TROPIC ISLES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 86, 22 January 1942, Page 8

TROPIC ISLES

FEATURES OF BORNEO. OIL AND MINERALS. Borneo, one of the great islands of the Malay Archipelago, is, like several of the others, almost bisected by the Equator. Its area is approximately 290,000 square miles, this making it roughly five times as large as England and Wales. The population, according to the latest figures—which arc to a groat extent estimated —is about 3,000.000, including about 5000 Europeans, and 250,000 Chinese. It is impossible to speak of Borneo as a single entity, as it is split up into four main political divisions. British North Borneo is a protectorate, administered by the Chartered British North Borneo Company. Its area is 29,500 square miles, its population roughly 270,000. Sarawak, the territory ruled for the past 100 years by the Brooke family as Rajahs, is also under British protection. Its area is 50,000 square miles and its population 490,500. Three British Protectorates. Between these two lies a third protectorate, the tiny native sultanate of Brunei, 2220 square miles in area with a population of 30,000. The three protectorates cover most of the northwestern portion of the island, fronting the China Sea. The remainder, the greater part of Borneo, forms part of the Netherlands East Indies, and is generally known as Dutch Borneo. Tins territory covers some 208,000 square miles, and has a population, according to the latest estimate, of 2,169,000. In general character, Borneo is mountainous, though there is no regular system, and the highest peak, Kinabulu, is only 13,698 feet above sea level. The coastline is for the most part low and often swampy. The sea is shallow, and there are few accessible ports. The rivers are, however, numerous and important, and where not sealed by bars, provide the principal anchorages and means of access. They are also the chief highways of the island, and the main arteries of population. Important River Systems.

Sarawak has a number of rivers draining into the China Sea. The largest of them, the Rejang, is navigable for more than 100 miles. In Dutch Borneo the Kapuas is navigable for small steamers for from 300 to 400 miles, while the ’Sambas can hoar, in its lower roaches, vessels drawing 25 feet. There arc no lakes of any size, but many of the rivers are wide and sluggish, and there is much swamp and marsh land throughout the island. . Borneo is distinguished by its rich and abundant vegetation which clothes the greater part of its surface. The timber resources are enormous, and many varieties are potentially of high value; but the difficulties -of working the forests have prevented the industry from developing very far. Two of the most important trees growing on the island are the coconut and sago palms. These supply much food for the natives, some -copra is exported, and sago is sent to many markets. Rice is an important crop, tropical fruits of almost all varieties are cultivated, sugar cane and tobacco are grown extensively, while rubber is produced in both British and Netherlands territories. Coal, Oil and Gold. The mineral wealth of Borneo is very great, but the development of it is uneven. As with so,much of the East Indies, there are extensive oil resources. The output cannot compare with that of Sumatra, but in some parts, notably Sarawak, the working of the fields is in the early stages. Production for the whole island in 1939 amounted to- about 20 per cent, of the 8,000,000 tons yield from the East Indies—that is, about 1,600,000 tons.

There are extensive coal deposits, of varying quality, in many parts of Borneo. Sarawak has a great deal of it, while the fields in British North Borneo are considerable. This territory also has known resources of gold, copper, iron, manganese and tin, but they are as yet largely undeveloped. With its equatorial situation and abundant rainfall—an average of approximately 150 inches a year—Borneo has a hot and humid climate. The broken character of the country makes for climatic variety, but tropic heat and humidity are characteristic of the whole low-lying and coastal areas. The country is malarial, and among the natives various tropical diseases arc prevalent.