Sabah

Sabah , state (1991 pop. 1,736,902), 28,417 sq mi (73,600 sq km), Malaysia, N Borneo, on the South China and Sulu seas. It is bordered on the south by Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). The capital is Kota Kinabalu ; other significant towns are Sandakan and Victoria. The terrain is densely forested and mountainous; Mt. Kinabalu, Malaysia's highest peak, is 13,455 ft (4,101 m) high. Forest products, petroleum, rubber, and copra are exported. Formerly called North Borneo or British North Borneo, it became a British protectorate in 1882. In 1963, it joined the Federation of Malaysia and assumed its present name. The Philippines have also claimed Sabah. A majority of the indigenous tribes are Roman Catholic.

Sabah Ruled as British North Borneo from 1881, it was occupied by the Japanese in World War II. Thereafter, it was united with Labuan in 1946, and became a Crown Colony. Despite Indonesian claims to the territory, it became a state in the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, when it adopted the name Sabah.

Sabah (North Borneo) State of Malaysia and one of the four political subdivisions of the island of Borneo. The capital is Kota Kinabalu (2000 pop. 354,153). Ceded to the British in 1877, it remained the British Protectorate of North Borneo until 1963, when it became an independent state of the Malaysian Federation. The terrain is mountainous and forested. The main products include oil, timber, rubber, coconuts and rice. Area: 76,522sq km (29,545sq mi). Pop. (2000) 2,449,389.