Victoria (Malaysian:[vikˈtɔriˈa]) (Malay: Bandar Victoria), sometimes known as Bandar Labuan or simply 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.[1][2][3][4][5] 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. The town’s political boundaries extend from Financial Park in the south to Kerupang in the north. The majority of commercial areas are situated in the southwest, with Financial Park located within older residential zones.[citation needed] The rest of region predominantly features older housing, with some affluent residences situated near the Labuan Golf Club. Unclaimed land and forested areas remain, particularly in the southern part of the school zone, which was formerly a small village.[citation needed] Forested and bushed areas present near Labuan Paragon (AZ Hotel & Serviced Apartment) and UTC (Labuan Central Market), which are currently undergoing deforestation,[6] and additionally several forested and bushed areas scattered in the northeast of the Financial Park.[citation needed]
Etymology
Victoria was named after Queen Victoria, who was the queen of the British Empire and British Malaya from the 20th of June 1837 to the 22nd of January 1901.
Many former members of the British Empire also followed this name - For example, the Australian state of Victoria.[citation needed]
The major products produced on Labuan and exported through Labuan Port include copra, rubber and sago.[16] The port is on a natural deep-water bay where large vessels can anchor as it is sheltered from typhoons. Vessels received include containers, bulk, and general cargoes. The main jetty is 244 metres long with an alongside depth of 8.5 metres and it can accommodate vessels to 16,000 DWT. The wharf has four berths. There are about 15,600 m² available in open storage, two warehouses and a container yard. A 10,000 m² yard and warehouses are available outside the port. Its capacity is 100,000 TEUs of containerised cargo per annum. Five private jetties are installed: the Shell Jetty that specialises in petroleum; the Iron Ore Jetty; the Methanol Jetty; and two offshore wheat and maize jetties called the Asian Supply Base Jetty and the Sabah Flour Mill Jetty.[16]
Victoria's Financial Park along Jalan Merdeka houses offshore teams of international banks, insurance and trust companies. Victoria is an offshore support hub for deepwater oil and gas activities in the region. In 2012, Victoria had a population of over 85,000 with nearly half of those coming from elsewhere in Malaysia and from Brunei Darussalam. It has a 1,500-seat convention hall adjoining a large shopping mall; these form a modern complex which enhances Victoria's status among International Offshore Financial Centres.
Climate
Victoria, Labuan features a tropical rainforest climate (Af), which is true for virtually all of Malaysia due to its close proximity to the equator, with constantly high temperatures and abundant rainfall over the course of the year. Like all cities and town with this climate, there is no dry season and the temperature in the city averages 27.8 °C (82.0 °F), while the average annual rainfall is 3,413 millimetres (134.4 in).
^Sabah. Jawatankuasa Penerbitan Perayaan Sabah 100 Tahun (1982). Sejarah Sabah dalam gambar (1881–1981) (in Malay). Jawatankuasa Penerbitan Perayaan Sabah 100 Tahun.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Begum, B., & Mohamad, N. (2009). Labuan: Its Legal History and Land Tenure System. Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 82(1 (296)), 17-54. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41493733
^Sabah. Jawatankuasa Penerbitan Perayaan Sabah 100 Tahun (1982). Sejarah Sabah dalam gambar (1881–1981) (in Malay). Jawatankuasa Penerbitan Perayaan Sabah 100 Tahun.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)