Penang

Penang (in Malay Pulau Pinang) is an island of 113 sq. miles (293 sq. km.) on the north-west coast of peninsular Malaysia. It is also the name of one of the states of Malaysia, which consists of the island and a small strip of land on the mainland known as Province Wellesley. The island is named after the Pinang tree.

History

Originally Penang was part of the Malay state of Kedah before Captain Sir Francis Light successfully negotiated with the Sultan of Kedah to cede the island to the British East India Company in 1786. Province Wellesley was ceded to the Company in 1790.

The British were attracted to the natural harbour which could serve as an anchorage for their trading ships. The town on the northeastern tip of the island was named George Town after King George III of Great Britain. Penang island was originally called Prince of Wales Island by the British.

In 1832, Penang, along with Malacca and Singapore, became part of the Straits Settlements, moving to direct British rule. In 1946 it became part of the Malayan Union, before becoming in 1948 a state of the Federation of Malaya, which gained independence in 1957. In 1963 it became one of the 13 states of Malaysia.

Miscellaneous

Penang island is connected to the mainland by a bridge 13.5 km long, one of the longest bridges in Asia, completed in 1985. Penang International Airport is located in the south of the island. Ferry services are available to the town of Butterworth (where the nearest Malayan Railway station is located) on the mainland and to the island of Langkawi in the north.

Penang island, also known as the Pearl of the Orient, is a heaven for food lovers, and its north shore is a popular beach resort. The southern part of the island is highly industrialized with high-tech plants (such as AMD and Seagate) located within the Bayan Lepas Free Trade Zone.

Much of its population, which is mostly ethnic Chinese, lives in the city of George Town.