Labuan

Labuan is a small island, a federal territory off the coast of Borneo in East Malaysia 6 miles from the West coast of North Borneo. Labuan's capital is Victoria.

It was ceded to Britain in 1846, and then administered by the British North Borneo Company. In the World War II, Labuan was occupied by Japan from December 1941 until June 1945. It became a part of the state of Sabah and Malaysia in 1963. In 1984, the Government of Sabah ceded Labuan to the federal government which later been accessed to a federal territory. It was declared an international offshore financial centre and free trade zone in 1990.

Labuan has rich coal-beds; its town, Victoria, is a market for Borneo and the Sulu Archipelago, and exports sago, camphor, and pearls; the population is chiefly Malay and Chinese.

Nearby pages
Labyrinth, Lac, Lachchuar, Laches, Lachesis, Lachhmipur