North Borneo (other names include British North Borneo and State of North Borneo) was an area in the northern part of the island of Borneo. Between 1881 and 1946, it was a British protectorate. The North Borneo Chartered Company governed it. In 1946, it was renamed to "British North Borneo", and became a crown colony. In 1963, it became independent, and joined what would later become the country of Malaysia. Today, the area makes up the Malaysian state of Sabah. North Borneo mainly produced timber for export, most of the workforce worked in agriculture.