Pongo pygmaeus - About 400,000 years ago, a split occurred within the sole species of orangutan resulting in the current three species and three sub-species within Pongo pygmaeus. The Bornean, Sumatran, and Tapanuli orangutans are the exclusive primates native to Asia. The Bornean orangutan is endemic to the island of Borneo, an island shared by Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. The three species of orangutan are facing extinction resulting from habitat loss and the bushmeat trade.
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In terms of flora and fauna diversity, Indonesia ranks second in the world; Brazil is first. Indonesia contains some of the rarest plant and animal life on earth; Rafflesia arnoldii and Varanus komodoensis, the Komodo dragon. The country contains more than 17,000 islands, Sumatra being the largest at 473,000 square kilometers. Over 300 ethnic groups, speaking 700 indigenous languages, combine to make Indonesia the world’s 15th and 4th largest country in area and population respectively.
