Kota Kinabalu (,
Jawi: , ), formerly known as
Jesselton, is the capital of the state of
Sabah,
Malaysia. It is also the capital of the
West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of
Borneo facing the
South China Sea. The
Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies to its west and
Mount Kinabalu, which gave the city its name, is located to its east. Kota Kinabalu has a population of 452,058 and, including the adjacent Penampang and Putatan districts, the metro area has an estimated population of 628,725.