Beaufort, Sabah

Beaufort
District and Town
Other transcription(s)
• Chinese	保佛
The main road to Beaufort.
Seal
Beaufort
Coordinates: 5°20′0″N 115°45′0″E / 5.33333°N 115.75000°E / 5.33333; 115.75000
Country	Malaysia
State	Sabah
Division	Interior
Government
• District Officer	Mohd. Shaid Othman
Area
• Total	1,735 km2 (670 sq mi)
Population (2010)
• Total	64,350
• Density	37/km2 (96/sq mi)
Website	www.mdbft.sabah.gov.my www.sabah.gov.my/pd.bft

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.

Originally 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.

Its current prosperity depends on the booming palm oil industry.

Beaufort is a stop of the Sabah State Railway (Jabatan Keretapi Negeri Sabah) line from Tanjung Aru to Tenom. Beaufort is usually visited by tourists for white-water rafting through the nearby Padas Gorge on the Padas River which is rated as a Grade 2 to 4 river.

Medical services are provided by the 140 bedded government hospital which has primary care and basic secondary care services. There are three private practitioners within the town area.