Karimata Islands
A chain of small islands off the west coast of Indonesian Borneo, the largest of which is (Pulau) Karimata, being ca. 20 km across (east-west), and situated at [1.61 S, 108.89 E]. Karimata has an amazing range of ecosystems, from mangroves and tropical rain forest in the lowlands to montane shrubland on the summit of the ca. 1,000 m mountain (a spectacular example of the Massenerhebung effect). The mountain is granite. A substantial population of cave swiftlets has historically been the source of bird's nests for "bird's nest soup," but has decreased recently to near extirpation, due to overharvesting by non-indigenous collectors who have been arriving from the mainland.
A number of small villages are situated on the coast, the largest of which is Padang, on the eastern tip of the island. The island is renowned by inhabitatnts of the west coast of Kalimantan to have a serious malaria problem - corroborated by the malaria and dengue fever caught by the author of this entry.
Dutch explorers visited the island a number of times, and there have been at least two recent visits by biologists. The island is classified as a nature reserve by the Indonesian government, but there has been no management of the area. Rumors of plans of large tourist developments exist.