, a Malaysian state in the northern part of the island, covers an area of nearly 7.5 million hectares and is home to about 2.5 million people.

The Kinabatangan is the longest river in Sabah and the Segama river and flows from the forest into Sulu Sea in the eastern part of Sabah. These rivers and their offshoots provide rich nutrients from the forests to the flat areas, and provides habitat for many plants, insects, birds and animals.

A Cultural Intersection
Borneo is known for its biodiversity, but it also enjoys one of the highest levels of social diversity as well. Over 30 sub-ethnic groups live there; an intersection of unique cultures, Borneo's major endemic tribes (Kadazan, Dusun and Murut) live alongside many other peoples; Rungus, Orang Sungai, Lotud, Ida'an, Suluk, Bajau, Brunei, Tidong, Chinese, Indian and Malay.

Habitat Diversity
Many different types of ecosystems are found in Borneo. Several types of rainforests include high-diversity mixed dipterocarp forests, rare peat swamp forests and heath forests. There is also a variety of marine habitats such as coral reefs and mangrove swamps.

Mt. Kinabalu in Sabah is over 4,100 meters high, making it the highest mountain in South East Asia. It is also a center of stunning biodiversity—nearly 1,200 species of wild orchids, and hundreds of rhododendron, pitcher plant, moss, fig, and fern species are found there!

Mt. Kinabalu, the sacred mountain of Borneo

Mother Nature's Gift; An Asset to Science
Borneo hosts the some of the Earth's greatest biodiversity. There are tens of thousands of plant an animal species that thrive there, a living showcase of ecology and evolution. This makes the island an asset to the scientific community: since 1996, over 361 animal species were discovered in Borneo and many more are still waiting to be revealed.

"Biodiversity is the basis and indicator for sustainable development."
-UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, UNESCO

Flora & Fauna - Vital Forests of Borneo - The Issues