"A Gateway to Sabah" Kota Kinabalu by voodo0

Indeed, KK received its city status only recently on 2 February 2000, but its history dates more than a century back to the days when the British North Borneo Chartered Company discovered it by accident, after a fire burnt down its former administration centre on Pulau Gaya island. KK was then a small fishing village, situated on a narrow strip of land with hills on one side and sea on the other. It was named Api-Api, loosely translated as "Fire-Fire," to denote the blaze that destroyed the former administration centre. It was later renamed "Jesselton," after Sir Charles Jessel, then Deputy Manager of the Chartered Company.

As of 2005, its population was 473,256, with an estimated metropolitan population of 1,200,000 making it Malaysia's fourth-largest city and the largest city in Borneo. Facing the South China Sea and Tunku Abdul Rahman Park on one side, and with the mighty Mount Kinabalu in the background, Kota Kinabalu sprawls for kilometers along the coast and inland. The city is administrated by Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu (Kota Kinabalu City Hall).

The city consists of mainly Kadazans, Chinese and Bajaus. Most of the Chinese people in the city are Hakkas and can mainly be found in Luyang area. The area of Penampang is populated mainly by Kadazans, while the Bajaus mainly reside in Likas and Sembulan. This does not suggest that the people are socially segregated. In fact, the people of the city have lived peacefully side by side for many years, not being affected by larger racial conflicts, such as the May 13 Incident. People mainly speak Bahasa Malaysia, with a distinct Sabahan accent. However many still speak the language or dialect of their mother tongue when speaking with person of the same race or ethnicity. Mandarin and Hakka are still widely spoken by the Chinese.

Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) serves flights to and from other domestic and international destinations. It is a major hub for Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia and it consists of two terminals. It handles the second most number of passengers annually in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Amongst other cities, it serves flights to Bandar Seri Begawan, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Manila, Cebu, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, and other domestic cities.

Railway connects Kota Kinabalu with other towns (Beaufort, Tenom being the more important ones). Today the railway is mainly used for tourism purposes rather than as a means of commuting.

Regular bus services operate around the city. There are two main bus terminals in the central business area. The one located along Jalan Tun Razak serves buses towards different part of the city and its outskirts. Another bus terminal near Bandaran Berjaya serves buses heading towards other towns and cities south of Kota Kinabalu (Papar, Tenom, Beaufort, etc.). The newly built Kota Kinabalu (North) Bus Terminal in Inanam will serve buses heading towards destinations north and north-east of the city (Tuaran, Kudat, Ranau, Sandakan, etc.)