State capital city and district capital in Sabah, Malaysia
About Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu, colloquially referred to as KK, is the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It is also the capital of the Kota Kinabalu District as well as the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies to its west and Mount Kinabalu, which gave the city its name, is located to its east. Kota Kinabalu has a population of 452,058 according to the 2010 census; when the adjacent Penampang and Tuaran districts are included, the metro area has a combined population of 628,725. The 2020 Census revealed an increase in the municipal population to 500,421, while the wider area including the Penampang and Putatan districts had a population of 731,406.
Etymology
Kota Kinabalu is named after Mount Kinabalu, which is situated about 50 kilometres east-northeast of the city. Kinabalu is derived from the name Aki Nabalu meaning the 'revered place of the dead'. Aki means 'ancestors' or 'grandfather', and Nabalu is a name for the mountain in the Dusun language. There is also a source claiming that the term originated from Ki Nabalu, Ki meaning 'have' or 'exist', and Nabalu meaning 'spirit of the dead'. The word kota comes from Malay word kota which in turn comes from the Sanskrit word कोट्ट (kota) which means 'fort, fortress, castle, fortified house, fortification, works, city, town, or place encircled by walls'. It is also used formally in a few other Malaysian towns and cities, for example, Kota Bharu, Kota Tinggi, and Kota Kemuning. It can also be used informally to refer to any towns or cities. …
History
Since the 15th century, the area of what is now Kota Kinabalu came under the influence of the Bruneian Empire. In the late 1800s, the British North Borneo Chartered Company (NBCC) began to establish colonial settlements throughout North Borneo. In 1882, NBCC founded a small settlement in the area known as Gaya Bay, which was already inhabited by the Bajau people. The first settlement was at Gaya Island. However, in 1897, the settlement was burned and destroyed by the indigenous Bajau-Suluk chief Mat Salleh. After the destruction, NBCC decided to relocate the settlement to the more easily defended mainland at Gantian Bay (now Sepanggar Bay) in 1898. However, Gantian Bay was found to be unsuitable and in July 1899, Henry Walker, a Land Commissioner, identified a 30 acres (12 ha) site opposite Gaya Island as a replacement for Gantian Bay. …
Geography
Kota Kinabalu is located on the west coast of Sabah. The city lies on a narrow flatland between the Crocker Range to the east and the South China Sea to the west. There are six islands off the coast of the city. The largest is Gaya Island, the site of the first British settlement. Approximately 8,000 people live there. The smaller islands, mainly uninhabited, are named Sapi Island, Manukan Island, Sulug Island, Mamutik Island and Sepanggar Island to the north. Sepanggar island is located north of the National Park opposite Sepanggar Bay. Flat land is at a premium in the city centre, and there is a strict limit to the height of buildings: the airport is 7 km (4 mi) away, and the city is directly in the flight path. Most of the Central Business District (CBD) today is built on land reclaimed from the sea. …
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