Kota Kinabalu (1996 pop. 76,120), formerly Jesselton, is the capital of the Malaysian state of Sabah, on the island of Borneo. The name is frequently abbreviated to "KK".
British North Borneo was originally administered from Gaya Island, but when it burned down, a nearby fishing village was chosen as a replacement, first named Api-Api and then Jesselton after Sir Charles Jessel, a manager of the British North Borneo Company. As the main trading post of the colony, Jesselton dealt in rubber, rattan, honey, and wax, eventually receiving it via a railway built into the interior.
The town was occupied by the Japanese during World War II, but largely destroyed by Allied bombing, with only three buildings left standing. After the war, North Borneo became a British crown colony with a rebuilt Jesselton as the capital superseding Sandakan. The city received its present name in 1968. It is named after Mount Kinabalu, Borneo's highest mountain, located about 45km ENE of the city ("kota" simply means "town" in the Malay language).
Notable locations in KK include the Sabah Foundation Building and the Sabah Museum. Also worthy of note is Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, a group of heavily forested islands in the South China Sea, a short distance off KK's waterfront. They are home to extensive coral reefs and mangrove swamps, as well as various forms of wildlife.
KK received its city status on 2 February 2000.
External links
Some history (http://www.kotakinabalu-hotels.com/history.htm)
Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (http://www.marimari.com/content/malaysia/popular_places/islands/tarpark/tarpark.html)
Kota Kinabalu ("fort of Kinabalu,"; formerly Jesselton) is a city on the northwest coast of Borneo Island; it lies between rain forest, mountains, and offshore coral reefs that are a national park.
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.
Jesselton was razed by the retreating British early in World War II to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Japanese.
The following day the prisoners disembarked for the old gaol which was three miles outside the town, the gaol was to be their camp.
The new year started as the old year finished with Communion held every Sunday, but the Japanese were getting more aggressive towards the prisoners with plenty of bashings and the death toll began to rise.
At the end of March rumours were circulating about a move to Sandakan and on the 6th April the prisoners sailed with a beautiful sunset, leaving behind fifty-one of their comrades in the cemetery at Jesselton.
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