The name 'Papar' comes from a Bruneian word meaning 'flat or open land'.
History
As with most of the west coast of Sabah, it was originally ruled by the Bruneian sultanate. Its first local leader was Datu Amir Bahar, of Bajau descent. It was then handed to Overbeck and Dent brothers in 1877 by the Sultanate of Brunei. The first British officer to serve in Papar was H.L. Leicester, who took office in February 1878 aiming to increase Papar's revenues. He was replaced by Alfred Hart Everett after failing to improve Papar's economic outlook.
Demographics
According to the last census in 2010, the population of Papar district is estimated to be around 124,420 inhabitants, comprising Bruneian Malay, Kadazan-Dusun and Bajau. A significant number of Chinese comprising Hakka and Hokkien peoples also exists in the district. As in other districts of Sabah, there are a significant number of illegal immigrants from the nearby southern Philippines, mainly from the Sulu Archipelago and Mindanao, many of whom are not included in the population statistics.
Education
Papar is known as the West Coast Division education hub. Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara ' or IKBN and Maktab Rendah Sains MARA' or MRSM are the first IKBN and MRSM built in Sabah. There are also Jabatan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia or "JPSM" which has been developed in late 1990s. Papar main secondary schools are SMK Pengalat, SMK Majakir, SMK Benoni, SMK Takis, SMK Kinarut, SMK Bongawan I/II, SM St. Joseph, SM Cheng Hwa, SMK St. Mary and Papar Middle School. Papar has the most religious schools among districts; SMK Tun Datu Mustapha, SMK Limauan, new SMA Toh Puan Hajah Rahmah and SMA Islamiah Papar. Both SMK are under central government administrative while both SMA are under state government administrative. Papar education complex type area is situated at Kinarut which includes the IKBN, MRSM, SMK Tun Datu Mustapha and SMA Toh Puan Hajah Rahmah. A number of primary schools also can be found in the district such as SK Sacred Heart Biau, SK Padawan, SK Limputong, SK St. Joseph, SK Benoni, SK Surati, SK Pengalat, SK Kinarut, SK St. Mary Limbahau, SK Takis, SJKC Cheng Hwa and much more.
Tourism
Tourism is an important industry in Papar, arguably coming after the agriculture industry. Many resorts can be found along the coast. Some of the tourist attractions in the district are:
