Borneo

“	With a rich coastal region and a bountiful interior, the island of Borneo promises endless opportunities for expansion and conflict. Each team has access to a Trade Route servicing the breadth of the island, where a wealth of Gold and Food may be discovered by those willing to brave the dense jungle. The waters around the island are visible at the start of the game, and are ripe for fishing.	”
—Map description

The loading screen of Borneo.

Borneo is a map in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties, based on one of the largest islands in the world.

Overview

Borneo is a large island map, not unlike Hispaniola, but very different in practice. It is found to the southeast of Indochina.

Borneo is a lush, tropical island with extremely abundant resources, both on land and on sea. It features at least one Trade Route (more in team games),

Players start to the coastal regions, with waters completely revealed (Water Treasures included) and are presented with an interesting dilemma: focusing either on land or on sea. On one hand, the lush center of the island is filled with Treasures, Gold Mines and Trading Post sites, and many trees. On the other hand, the waters around Borneo are very rich in Fish, Whales and Water Treasures. Either way, the player must expand continuously to exploit Borneo's riches, while also denying them to enemies.

Minor civilizations

Native settlements can be found slightly further inland along the trade routes or in the center of the map depending on the number of players. Two different types of native religious settlements can be found: the Sufi Mosque and the Jesuit Mission.

Wildlife

• Herds: Serow (400 food), Wild Elephant (1,000 food)
• Bushes: Berry Bush (1,000 food)
• Fish: Tuna (500 food), Mola Mola (500 food)
• Whales: Humpback Whale (Infinite coin)
• Mines: Silver Mines (2,000 coin), Gold Mines (5,000 coin each)

Treasure Guardians

• Black Panther
• Delinquent Thuggee
• Fugitive Dacoit
• Lion-Tailed Macaque
• Monitor Lizard
• Orangutan
• Polar Bears (rare)
• Rhinoceros
• Tiger

Marine Treasure Guardians 

• Bandit Catamaran
• Great White Shark
• Marauding Junk
• Orca

History

“

Surrounded by the South China Sea, the Sulu and Celebes seas, the Malakar Strait, and the Java Sea, Borneo is the largest island in the Malay Archipelago, and the third largest island in the world. Much of its 290,000 square miles are covered with dense rainforests that drain into rivers such as the Rejang and Kapuas, which are important sources of trade and local commerce. With the exception of the rivers, only navigable in small craft, the terrain is almost impassable. The highest point of Borneo is the peak of Mount Kinabalu, reaching a height of 13,455 feet. A host of diverse animals makes their homes in the island’s hot and humid environment, including elephant, deer, orangutan, gibbon, crocodile, Malay bear, and a wide variety of snakes. The first written reference to Borneo can be found in "Ptolemy’s Geography" (150 CE), even though the discovery of Roman trade beads suggests that an earlier foreign influence may have once existed. The sixteenth century brought worldwide interest in the island for trade purposes, especially from European nations eager to expand their empires. The Portuguese arrived first in 1521, followed by the Spanish, Dutch, and English, all of which established trade boundaries and protectorates.

”

Trivia

• Much of the wildlife is misplaced, such as Lion-Tailed Macaques (who live in India) and Black Panthers (leopards don't live in Borneo). The map also includes Polar Bears, though this is most likely a reference to the TV show Lost.

Gallery

The map, when the land is revealed.

The map at its normal, with revealed waters, but hidden land.

A polar bear found somehow in Borneo

The center of Borneo is filled with Dense Jungle and Wild Elephants

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