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Semporna

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Semporna is a town located in Tawau Division, in the east of Sabah, Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Its population was estimated to be around 91,000 in 1991.

The population is mainly Bajau, many of whom live in sprawling stilt villages over the water on the outskirts of town. Semporna is located on a pretty bay with good beaches, and is visited by tourists as a base for scuba diving or snorkeling trips to Pulau Sipadan, some 36 kilometers southeast of town. Semporna is also known for the Regatta Lepa traditional boat races which occur annually in April. Semporna was also the location of the finish line of Eco-Challenge: Borneo, held in 2000.

Semporna was founded soon after the British North Borneo Company established Sandakan, and initially settled by Chinese traders. The name Semporna, means place of rest, and was given after the British quelled resistance from the local Bajaus in the mid-1880s.

Marine products are still the mainstay of the local economy. Pearl culturing is a major component of this industry.

Semporna boasts of the only Chabacano-speaking community in Malaysia, a language whose speakers can today only be found virtually in the neighboringPhilippine island of Mindanao.

State of Sabah
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