Beaufort (Sabah)

Beaufort is a town and district in Interior Division, Sabah, Malaysia. It was named after former British Governor Leicester Paul Beaufort. Its population was estimated to be around 64,350 in 2010. It is a quiet provincial town about 90 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu, with shophouses built high above the roads to avoid the periodic floods of the Padas River (Sungai Padas). The population of Beaufort is composed mainly of Brunei Malays, Bisaya, Kadazan-Dusuns, Lun Bawang/Lun Dayeh, Muruts and Chinese (mainly Hakkas). Like other towns in Sabah such as Kota Kinabalu city (including Penampang district), Tawau, Papar, Kudat and Tenom, Beaufort was one of the major initial Hakka population centres in Sabah and boasts a large Hakka minority to this day.HistoryOriginally set up to help economic development of the interior of Sabah, Beaufort's early prosperity was closely linked to rubber cultivation. During World War II, it was the site of a battle between Japanese and Australian forces in late June 1945.