[lah-boo-ahn] 
| an island off the W coast of Sabah: part of Sabah state, E Malaysia: a free port. 14,904; 35 sq. mi. (90.65 sq. km). |
| La·bu·an (lə-bōō'ən, lä'bōō-än') An island of Malaysia off the northern coast of Borneo. At one time a British crown colony (after 1848), it became part of Malaysia in 1963. |
Labuan
island, East Malaysia, 6 miles (10 km) off northwestern Borneo in the South China Sea. Commanding the entrance to Brunei Bay, it is roughly triangular. Its chief town, Victoria, on the southeastern coast, is a free port whose deep, well-sheltered harbour is the principal transshipment point for the state of Brunei, northern Sarawak, and much of western Sabah. Low-lying and well-cultivated, the island has an extensive road network and a large airfield. Its chief products are rubber, copra, and sago. In 1990 the island was declared a tax haven by the Malaysian government as the first step toward developing it into an offshore financial centre
Learn more about Labuan with a free trial on Britannica.com.
buˈɑn