St. Andrews Anglican church was consecrated on 12 November 1967 by Roland Koh.[1]
Etymology
The origin of the name of "Tuaran" is somewhat uncertain as a settlement had existed since before the arrival of the British. One of the earliest recorded evidence of the use of Tuaran is through the letter of Stamford Raffles. After he became the governor of Java in 1813, he requested the British secretary in India to give him permission to enter the northern Borneo area after being invited by the Sultanate of Brunei.[2] The Sultan of Brunei request help from Raffles as the waters around Jawaran (Tuaran) and Jampasoo (Tempasuk) have been infected with piracy. The letter stated:
The present Sultan of Borneo Proper (Brunei) is understood to be well disposed not given the encouragement of piratical enterprise, notwithstanding the shelter is accorded to pirates in almost every river in his domain, a number of petty states having arisen beyond the reach of his authority and control. The most prominent of these states are the states of Jawaran (Tuaran) and Jampasoo (Tempasuk) to the northward of Borneo Proper………
It has been reported that Jawaran send about 50 prows (perahu) belonging to this states is estimated about 150 with from one to two hundred guns. The large prows armed with 10 feet long probably 12 and 18 paunders. Their crews consisting 80-200 men. The lanoons are the most considerable, formidable of these eastern pirates. There is little doubts that we the (East India Company) should be justified in the immediate destruction of these prows.[2]
According to the last census in 2020, the population of the district is estimated to be around 135,665,[4] mainly Dusun and Bajau people as well a significant number of Chinese and Malay. As in other districts of Sabah, there are a significant number of illegal immigrants from the nearby southern Philippines, mainly from the Sulu Archipelago and Mindanao, many of whom are not included in the population statistics.
Tourism
Tourist attractions in Tuaran include the Mengkabong and Penimbawan water villages, which are villages of stilt houses built over the seashore by the Bajau people, and the Ling San Pagoda (Traditional Chinese: 龍山塔), a nine-storey Buddhist pagoda situated just outside the town centre. The main tourist resorts in Tuaran are the Mimpian Jadi Resort and Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort. In addition to food and lodging, these resorts offer various other activities such as golfing and water sports.
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