Previous Year Question
Which one of the following islands of the East Indies is divided in to three countries?
Borneo
Celebes
New Guinea
Timor
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is (a) Borneo.
Borneo is located in Southeast Asia and is the third-largest island in the world. Its distinctive political feature is that its territory is divided among three sovereign countries—Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam.
The largest part of the island belongs to Indonesia and is generally known as Kalimantan. In the north lie the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, while Brunei Darussalam is situated on the north-western coast. Brunei itself consists of two separated territorial parts, with Sarawak lying between them.
In contrast, Celebes (Sulawesi) is entirely part of Indonesia. New Guinea is principally divided between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, while Timor is divided between Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Therefore, the only island among the given options divided among three countries is Borneo.