Penang

Penang (Malay: Pulau Pinang) is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. They are connected by Malaysia’s two longest road bridges, the Penang Bridge and the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge; the latter is also, as of May 2019, the longest oversea bridge in Southeast Asia. The second smallest Malaysian state by land mass, Penang is bordered by Kedah to the north and the east, and Perak to the south.

Penang’s population stood at nearly 1.767 million as of 2018, while its population density was as high as 1,684/km2 (4,360/sq mi). It has among the nation’s highest population densities and is one of the country’s most urbanised states. Seberang Perai is Malaysia’s second-largest city by population. Its heterogeneous population is highly diverse in ethnicity, culture, language and religion. Aside from the three main races, the Malays, Chinese, and Indians, Penang is home to significant Eurasian, Siamese and expatriate communities. George Town is also home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site.