Kudat
Kudat is a town in Sabah, east Malaysia, on the northern tip of Borneo island. It serves as the administrative center for the Kudat Division, which includes the towns of Kudat, Pitas, Kota Marudu, and some offshore islands.
Kudat is located on the coast of the northernmost part of Sabah, some 190 kilometers north of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital. On the west, it faces the South China Sea, and on the east the Sulu Sea. It is at latitude 6°55'north, longitude 116°50'east.
Kudat's population (2000) was 68,242. The ethnic composition is mainly Rungus, a sub-group of the indigenous Kadazan. About 10% of the population is ethnic Chinese, and there are minorities of Bajau, Dusun, Murut, Bugis, and Malay. However, there is also a considerable number of unregistered illegal immigrants from the nearby Philippines, notably from the Sulu regions and Mindanao.
The town was founded by A H Everett of the British North Borneo Company on December 7 1881 to be the first capital of British North Borneo, due to its strategic geographic location. However, after being repeatedly raided by Bajau, Sulu and Illanun pirates, after a couple of years the capital was shifted to the more secure port of Sandakan, on the east coast.
It is not a well known location for foreign visitors, however several modern beach resorts and golf courses. Local attractions include tours to nearby Rungus longhouses, where traditional brass gongs are made, and where honey is produced and to Tanjung Simpang Mengayau, the northernmost point on the island of Borneo.