SABAH, the second largest state in Malaysia, is bordered by Sarawak on its
southwestern side, and Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) to the south. Sabah has a
heavily indented coastline of approximately 800 to 900 miles and is washed by the
South China Sea in the west and north, the Sulu Sea in the northeast and the Celebes
Sea in the east.
Sabah's 76,115 sq km (29,388 sq miles) is dominated by one grand feature, Mount
Kinabalu, the resting place of the souls of the departed Kadazan/Dusun peoples.
Mt. Kinabalu stands at 4,093 metres and is the highest mountain in South East Asia.
It is 1,961km from Hong Kong, 1,143km from Manila, 1,495km from Singapore, 1,678km
from Kuala Lumpur and 2,291km from Taipei. Sabah was known in ancient times as the
"Land Below The Wind" because it lies below the typhoon belt.
Kota Kinabalu is the state capital of Sabah. The town of Sandakan was once the capital
of the state before the capital was transferred to Kota Kinabalu. Sabah is the home
to thousands of species of trees, flowering plants and wild animals, some of which
are rare and others found only in Sabah. It has a wide diversity of flora and fauna,
as well as one of the world's largest rainforests. Sabah is an exciting and interesting
place for eco-tourism, with unspoilt beaches, isolated tropical islands, beautiful
and colourful marine life, and a majestic mountain.
Please click here for a wealth of information
on Sabah's statistical data.