Kota Kinabalu
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Aerial photo of Kota Kinabalu |
Kota Kinabalu,
formerly Jesselton, is the capital of
Sabah, east
Malaysia, on the island of
Borneo; it is also the capital of the
West Coast Division of Sabah. It is located at latitude 5.98333° and longitude 116.06667°. As of the 2000
census, its population was 354,153, with an estimated
metropolitan population of 900,000. Facing the
South China Sea and
Tunku Abdul Rahman Park on one side, and with the mighty
Mount Kinabalu in the background, Kota Kinabalu sprawls for kilometers along the coast and inland.
During the late 1800s, the
British North Borneo Company became interested in establishing colonies throughout
North Borneo (now Sabah). In 1882, the Company created a small settlement on
Pulau Gaya, which was already inhabited by a people known as the
Bajau. This first settlement was destroyed by the
Bajau hero and rebel
Mat Salleh in 1897.
After the effacement, the Company decided to relocate the settlement to the more easily defended mainland. A nearby fishing village named Api-Api ("Fire-Fire"), which had already been chosen as the terminus for a
North Borneo Railway, was expanded and renamed to Jesselton. The name came from Sir Charles Jessel, a director of the Company.
Eventually, Jesselton became a major trading post of
North Borneo, dealing in
rubber,
rattan,
honey, and
wax. The planned railway was built and used to transport goods to the Jesselton harbor.
Bajau uprisings during these times were not uncommon, and the Company worked to quell the long-standing threat of piracy in the region.
Jesselton was razed by the retreating British early in
World War II to prevent it from falling into the hands of the
Japanese. After the Japanese takeover of Borneo, it was renamed to Api. What remained of the town was destroyed again by Allied bombing in late World War II, with only three buildings left standing, as the Japanese were pushed out of Borneo.
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Kota Kinabalu apartment building |
After the war, the British North Borneo Company, unable to finance the huge costs of reconstruction, gave control of North Borneo to the
British crown. The new colonial government elected to rebuild Jesselton as the capital of North Borneo instead of
Sandakan, which had also been razed in the war. The need for speedy rebuilding led to much of Kota Kinabalu being built over with concrete apartment blocks. Since then,
land reclamation projects have greatly expanded the flat land available in the city for building, and most of the modern city center is located on
landfill.
Jesselton was renamed
Kota Kinabalu in
1968 after
Mount Kinabalu, about 45 km (28 mi) east-northeast of the city. The meaning of the name "Kinabalu" is unknown, although theories suggest either "Chinese widow" or "revered place of the dead". Kota Kinabalu received official city status from the Malaysian government on
February 2,
2000.
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Sabah Museum*
State Mosque*
Atkinson Clock Tower -- built by Mary Edith Atkinson in 1905 in memory of her son Francis George Atkinson. It was formerly used as a navigation aid for ships until it was overshadowed by taller buildings.
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Sabah Foundation Building -- about a 10-minute drive from Kota Kinabalu, this 30-story glass building is supported by high-tensile steel rods, one of only four buildings in the world that is built like this.
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North Borneo Railway*
Bird Sanctuary*
Filipino Market*
Tunku Abdul Rahman Park*
Tanjung Aru ResortImage:State_Mosque,_Kota_Kinabalu.jpg|City Mosque, Kota KinabaluImage:Southern_Kota_Kinabalu_1.jpg|Stilt village in southern Kota KinabaluImage:Southern_Kota_Kinabalu_2.jpg|Southern Kota Kinabalu*
Hotel Kota Kinabalu- Kota Kinabalu Budget Hotel
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Sabah Travel Guide to Kota Kinabalu*
Sabah Attractions*
History of Kota Kinabalu*
Jari Jari Spa, Tanjung Aru Plaza*
Extreme Sports Community in Kota Kinabalu and Sabah
