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Kota Marudu
is a town and district located in Kudat Division, Sabah,
Malaysia with approximately 1,917 square kilometres of land. It had a
population of more than 66,374 people in 2010, made up mainly by Dusun (Kimaragang
Dusun, Tobilung, and more), Rungus, Bajau, Orang Sungai, Suluk, and
Chinese (mostly Hakka and Hokkien).
Kota Marudu is located in the northern region of Sabah
and is bordered by the districts of Kudat,
Kota Belud, Pitas,
and Beluran. It takes roughly 2 hours to drive
from the city of Kota Kinabalu, located
130km away, to Kota Marudu. You can also drive to
Kudat from Kota Marudu which takes about 1½ hours by road.
Kota Belud is merely an hour away.
Kota Marudu was formerly known as 'Bandau', which derives from the
Kadazan-Dusun world 'Mondou'. According to the local folklore, Mondou is
believed to be a buffalo-like creature feared by the local residents. The
district was eventually renamed 'Kota Marudu' after a fort built by the
famous local warrior Shariff Osman on Marudu Bay to protect the area from
British colonisation.
Places of interest in Kota Marudu include the famous Sorinsim Waterfall,
located 40 km from the main town, and Taman Sagabon, an agriculture
research station on Buyut lake. You can also find South East Asia's
biggest solar power station in Kota Marudu.
The district celebrates an annual Maize Festival in honour of the
agricultural product's contribution to the socio-economic development of
Kota Marudu. The line-up of activities includes a variety of exhibitions,
competitions, traditional sports, and the crowning of a maize fashion
queen.
Sources:
Wikipedia
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