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- Sabah
- Federal state of Malaysia under an Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor)
- former name: North Borneo
• Flags
• Historical Flags
• Meaning/Origin of the Flag
• Coat of Arms
• Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms
• Map
• Map of the Federal States of Malysia
• Numbers and Facts
• History
• Origin of the Country's Name
Flag of Sabah,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Wikipedia (EN)
Official flag at sea,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
to 1892,
Flag of Brunei,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
1892–1903,
Flag of the government (state flag),
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
1892–1903,
Merchant flag,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
1892–1903,
Flag of the Governor,
Naval jack,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
1903–1942, 1945–1948,
Flag of the government (state flag),
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
1903–1942, 1945–1948,
Merchant flag,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
1903–1915,
Flag of the Governor,
Naval jack,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
1915–1942,
Flag of the Governor,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flaggenbuch 1939
1942–1945,
Flag of Japan,
ratio = 2:3,
Source, by: Wikipedia (EN)
1948–1963,
Flag of the government (state flag),
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Wikipedia (EN)
1948–1963,
Flag of the Governor,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
1963–1981,
Flag of Sabah,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Wikipedia (EN)
1982–1988,
Flag of Sabah,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Wikipedia (EN)
The today's flag of Sabah was introduced in 1988. It shows in three horizontal stripes the colours blue, white and red, the colours of the flag of Malaysia. This should indeed be a confession of Sabah to the federation. In the pale blue upper staff quadrant the dark blue silhouette of the Kinabalu Mountain, with 4.101 m the highest mountain of Southeast Asia. The flag shows three(!) shades of blue, royal blue (the image of Mount Kinabalu), ice blue (the background in the upper corner) and zircon blue (the upper of the flag's three stripes). The royal blue represents strength and coherence, the ice blue represents unity and prosperity and the zircon blue represents peace. The colour white stands for purity and justice. In 1881, the British Nordborneo Chartered Company began with the colonizing of the country. The company was endowed by the British Crown with extensive sovereign rights. The colony used from 1892 the usual blue official flag (blue ensign) and even the usual red merchant flag (red ensign). In the waving part of the flags, as on the flags of all other British colonies, the badge was visible. In North Borneo it was the badge of the company, a red rising lion ("lion rampant") on a golden disc. From 1903 the lion was turned in the other direction and it became "leopardized", what means that he looked in the direction of the viewer. The devastations and damages of the Second World War caused the insolvency of the company, which renounced its rights in 1946. North Borneo became in this way a British crown colony. On this occasion, a new badge was introduced in 1948, showing a flagpole with the old governor's flag held by two arms, one of an European and one of a native inhabitant. The red merchant flag (civil ensign, red ensign) was already abolished on the occasion of the withdrawal of the company, and no new one was introduced. After North Borneo became as Sabah a federal state of Malaysia (1963) was introduced a flag which showed four horizontal stripes in red, white, yellow and green. The upper staff quadrant was green and showed the silhouette of Kinabalu Mountain in brown. In the year 1982 was introduced a flag which was very similar to those of Sarawak, but with exchanged colours: It showed two stripes in blue and white and at the leech an isosceles red triangle. Sabah and Sarawak both adoped in 1988 new (until today used) flags.
Source:
Flaggen Enzyklopädie,
Flags of the World,
Die Welt der Flaggen,
Volker Preuß
1903–1942, 1945–1948,
Badge of British North Borneo,
Source, by: Wikipedia (EN)
1948–1963,
Badge of British North Borneo,
Source, by:
Flags of the World
1948–1963,
Coat of arms of British North Borneo,
Source, by: British Government, redraw by Samhanin
[Public domain, Public domain or CC BY 3.0
],
from Wikimedia Commons
1963–1982,
Coat of arms of Sabah,
Source, by: Samhanin [CC0], from Wikimedia Commons
1982–1988,
Coat of arms of Sabah,
Source, by: Ranking Update [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons
since 1988,
Coat of arms of Sabah,
Source, by: Ranking Update [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
The symbolism of the British North Borneo Company was formative for the country's heraldry. Its coat of arms showed a shore landscape with a ship in the foreground and a red lion on a golden background in the head of the shield, which was held by a native on the left and right. Above the shield, a bead was placed as a helmet jewel, in the middle of which was a flagpole held by two arms, that of a European and that of a native. On the flagpole flew a yellow flag with the red lion in it. This flag was a reminder that the land was bought from the Sultan of Brunei, whose colour was and is yellow. Below there was a banner with the motto of the company: "pergo et perago", which translates as "I undertake and I achieve". This symbolism was retained even after the colony became a British Crown Colony in 1946. Even after the country became part of Malaysia (1963), a similar coat of arms was used until 1981, only the red lion had to give way to a pattern of local colours (which also appeared on the flag which was used in this time). Between 1981 and 1988, a stylised bird was used as coat of arms, bearing the then arrangement of the colours of the flag as a shield on its breast. In its talons, the bird held a banner with the motto: "Sabah Maju Jaya", which translates as "Let Sabah prosper". In the coat of arms introduced in 1888, this motto was retained, only now it appears in white lettering on a red banner below the escutcheon. This shows the dark blue silhouette of Mount Kinabalu on a light blue background. The motif also appears in the upper corner of the country's present flag. The other colours of the flag also appear in the shield head, but in chevron style. The helmet decoration is still that of the British North Borneo Company, but the flag at the mast shows the present flag of Sabah.
Source:
Flags of the World, Volker Preuß
Clickable Map
Map: Volker Preuß, to Malaysia? → click or tap here
Area: 28.424 square miles
Inhabitants: 3.418.785 (2020), thereof 20 % Bumiputera, 19 % Kadazan-Dusun, 17 % Bajau, 9 % Malaysians, 7 % Chinese, 3 % Murut
Religions: 69% Muslim, 24% Christian, 5% Buddhist
Density of Population: 120 inh./sq.mi.
Capital: Kota Kinabalu (to 1963 Jesselton), 199.742 inh. (2010)
official Language: Malaysian
other Languages: Chinese, English, Kadazan
Currency: Malaysian currency
Time Zone: GMT + 8 h
Source:
Wikipedia (EN),
Wikipedia (DE)
14th–15th century · to the Madjapahit Empire, later to the Sultanate of Brunei
1521 · discovery by Portugese
1881 · beginning of the British colonization by the British North Borneo Chartered Company
1888 · the today's Sabah becomes British protectorate → British North Borneo
1937 · constitution, limited autonomy → State of North Borneo
1942 · Japanese conquest
1945 · withdrawal of the Japanese
1946 · North Borneo becomes officially a British colony
16th of September 1963 · proclamation of the Kingdom of Malaysia by confederation of the Malaysian Federation (Malaya) with the former British colonies Sarawak, Sabah (North Borneo) and Singapore. Brunei rejects the joining and remains at United Kingdom
Source:
Atlas zur Geschichte,
World Statesmen,
Wikipedia (DE)
The name of the country "Sabah" comes from the Arabic language, which means "morning". The country is located in the east of Malaysia, where the sun rises in the morning.
Source:
Wikipedia (DE)
