BORNEO 



843 



BOSNIA 



miles east of Singapore, surrounded by the 

 China, Java and Celebes seas. Its area is 

 289,496 square miles, or a little less than half 

 the area of Alaska, and is a little larger than 



LOCATION OF BORNEO 



the province of Alberta. By far the largest 

 and most valuable portion of the island is 

 under Dutch rule, the remainder being divided 

 into three small states under British protection. 

 For the most part the island is mountainous, 

 the highest peak being 13,698 feet above sea 

 level. The rivers are a most important feature, 

 as they form the main arteries of internal 

 commerce, several being navigable for more 

 than 100 miles. 



The climate is hot and moist and the humid 

 lowlands are very unhealthful for Europeans 

 The soil is very fertile and produces spices, 

 potatoes, yams, cotton, tobacco and many kinds 

 of tropical fruits. Sugar cane is extensively 

 cultivated, and groves of sago palms abound, 

 furnishing a valuable source of food to the 

 natives. There are extensive forests of teak and 

 ironwood and" almost inexhaustible supplies of 

 other valuable timber. The water buffalo, the 

 usual beast of burden, is used for plowing and 

 for drawing native carriages, and it is also 

 ridden; horses are owned only by the Euro- 

 pean inhabitants and a few of the richest 

 natives. 



The mineral wealth of the island is very 

 great, but mining operations are carried on 

 under difficulties. Gold, quicksilver, copper, 

 iron, tin, sulphur and mineral oils are found, 

 and diamonds have been discovered in many 

 places. The diamonds of Borneo are inferior 

 to those of Africa, for they are of a yellowish 

 tinge. Edible birds' nests (which see), found 

 in great numbers in the caves and cliffs on the 

 coasts, form an important article of commerce. 

 Gutta percha, trepang, rattan and timber are 

 exported in large quantities. 



The most-highly civilized of the native in- 

 habitants are Malays from Java, Sumatra and 

 other East Indian Islands, and Bugis from 

 Celebes. In the northern part there are many 

 Sulu types from the Philippine Islands. .The 

 head-hunting Dyaks of the interior still believe 

 in nature worship and idolatry (see DYAKS). 

 The Malays are mostly Mohammedans and 

 are the principal merchants and traders; they 

 are also noted as bold sailors. Chinese are 

 numerous, especially in mining districts, where 

 they toil incessantly to accumulate enough 

 money to allow them to return home to live in 

 comfort. The natives wear costumes of bright 

 and gaudy colors. The women excel in weaving 

 cotton fabrics and in making mats of beautiful 

 designs and coloring. Many different lan- 

 guages are spoken on the island; the Dyaks 

 are divided into numerous tribes, each with its 

 own dialect, and the Chinese and Malays retain 

 their own language and customs. Population, 

 about 1,700,000. F.ST.A. 



BOSNIA, formerly the most southerly prov- 

 ince of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The 

 name had a different significance after the prov- 



LOCATION MAP 

 (a) Bosnia; (b) Herzegovina. 



ince was made part of Austria-Hungary in 

 1908, for it then included not only Bosnia 

 proper, but Herzegovina, as well. Its area, 

 with Herzegovina, is 19,768 square miles, aud 



