Borneo is the island divided between Malaysia and Indonesia, with Brunei also on its northern coast.
Indonesia governs the southern and central part of Borneo, which it calls Kalimantan. Malaysia’s states of Sabah and Sarawak occupy much of the north, while the independent nation of Brunei consists of two small coastal enclaves surrounded by Malaysian territory. This makes Borneo one of the world’s few islands shared by three countries.
The island has exceptionally diverse rainforests, rivers, mountains, and wildlife. It is home to orangutans, proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, and many plant species. Mount Kinabalu in Malaysian Borneo is the island’s highest mountain.
Borneo is often confused with Sumatra because both are large Indonesian islands. They are separate islands divided by the Strait of Malacca and the Java Sea. Borneo is also distinct from the political region of Kalimantan: Kalimantan refers specifically to Indonesia’s part of the island, not to Borneo as a whole.