(^104) About Malaysian Borneo (Please refer to the internet or your favourite travel guide for a
more in-depth overview)
Capital city
Malaysian Borneo consists of the Malaysian States of Sabah and Sarawak. Malaysia’s capital is Kuala
Lumpur. It’s a modern, high-tech city providing all a capital city is expected to provide. The capital of
Sabah is Kota Kinabalu, and the capital of Sarawak is Kuching.
Currency
The currency in Malaysia is the Malaysian Ringgit, and at the time of writing equalled 0.25 United
States Dollars to 1 MR. The currency code for Ringgits is MYR, and the currency symbol is RM.
Language
Bahasa Malaysian is the official language spoken in Sabah and Sarawak. Other widely spoken
languages include Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil and
English. In addition, all the indigenous tribes in Borneo speak their own language.
Religion
Islam is the state religion, and almost all Malaysians are Muslims. However, Borneo’s population is
split between Islam 60%; Buddhist 19%; Christians 9%; Hindu 6%.
Location and size
Borneo is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and east of Sumatra. The island is politically divided
among three countries: Malaysia and Brunei in the north and Indonesia to the south. It is the only
island in the world to be politically administered by three countries at a time. Approximately 73% of
the island is Indonesian territory. In the north, the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak make
up about 26% of the island.
Additionally, the Malaysian federal territory of Labuan is situated on a small island just off the coast of
Borneo. The sovereign state of Brunei, located on the north coast, comprises about 1% of Borneo's
land area. A little more than half of the island is in the Northern Hemisphere, including Brunei and the
Malaysian portion, while the Indonesian part spans both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
Population
Borneo has 21.3 million inhabitants (in 2014), with a population density of 29 per square kilometre.
Most of the population lives in coastal cities, although the hinterland has small communities and
villages along the rivers.
Internet coverage
Internet services are also widely available, along the coast, particularly in town areas.
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