Tenom

Tenom
Tenom
Coordinates: 5°08′0″N 115°57′0″E
Country	Malaysia
State	Sabah
Area
• Total	2,238 km2 (864.1 sq mi)
Population (2010)
• Total	54,400
• Density	24.3/km2 (63/sq mi)

Tenom town centre.

Tenom is a town located in Interior Division of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. The town was called Fort Birch in the early colonial period. Its population was estimated to be around 54,400 in the year 2010.

The principal ethnic groups are Murut (60%), followed by Chinese (20%), Malay (10%), and Kadazan-Dusun (8%). Most of the Chinese in Tenom are of Hakka descent. More specifically, most are descended from migrants who came from the county of Longchuan in Guangdong, China. Tenom , which is one of the oldest Chinese settlements in Sabah, with its rich and fertile land attracting many of the early Chinese migrants, specifically the Hakkas who, by tradition, were mainly agriculturalists. Today, the area is still primarily an agricultural zone, with soy beans, maize, vegetables and cacao being the major crops. Tenom is one of Sabah's more scenic interior locations, with the Crocker Range towering impressively immediately behind town. It is also known as the "gateway to Murut country". The annual festival of the Murut community known as Pesta Kalimaran is held in Tenom.

In the center of Tenom is a statue to Ontoros Antonom (1885-1915), who led the Rundum Revolt of the Murut people against the British colonists in the Rundum District of Tenom in 1915.

The Sabah Agricultural Park (Lagud Sebrang Agriculture Research Station), the Tenom Orchid Centre , Padas River rafting and the Murut Cultural Center are located outside of town.

Tenom is the final stop for passengers on the North Borneo Railway.

External links

• Tenom website