Borneo

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/borneo

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Borneo?748,168 km2 (288,869 sq mi), the world's third-largest island
2. What is the location?Geographic center of Maritime Southeast Asia, straddling the equator
3. What is the human habitation?Evidence of human presence dating back over 65,000 years
4. What makes Borneo's forests special?Borneo has ancient tropical rainforests that are some of the oldest and largest in the world, full of many species that live nowhere else.
5. Why is Borneo called the island of amazing animals?It is home to big animals like the Bornean orangutan and the smallest Asian elephant, plus many plants, insects, reptiles, and birds.

Mesozoic Era: A geological period from about 252 to 66 million years ago, often called the 'Age of Reptiles'.
Sundaland: A biogeographical region of Southeast Asia that was exposed as sea levels fell during glacial periods.
Endemic Species: Plants or animals that are native to a specific place and found nowhere else in the world.
Geopolitics: Politics, especially international relations, as influenced by geographical factors.