 About
Melaka |
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Melaka is a fabled historic city that once stood at the crossroads of the shipping trade between east and west. Rich in its own unique culture, the city's history is a colourful tapestry woven through six centuries of diverse peoples and cultures.
Founded by Parameswara in 1396 who named his sultanate after the "Melaka" tree, Melaka has provided the stage on which the Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and English played their roles in shaping history. Its historical influences have bequeathed Melaka with a delightful mixture of people and cultures, all of whom contribute to the charm of this city. This historical city is divided into the new and old sections. The older part of the city is fairly compact and has many historical attractions tucked into the nooks and crannies of its narrow streets.
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Area of
Melaka
Melaka is one of the smallest state of Malaysia and has a land area of only 1,638 sq.
metres. The state includes 2 islands, Pulau Besar and Pulau Upeh. |
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Geographical Location
Located between 2º and 7º north of the Equator, Peninsular Malaysia is separated from the states of Sabah and Sarawak by the South China Sea. To the north of Peninsular Malaysia is Thailand while its southern neighbour is Singapore. Sabah and Sarawak are bounded by Indonesia while Sarawak also shares a border with Brunei. |
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Climate
Malaysia has an equatorial climate with uniform temperatures throughout the year. Temperatures range from 32°C during the day to 22°C at night.
The climate in the highland areas is cooler. |
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Currency
The Malaysian currency is the Ringgit (RM), which is divided into 100 sen. Notes range from RM100 to RM1 and coins are from 50 sen to 1 sen. |
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People
Malays who make up about 57% of the population are the predominant group with Chinese, Indians and other ethnic groups making up the rest. |
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Language
Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is the national language but English is widely spoken. The ethnic groups also speak various languages and dialects. |
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Religion
Islam in the official religion but all other religions are freely practised. |
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