This is Penang

Industry

Penang state is today the third-largest economy amongst the states of Malaysia, after Selangor and Johor. Manufacturing is the most important component of the Penang economy, contributing 45.9% of the State's GDP (2000). The southern part of the island is highly industrialised with high-tech electronics plants (such as Dell, Intel, AMD, Altera, Motorola, Agilent, Hitachi, Osram, Plexus, Bosch and Seagate) located within the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone. In January 2005, Penang was formally accorded the Multimedia Super Corridor Cyber City status, the first outside of Cyberjaya, with the aim of becoming a high-technology industrial park that conducts cutting-edge research. In recent years, however, the state is experiencing a gradual decline of foreign direct investments due to factors such as cheaper labour costs in China and India.

The entrepôt trade has greatly declined, due in part to the loss of Penang's free-port status, but also due to the active development of Port Klang near the federal capital Kuala Lumpur. However, there is a container terminal in Butterworth which continues to service the northern area.

Other important sectors of Penang's economy include tourism, finance, shipping and other services.

The Penang Development Corporation (PDC) is the state development agency to develop, plan, implement and promote development projects in the form of socio-economic interests on behalf of the State Government of Penang. It functions as the investment arm of the state government.

Agriculture

Penang agriculture is mainly made up of the major export crops of rubber and oil palm and some cocoa, the food commodities comprising paddy, fruits, coconut, vegetables, livestock (which is dominated by poultry and swine), fisheries and aquaculture, and new emerging industries such as ornamental fish and floriculture.
Owing to limited land size and the highly industrialised nature of Penang's economy, agriculture is given little emphasis. In fact, agriculture is the only sector to record negative growth in the state, contributing only 1.3% to the state GDP in 2000. The share of Penang's paddy area to the national paddy area accounts for only 4.9%. 

Banking

Penang was the centre of banking of Malaysia at a time when Kuala Lumpur was still a small outpost. The oldest bank in Malaysia, Standard Chartered Bank (then the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China) opened its doors in 1875. The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, now known as HSBC, opened its first branch in Penang in 1885. The UK-based Royal Bank of Scotland (then ABN AMRO) opened its first office in Penang in 1888 to cater to the financial requirements of the early European traders. Most of the older banks still maintain their local headquarters on Beach Street, the old commercial centre of George Town.

Today, Penang remains a banking hub with branches of Citibank, United Overseas Bank, and Bank Negara Malaysia (the Malaysian central bank) together with local banks such as Public Bank, Maybank, Ambank and CIMB Bank.

The state has the highest population density in Malaysia with 2,457.33 people per square kilometre on the island and 1,055.77 people per square kilometre on the mainland. It is also the only non-Malay dominated state in Malaysia. Penang is the only state in Malaysia where ethnic Chinese forms a plurality. The ethnic composition in 2008 was:

  * Ethnic Chinese: 635,000 (41.8%)
  * Malay: 613,800 (40.5%)
  * Ethnic Indian: 158,000 (10.4%)
  * Others:
  o Bumiputra - other than Malay: 6,200 (0.4%)
  o Other races: 6,400 (0.4%)
  o Non-Malaysian citizens: 98,600 (6.5%)

There were Jewish and Armenian communities in Penang before World War II, but these dissipated as a result of the Japanese occupation and the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.[citation needed] A small but commercially significant community of German merchants also existed in Penang. Today, Penang has a sizeable expatriate population especially from Japan and Britain, many of whom settle in Penang after their retirement as part of the Malaysia My Second Home programme.

Peranakan

The Peranakan, also known as the Straits Chinese or Baba-Nyonya, are the descendants of the early Chinese immigrants to Penang, Malacca and Singapore. They have partially adopted Malay customs and speak a Chinese-Malay creole. The Peranakan community possesses a distinct identity in terms of food, dress, rites, crafts and culture. Most of the Peranakan Chinese are not Muslims but practice ancestor worship and Chinese religion. During British rule, the Peranakan had a reputation of being loyal British subjects and many of them adopted British mannerisms. They prided themselves as being Anglophone and distinguished themselves from the newly-arrived Chinamen or sinkheh. The Peranakan, however, are almost extinct today due to their re-absorption into the mainstream Chinese community. Still, their legacy lives on in their distinctive cuisine, their elaborate nyonya kebaya costume and exquisite handicrafts.

Language

The common languages of Penang, depending on social classes, social circles, and ethnic backgrounds are English, Penang Hokkien, Tamil and Malay. Mandarin, which is taught in Chinese-medium schools in the state, is also increasingly spoken.

Penang Hokkien is a variant of Minnan and is widely spoken by a substantial proportion of the Penang populace who are descendants of early Chinese settlers. It bears strong resemblance to the language spoken by Chinese living in the Indonesian city of Medan and is based on the Minnan dialect of Zhangzhou prefecture in Fujian province, China. It incorporates a large number of loanwords from Malay and English. Many Penangites who are not ethnically Chinese are also able to speak in Hokkien. Most Penang Hokkien speakers are not literate in Hokkien but instead read and write in standard (Mandarin) Chinese, English and/or Malay.

Malay is spoken locally with north-western dialect features, such as hang for "you" and depa for "they/them".

English is a working language widely used in business and commerce, and is also the language of instruction of Science and Mathematics in schools. English used in an official or formal context is predominantly British English with some American influences. Spoken English, as in the rest of Malaysia, is often in the form of Manglish (Malaysian colloquial English).

Other languages, including Cantonese and Tamil, are also spoken in the state. Teochew is heard more in Province Wellesley than on Penang Island.

Religion

The official religion of Malaysia is Islam and the head of Islam is the Yang Dipertuan Agong, but other religions are freely practised. These are Buddhism, in the Theravada, Mahayana and increasingly also Vajrayana traditions, Taoism, Chinese folk religion, Hinduism, Catholicism, Protestantism (the largest denominations of which are the Methodists, Seventh-day Adventists, Anglican, Presbyterian and Baptists) and Sikhism- reflecting Penang's diverse ethnic and socio-cultural amalgamation.

There is also a small, but little-known, community of Jews in Penang, mainly along Jalan Zainal Abidin (formerly Jalan Yahudi or Jewish Street)

Penang enjoys a year-round equatorial climate which is warm and sunny, along with plentiful rainfall, especially during the southwest monsoon from April to September. The climate is very much dictated by the surrounding sea and the wind system. Penang's proximity with Sumatra, Indonesia makes it susceptible to dust particles carried by wind from perennial but transient forest fires, creating a phenomenon known as the haze.

The Bayan Lepas Regional Meteorological Office is the primary weather forecast facility for northern Peninsular Malaysia.
Temperature (day) 27°C-30°C
Temperature (night) 22°C-24°C
Ave annual rainfall 2670 mm
Relative humidity 70%-90%

The state is geographically divided into two sections:

* Penang Island: an island of 293 square kilometres located in the Straits of Malacca with an estimated population of 721,500; and

* Province Wellesley (also known as Seberang Perai in Malay): a narrow hinterland of 753 square kilometres on the peninsula across a narrow channel whose smallest width is 4 km (2.5 miles). It is bordered by Kedah in the north (demarcated by the Muda River) and east, and Perak in the south and has an estimated population of 796,500.

The body of water between Penang Island and Province Wellesley is the North Channel to the north of Georgetown and the South Channel to the south of George Town. Penang Island is irregularly shaped, with a granitic, hilly and mostly forested interior, the highest point being Western Hill (part of Penang Hill) at 830 metres above sea level. The coastal plains are narrow, the most extensive of which is in the northeast which forms a triangular promontory where George Town, the state capital, is situated. The topography of Province Wellesley is mostly flat. Butterworth, the main town in Province Wellesley, lies along the Perai River estuary and faces George Town at a distance of 3 km (2 miles) across the channel to the east.

Towns
Penang Island

Air Itam - Balik Pulau - Bandar Baru Air Itam - Batu Ferringhi - Batu Maung - Batu Lanchang - Bayan Baru - Bayan Lepas - Gelugor - George Town - Green Lane - Gurney Drive - Tanjung Tokong - Jelutong - Paya Terubong - Pulau Tikus - Pulau Betong - Sungai Ara - Sungai Dua - Sungai Nibong - Tanjung Bungah - Tanjung Tokong - Teluk Bahang

Province Wellesley

Alma - Bagan Ajam - Bagan Luar - Batu Kawan - Bukit Mertajam - Bukit Minyak - Butterworth - Jawi - Juru - Kepala Batas - Mak Mandin - Nibong Tebal - Pantai Aceh - Permatang Pauh - Perai - Raja Uda - Seberang Jaya - Simpang Ampat - Sungai Bakap - Bukit Tambun - Permatang Tinggi

Greater Metropolitan Area of Penang
The National Physical Plan of Malaysia envisages a Conurbation of Georgetown encompassing George Town and surrounding areas. The Conurbation of George Town, together with the Conurbation of Johor Bahru are designated as Regional Growth Conurbations while the Conurbation of Kuala Lumpur is the National Growth Conurbation.

The greater metropolitan area of Penang consists of highly urbanized Penang Island, Seberang Prai, Sungai Petani, Kulim and the surrounding areas. In terms of population, it is the second largest metropolitan area in Malaysia after the Conurbation of Kuala Lumpur (Klang Valley). According to National Census 2000, the population of this urban area in is about 1.6 million. As for the Conurbation of Kuala Lumpur, the population in 2000 is about 4.9 million while the population of Johor Bahru is 1.5 million. Currently, the population of this urban area is approximately 2 million.

This urban area is referred to as the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) under a repackaging of the Ninth Malaysian Plan (a five-year national development plan) which was announced earlier. The NCER is one of three development regions identified in Peninsular Malaysia, other development regions being the South Johor Economic Region (SJER) or Iskandar Development Region (IDR) and the East Coast Development Region. The NCER encompases Penang (Penang Island and Seberang Prai), Kedah (Alor Star, Sungai Petani and Kulim), Perlis (Kangar) and Northern Perak. Unfortunately, the Barisan Nasional-controlled federal government has decided to defer the two much-delayed major development projects of Penang Outer Ring Road and Penang Monorail following their dismal performance at the 12th General Election of 3 March 2008 which saw three northern states of Penang, Kedah and Perak falling to the opposition. Nevertheless, the federal authority cited economic situations for the deferment.

Penang Global City Centre (PGCC), another high-impact projects of NCER featuring state-of-art design of futuristic landmark twin towers, has also run aground following its rejection by the Penang Municipal Council in September 2008. It remains to be seen if the PGCC will be resurrected.

Outlying islets
There are a number of small islets off the coast of Penang, the biggest of which, Pulau Jerejak, is located in the narrow channel between Penang Island and the mainland. It was previously a leper and penal colony, but is now a tourist attraction. Other islands include:

Pulau Aman - Pulau Betong - Pulau Gedung - Pulau Kendi (Coral Island) - Pulau Rimau


Pulau Pinang adalah negeri kedua terkecil di Malaysia selepas Perlis. Tetapi dari segi bilangan penduduk Pulau Pinang mempunyai penduduk kesembilan terbanyak di Malaysia. Dari segi geografi Pulau Pinang terbahagi kepada dua bahagian iaitu:

* Pulau Pinang , sebuah pulau dengan keluasan 293 km persegi .
* Seberang Perai , sejalur tanah seluas 760 km persegi yang bersempadan dengan Kedah di utara dan timur dan Perak di selatan .

Bandar-bandar utama

Ibu negeri dan bandar terbesar di Pulau Pinang ialah George Town, dibuka pada tahun 1786 oleh Kapten Francis Light. George Town adalah bandaraya kedua terbesar di Malaysia selepas Kuala Lumpur. George Town adalah bandaraya tertua di Malaysia apabila Ratu Elizabeth II menganugerahkan taraf bandaraya pada 1 Januari 1957. Butterworth adalah bandar kedua terbesar di Pulau Pinang. Butterworth hanya dipisahkan oleh Selat Utara dari George Town yang selebar 3km. Kedua-dua buah bandar ini juga terletak berdekatan dengan bandar-bandar satelit seperti Sungai Petani dan Kulim di Kedah, Kepala Batas, Bukit Mertajam, dan Batu Kawan di Seberang Perai serta bandar-bandar di utara negeri Perak. Bandar-bandar ini membentuk kawasan metropolis dengan jumlah penduduk melebihi 2 juta orang, menjadikannya kawasan metropolis kedua terbesar selepas Lembah Klang.

Daerah daerah di Pulau Pinang

1. Barat Daya
2. Seberang Perai Selatan
3. Seberang Perai Tengah
4. Seberang Perai utara
5. Timur Laut

Penduduk

Negeri Pulau Pinang mempunyai kepadatan penduduk yang paling tinggi di Malaysia, dengan 2,031.74 penduduk sekilometer persegi di pulau, dan 865.99 penduduk sekilometer persegi di Seberang Perai. Komposisi kaum mengikut bangsa pada 2006 ialah:

* Cina: 635,500 (42.5%)
* Melayu: 612,300 (41.0%)
* India: 148,000 (9%)
* Lain-Lain:
o Bumiputra Bukan Melayu: 5,600 (0.38%)
o Bukan Warganegara: 91,200 (6.1%)

Negeri Pulau Pinang adalah negeri yang mempunyai peratusan etnik Melayu dan penganut Islam terendah di Semenanjung Malaysia. Pulau Pinang juga mempunyai komuniti Yahudi dan Armenia, tetapi selepas Perang Dunia Kedua dan penubuhan negara Israel, komuniti Yahudi dan Armenia Pulau Pinang hampir lenyap. Terdapat juga komuniti peniaga Arab, Jerman, Inggeris, dan Belanda di Pulau Pinang, selain itu Pulau Pinang mempunyai golongan ekspatriat yang besar, kebanyakkannya berasal dari United Kingdom, Australia, negara-negara Eropah, dan Jepun.

Penang was originally part of the Malay Sultanate of Kedah. On 11 August 1786, Captain Francis Light of the British East India Company landed in Penang and renamed it Prince of Wales Island in honour of heir to the British throne. Light then received it as a portion on his marriage to the daughter of the Sultan of Kedah. Light ceded Penang to the Government of India and promised the Sultan military protection from Siamese and Burmese armies who were threatening Kedah. Light is now credited as the founder of Penang.

Many early settlers succumbed to malaria, earning Penang the epithet "the White Man's Grave".

Unbeknownst to the Sultan, Light had acted without the approval of the East India Company when he promised military protection. When the Company failed to aid Kedah when Siam attacked it, the Sultan tried to retake the island in 1790. The attempt was unsuccessful, and the Sultan was forced to cede the island to the Company for an honorarium of 6,000 Spanish dollars per annum. This was later increased to 10,000 dollars, with Province Wellesley on the mainland of the Malay Peninsula being added to Penang in 1800. An annual honorarium of 10,000 ringgits continues to this day be paid by the Malaysian Federal Government to the state of Kedah.

In 1826, Penang, along with Malacca and Singapore, became part of the Straits Settlements under the British administration in India, moving to direct British colonial rule in 1867. 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 and became Malaysia in 1963.

The island was a free port until 1969. Despite the loss of the island's free-port status, from the 1970s to the late 1990s the state built up one of the largest electronics manufacturing bases in Asia, in the Free Trade Zone around the airport in the south of the island.

On 7 July 2008, George Town, the historic capital of Penang, was formally inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside with Malacca. It is officially recognized as having a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.

The island was referred to as 檳榔嶼 (Bīnláng Yù) in the navigational drawings used by Admiral Zheng He of Ming-dynasty China in his expeditions to the South Seas in the 15th century. Early Malays called it Pulau Ka-Satu or "First Island".

The name "Penang" comes from the modern Malay name Pulau Pinang, which means island of the areca nut palm (Areca catechu, family Palmae). The name Penang can refer either to the island of Penang or the state of Penang. The capital of Penang state is George Town. More specifically, George Town is also called Tanjung in Malay. Penang Island is simply Pulau Pinang and Penang state is Negeri Pulau Pinang in Malay.

Penang is severally known as "The Pearl of the Orient" and "Pulau Pinang Pulau Mutiara" (Penang Island of Pearls).

Penang (pronounced /pəˈnæŋ/; Malay: Pulau Pinang IPA: [ˈpulaʊ ˈpinaŋ]) is a state in Malaysia, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. Penang is the second smallest state in Malaysia after Perlis, and the eighth most populous. A resident of Penang is colloquially known as a Penangite.

Pulau Pinang ialah sebuah negeri yang terletak di pantai barat laut Semenanjung Malaysia. Negeri ini terbahagi kepada dua bahagian oleh Selat Melaka (lihat peta). Negeri ini merupakan petempatan British yang pertama di Semenanjung Malaysia.

Nama pulau ini diambil daripada nama pokok pinang (areca catechu).