Victoria (Labuan)
Victoria (Bandar Victoria), sometimes known as Bandar Labuan, is the capital of the Federal Territory of Labuan in Malaysia, an island group off the north coast of Borneo. It is in the southeast corner of Labuan and its Malay name, Bandar Victoria, is commonly used to honour the reign of Queen Victoria. The town is an urban district within the wider city limits of Victoria which includes Labuan Port, a sheltered deep-water harbour which is an important trans-shipment point for Brunei Darussalam, northern Sarawak and western Sabah.
Since the 15th century, the town area including other parts of Labuan were under the Bruneian Empire. Its history dates back to the time when the island was ceded by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II to the British. Rodney Mundy, a British naval officer, later visited the island in the name of Queen Victoria. The island was then occupied by Japan from 3 January 1942 until June 1945 and governed as part of the Northern Borneo military unit by the Japanese 37th Army. During the Battle of Labuan it was liberated by the 9th Division of Australian Imperial Force on 10 June 1945 and placed under a British Military Administration until 15 July 1946, when it was incorporated into the North Borneo Crown Colony. During this time, the Crown Colony government re-established much of the infrastructure that had been destroyed during the war. The island later became part of the state of Sabah and Malaysia in 1963 before the state government of Sabah ceded the island to the federal government in 1984. It was declared an international offshore financial centre and free trade zone in 1990 to assist the development of Victoria.
Since the 15th century, the town area including other parts of Labuan were under the Bruneian Empire. Its history dates back to the time when the island was ceded by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II to the British. Rodney Mundy, a British naval officer, later visited the island in the name of Queen Victoria. The island was then occupied by Japan from 3 January 1942 until June 1945 and governed as part of the Northern Borneo military unit by the Japanese 37th Army. During the Battle of Labuan it was liberated by the 9th Division of Australian Imperial Force on 10 June 1945 and placed under a British Military Administration until 15 July 1946, when it was incorporated into the North Borneo Crown Colony. During this time, the Crown Colony government re-established much of the infrastructure that had been destroyed during the war. The island later became part of the state of Sabah and Malaysia in 1963 before the state government of Sabah ceded the island to the federal government in 1984. It was declared an international offshore financial centre and free trade zone in 1990 to assist the development of Victoria.
Map - Victoria (Labuan)
Map
Country - Malaysia
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| Flag of Malaysia | |
Malaysia has its origins in the Malay kingdoms, which, from the 18th century on, became subject to the British Empire, along with the British Straits Settlements protectorate. Peninsular Malaysia was unified as the Malayan Union in 1946. Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948 and achieved independence on 31 August 1957. The independent Malaya united with the then British crown colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore on 16 September 1963 to become Malaysia. In August 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation and became a separate independent country.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| MYR | Malaysian ringgit | RM | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| ZH | Chinese language |
| EN | English language |
| MS | Malay language |
| ML | Malayalam language |
| PA | Panjabi language |
| TA | Tamil language |
| TE | Telugu language |
| TH | Thai language |