Baram River


The Baram River 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. 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. The western unit is composed of mudstones enriched in organic components which constitute substantial oil and gas reserves.
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, for a perpetual annual payment of 6000 dollars.
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.

Etymology

Batang is the name used for the main river in the river system such as "Batang Baram". For upriver areas, such as the areas surrounding the headwaters, the place is named as "Ulu". For example, "Ulu Baram" is the upriver part of the Baram river. "Long" meaning "confluence" is used by the Orang Ulu. 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". The name "Pa'" is exclusively used in the Kelabit Highlands such as "Pa Umor" village in Bario.