North Borneo
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North Borneo | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of Arms
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| Motto: Pergo et Perago (Latin: "I persevere and I achieve") | |
| Anthem: God Save The Queen | |
| Capital | Kota Kinabalu |
| Official languages | English |
| Recognised regional languages | Bornean North Bornean Malay Hakka other native languages |
| Ethnic groups (2010) | Anglo-Celtic (20%) Kadazan-Dusun (17%) Indo-Dutch (17%) Bajau (14%) Chinese (9%) Malay (5%) Murut (3%) Iban (2)% Other (15%) |
| Religion | Christianity (65.4%) Islam (26.6%) Buddhism (6.1%) No religion (1.7%) Other (0.2%) |
| Demonym(s) | North Bornean |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| John McCrudden | |
| Seb Abel | |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Independence from the United Kingdom | |
| 1881 | |
| 1 April 1942 | |
| 15 July 1946 | |
• Independence | 31 August 1963 |
| Area | |
• Total | 76,115 km2 (29,388 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2018 census | 3,904,700 |
• Density | 51.3/km2 (132.9/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2018 estimate |
• Total | $28.20 billion |
• Per capita | $7,223 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2018 estimate |
• Total | $20.48 billion |
• Per capita | $6,233 |
| Gini (2017) | 41 medium |
| HDI (2018) | 0.704 high |
| Currency | North Borneo dollar ($) (=100 cents) (NBD) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +671 |
| ISO 3166 code | NB |
| Internet TLD | .nb |
North Borneo is a country located on the northern portion of Borneo in South East Asia. It has land borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and Indonesia's Kalimantan region to the south, and shares maritime borders with Vietnam to the west and the Philippines to the north and east. Kota Kinabalu (formerly Jesselton) is the capital city as well as the economic centre and seat of the government. As of 2018, the population is 3.9 million. North Borneo has an equatorial climate with tropical rainforests and is renowned for its abundant biodiversity of animal and plant species.
The earliest human settlement in North Borneo can be traced back to 20,000–30,000 years ago. The indigenous coastal peoples have been trading with China since at least the 14th century AD and the area came under the influence of the Bruneian Empire around this time, while eastern parts came under the rule of the Sultanate of Sulu between the 17th and 18th centuries. The territory was subsequently acquired by the British-based North Borneo Chartered Company in the late-19th century. During World War II, North Borneo was occupied by the Japanese for three years and, after its liberation in 1945, subsequently became a Crown Colony of North Borneo|British Crown Colony in 1946. On 31 August 1963, having rejected integration into Malaysia, North Borneo was officially granted independence by the United Kingdom, though it remained a Commonwealth realm with the British monarch as its head of state.
North Borneo is particularly diverse in its ethnic, cultural and linguistic make-up. The head of state is Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, represented by her Governor-General, while the head of government is the Prime Minister. The government system is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system, albeit with a unicameral parliament. The country is divided into five administrative divisions and 27 districts. English is the official language of the state. Christianity is officially the "national religion" (although the state is officially secular, guaranteeing freedom of religion), with Islam forming a sizeable minority.
North Borneo has abundant natural resources, and its economy is strongly export oriented. Its primary exports include oil, gas, timber and palm oil. The other major industries are agriculture and, increasingly, ecotourism.