The Baram River (Malay: Sungai Baram) is a river in Sarawak on the island of Borneo. The river originates in the Kelabit Highlands, a watershed demarcated by the Iran Mountains of East Kalimantan, which form a natural border with Sarawak. The river flows westwards through tropical rainforest to the South China Sea.[3][4] The Baram River terminates in a delta, which is subdivided into two units: East Barma Delta of Middle-Late Miocene age and West Baram Delta of Late Miocene-Quaternary age.[5] The western unit is composed of mudstones enriched in organic components (total organic carbon content is more than 1.0 wt.%) which constitute substantial oil and gas reserves.[6]

Baram River
Mouth of Baram river with black water plume
Native name	Sungai Baram  (Malay)
Location
Country	Malaysia
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Borneo
Mouth
• location	at Miri into South China Sea
• elevation	Sea level
Length	400 km (250 mi)
Basin size	22,100 km2 (8,533 sq mi)[1]
Discharge
• location	Baram Delta, South China Sea
• average	1,590 m3/s (56,000 cu ft/s)[2]
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Tutoh River, Temala River, Pelutan River, Patah River, Akah River, Buang River, Selaan River, Serungo River
• right	Arang River, Tinjar River, Julan River, Silat River, Moh River

The Baram river basin has been part of Sarawak since it was ceded to the White Rajah of Sarawak by the then sultan of Brunei in 1882, an area of some 10,000 square miles (30,000 km²), for a perpetual annual payment of 6000 dollars.[7]

The river is crossed not far from its mouth by the Miri-Baram Highway, Federal Route , on the Batang Baram Bridge opened in 2003. Some 100 km upstream lies the town of Marudi.[8]

Etymology

Batang (meaning "trunk" in Malay) is the name used for the main river in the river system such as "Batang Baram" (Baram river). For upriver areas, such as the areas surrounding the headwaters, the place is named as "Ulu" (which means "upriver"). For example, "Ulu Baram" is the upriver part of the Baram river.[9] "Long" meaning "confluence" is used by the Orang Ulu (upriver people). It is used to name the places located at the confluence between the smaller tributaries and the major river, same way as the Malay usage of the name "Kuala" (meaning river delta). The name "Pa'" (meaning "village") is exclusively used in the Kelabit Highlands such as "Pa Umor" village in Bario.[9]

References

External links

• Sarawak government website
• WWF Heart of Borneo conservation initiative

На других языках

[de] Sungai Baram

[it] Baram