Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
The Petronas TowersKuala Lumpur is the largest city in Malaysia and the capital of the federation. Within Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur is almost always abbreviated to KL. The executive branch is in the process of moving to a new administrative capital called Putrajaya.
Kuala Lumpur is one of the three Federal Territories, and is physically located within the state of Selangor, on the west coast roughly halfway up in West Malaysia.
History
Kuala Lumpur was founded in 1857 at the confluence of the Gombak and Kelang rivers. In Malay, the name means "muddy confluence".
It was made capital of Selangor in 1880, and in 1896 it became the capital of the British-protected Federated Malay States.
During World War II Japanese forces captured Kuala Lumpur on January 11, 1942 and briefly occupied the city.
After independence in 1957, Kuala Lumpur was the capital of the Federation of Malaya and continued to be the capital of the renamed Federation of Malaysia in 1963.
In 1974 Kuala Lumpur ceded from Selangor and the city became a Federal Territory (Wilayah Persekutuan).
Statistics
The Malaysia Masjid Negara(As of 2000)
- Area: 243.65 km²
- Population: 1,479,388
Transportation
The city is served by Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Taxis are a reliable and fairly cheap method of transport for the newcomer to the city. However, traffic jams are fairly common with KL. Alternatives are the three light rail systems: Putra LRT, Star LRT and the monorail.
Those wishing to take buses to elsewhere in Malaysia should note that there are several bus stations, depending on which part of peninsular Malaysia you wish to travel to.
Tourist Information
The Batu CavesSome of the most popular tourist locations in Kuala Lumpur are:
- The Chinese Night market area, "Pasar Malam".
- Petronas Twin Towers, which also houses a large shopping mall - Suria KLCC.
- Batu Caves, a short distance north of Kuala Lumpur. This is a tall limestone cave, and home of a Hindu temple.
- About 40km west of Kuala Lumpur is the town of Shah Alam, site of a famous masjid (mosque).
- Genting Highlands, a hill top resort near Kuala Lumpur, famous for its casino and golf. Also has plenty of restaurants and hotels.
Hotels
All these hotels are very near to the KLCC (KL City Center)
- Hotel Nikko
- Mandarin Oriental
- Rennaisance Kuala Lumpur
Shopping Malls
- KLCC
- Sunway Lagoon
- Imbi Plaza
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Kuala Lumpur."
| 1. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
