Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is a federal territory of Malaysia. The territory includes the capital city, Kuala Lumpur, which gives the territory its name. The territory lies inland, sur­rounded by the state of Selangor. It occupies the central part of the Kelang Valley, at the junction of the Kelang and Gombek rivers, about 40 kilometres from the Strait of Malacca.

Half the people of the territory are Chinese. About a third are Malays. There are smaller numbers of Indians and other ethnic groups.

The federal territory is the seat of the federal govern­ment and the official residence of the yang di-pertuan agong (paramount ruler or king) of the country. The ter­ritory is administered by the prime minister's depart­ment. It has a mayor called the datuk bandar.

The federal territory is the national headquarters of administration, education, and cultural life, and the cen­tre of Malaysia's industrial, commercial, and transport activities. One-fifth of the workforce work for the gov­ernment. The retail trade, factories, finance, insurance, and property sales also provide employment.

The federal territory is an international centre for trade in rubber, palm oil, and tin. Tin mining was an im­portant industry from the mid-1800's to the mid-1900’s, but most of the mines are now closed. Some of the abandoned mining areas have been turned into recre­ational water parks.

Rubber plantations occupy land in rural areas around the city of Kuala Lumpur. Fruit and vegetables are grown in some areas.

Kuala Lumpur is hot and humid throughout the year. The average temperature at Kuala Lumpur is 27° C. Dif­ferences in temperatures from month to month are small, but those between day and night are much higher. Temperatures may reach 32° C at noon, but at night may drop to 24° C. Rainfall is high and varies be­tween 230 and 350 centimetres a year. The wettest months are from April to November.

Kuala Lumpur began as a mining settlement by the Kelang River in the mid-1800's. The territory developed into a modern settlement with Malay inhabitants and Chinese people who established tin mines and other businesses.

When Selangor became a British protectorate, Kuala Lumpur was made the administrative headquarters of the British resident (government administrator) in 1879.

In the following year, it became the capital of the state. The Federation of Malay States, consisting of Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, and Pahang, came into exist­ence in 1896. Kuala Lumpur became the federal capital, a role it has played ever since.

When the rubber industry expanded in the 1890s and 1900's, Kuala Lumpur became the rubber-trading centre. It handled the export of rubber and the dispatch of sup­plies to the new industry. When the road and railway links connected the states on the west coast, Kuala Lumpur became the focus of communication. Its population grew from 30,000 in 1900 to 316,200 in 1957.

Kuala Lumpur became a city in 1972. Its status was changed to that of a federal territory in 1974. In the proc­ess of this change its area was enlarged from 94 square kilometres to 245 square kilometres by incorporating several nearby townships and villages. See also Kuala Lumpur (city); Malaysia; History of Malaysia,

Kuala Lumpur (pop. 919,610) is the largest city and capital of Malaysia. It is also the country's most impor­tant commercial centre.

The city of Kuala Lumpur occupies just over one-third of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. It lies in the Ke­lang Valley, midway between George Town and Singa­pore. For the location of the city of Kuala Lumpur, see Malaysia (map)

The city. The Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area in­cludes several old settlements such as Kepong, Gom- bek, Ampang, and Sungai Besi. All of these former towns now have new housing estates.

The rapid growth of the city has caused several prob­lems, including population pressure on land and roads, inadequate housing and public transport, and shortage of recreational space.

Parliament House and government ministries are west of the Kelang River. Skyscrapers in the northern and western sections of the city house the headquarters of major Malaysian companies and banks as well as those of multinational corporations and international hotels. There are several universities and colleges in and around the city.

The city has many places of worship for people of various religions. Malays are Muslims and the National Mosque can accommodate many thousands of people. There are also many Christian churches and Hindu and Buddhist temples.

Kuala Lumpur is a medium-size capital city which blends its colonial past with traditional shops and mod­ern skyscrapers. Petaling Street is the Chinatown of Kuala Lumpur. It is atypical Chinese business district with traditional covered footways and shophouses, which have shops on the ground floor and family homes upstairs. The shops and street stalls offer a variety of goods, food, fruit, and souvenirs. The street becomes a pedestrian area at sunset, crowded with shoppers and tourists looking for bargains. Many types of traditional products, such as batik, pewterware, and handicrafts, are also available in these shops and night markets (see Batik). There is a handicraft centre containing traditional Malay houses which present and sell the crafts of each of the Malaysian states.

To the west of Kuala Lumpur is Petaling Jaya, the first new town (specially planned town) of Malaysia and a sprawling residential industrial and commercial centre. Its middle-class community commutes daily to work in the city. Petaling Jaya is now the fifth largest town in the country, with a population of more than 200,000.

Places of interest. Along Jalan Sultan Hishamudin are several of the city's most distinctive architectural landmarks. Three buildings feature Moorish architec­tural styles with curving arches, domes, or minarets. These buildings include the old city hall, which was completed in 1897. The railway station and the Malayan Railway Administration Building date from the early 1900s. The Sultan Abdul Samad Building, where the state secretariat was formerly housed, was completed in1897.  It has a 43-metre copper-sheathed clock tower.

The National Museum is a striking building based on old Malay-style architecture. It has displays relating to Malaysian arts and crafts and history as well as the country's birds and mammals.

The National Monument is located in the Lake Gar­dens. This bronze sculpture commemorates the triumph of democracy over the Communist terrorism which had led to the proclamation of a state of emergency in 1948.

The six-tiered Theau Hou Temple, on a hill slope just outside the city centre, is one of the biggest Chinese temples in Southeast Asia.

The National Zoo has about 200 species of mammals, birds, and reptiles, from Malaysia and other countries. It also has an aquarium with more than 80 species of aquatic animals.

People. The population of Kuala Lumpur consists of Chinese, 320,000 Malays, 140,000 Indians, and others. The population has increased to more than three times its level at the time of Malayan independ­ence in 1957. The food of Kuala Lumpur reflects the vari­ety of the multiracial population. In roadside shops and in hotels, dishes available include food from Malays, Chinese, Indians, and other ethnic groups.

History. Kuala Lumpur, means "muddy river mouth."

It derives its name from its location at the meeting place of the Kelang and Gombek rivers. Founded as a tin min­ing settlement in 1859, it became the capital of Selangor in 1887 and of the Federated Malay States of Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, and Pahang in 1896.

Prosperity developed from the success of mining and rubber planting. Kuala Lumpur became a centre of com­merce and transport, and acquired its cosmopolitan character with Malay settlers, Chinese shopkeepers, In­dian labourers, British administrators, and Arab traders.

Kuala Lumpur progressed from a town council in 1898 to a municipality in 1948. It became the capital of the Federation of Malaya in 1957 and of Malaysia in 1963. In 1972, it was proclaimed a city and in 1974 it formed the core city of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.

See also Kuala Lumpur (federal territory); Malaysia.