George Town

George Town is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang. It is Malaysia's third largest city after Kuala Lumpur and Seberang Perai, with 708,127 inhabitants as of 2010. The city encompasses an area of 306 sq km, consisting of the entirety of Penang Island and a handful of surrounding islets. The historical core of George Town has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.

In 1786, Francis Light, an officer of the British East India Company, gained control of Penang Island from Kedah, establishing the settlement of George Town at the northeastern tip of the island on 11 August that year. Although the port city briefly became the capital of the British crown colony of the Straits Settlements, its importance was soon superseded by Singapore. The city fell to the invading Japanese army on 19 December 1941 and was recaptured by the British upon the end of World War 2. George Town was granted city status on 1 January 1957, prior to the independence of the Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia). In 2015, the city's jurisdiction was expanded to comprise the whole island and some surrounding islets (namely the islands of Jerejak, Rimau, Kendi, Tikus and Betong).

Dubbed as the 'Silicon Valley of the East', George Town is the economic powerhouse of northern Malaysia. Home to hundreds of multinational companies (MNCs), the city serves as the preeminent hub within the northern region for electronics manufacturing, finance and services. George Town's reputation as one of Malaysia's premier tourist destinations is underpinned by its cultural heritage, a cosmopolitan populace, street food, natural and modern attractions, and a wide variety of retail options. In recent years, the city has also emerged as a booming destination for medical tourism, business events and conferences.

George Town is home to the Penang International Airport (PEN), the third busiest airport in Malaysia in terms of passenger arrivals. In addition, Swettenham Pier, located within the city centre, is also Malaysia's busiest port-of-call for cruise ships. In 2019 alone, the airport and the cruise terminal handled 8.3 million and 1.2 million passenger arrivals respectively. Aside from the air and naval connections, George Town is linked to the rest of Peninsular Malaysia via the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge, as well as the Rapid Ferry service.


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