Back George Town, Penang Afrikaans جورج تاون (بينانق) Arabic جورج تاون ARZ George Town AST Corctaun (Malayziya) Azerbaijani جورج تاون (مالزی) AZB George Town, Penang BAN Джорджтаўн (Пінанг) Byelorussian George Town, Malaysia BJN George Town (Penang) Catalan

George Town, Penang

For other uses, see Georgetown.

George Town
Bandaraya Pulau Pinang
State capital city and district capital
City of Penang Island
Other transcription(s)
 • Mandarin
 • HokkienPho-té / Kiâu-tī-tshī (Tâi-lô)
 • Tamilஜார்ஜ் டவுன் Jārj Iḍavuṉ (Transliteration)
 • Thaiจอร์จทาวน์ Chogethao (RTGS)
A panoramic view of the city skyline, dominated by high-rise housing and skyscrapers, at night.
Night skyline of the city centre
Aerial view of Gurney Drive, lined with skyscrapers, at night
Gurney Drive
The two Penang bridges straddling the sea.
The two Penang bridges
A city street lined with shophouses, with cars, lorries, motorcycles and a bus on the road.
Penang Road
Front façade of a white Palladian-style courthouse prominently featuring columns supporting the pediment and entablature.
Penang High Court
A skyscraper as seen from the ground.
Komtar
Front façade of a double-storey Oriental-style mansion, coloured in blue and with the upper floor partially concealed by wooden blinds.
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
Front façade of a Chinese clan house featuring ornate carvings on the roof.
Khoo Kongsi
Flag of George Town
Flag
Coat of arms of George Town
Coat of arms
Etymology: George III, King of Great Britain and Ireland
Nickname: 
Pearl of the Orient[1]
Motto: 
Leading We Serve
(Malay: Memimpin Sambil Berkhidmat)[2]
Map
George Town is located in George Town, Penang
George Town
George Town
George Town is located in Malaysia
George Town
George Town
George Town is located in Asia
George Town
George Town
Coordinates: 05°24′52″N 100°19′45″E / 5.41444°N 100.32917°E / 5.41444; 100.32917
Country Malaysia
State Penang
DistrictsNortheast and Southwest
Mukims[3]City centre and 36 subdistricts
Founded[4]11 August 1786
Municipality[5]c. 1857
Incorporated (city)[6]1 January 1957
Expansion[7]31 March 2015
Founded byFrancis Light
Government
 • TypeCity council
 • BodyPenang Island City Council
 • Mayor[8]Rajendran P. Anthony
 • City Secretary[9]Cheong Chee Hong
Area
 • City[10]
306 km2 (118 sq mi)
 • Metro
3,765 km2 (1,454 sq mi)
Population
 (2020)[11]
 • City[10]
794,313
 • Rank
  • 8th in Malaysia
  • 2nd in Penang
 • Density2,596/km2 (6,720/sq mi)
 • Metro
2,843,344 (2nd)
 • Metro density756/km2 (1,960/sq mi)
DemonymGeorgetowner[12]
Demographics (2020)
[11]
 • Ethnic groups
GDP (2020)[13]
 • Total$12.464 billion
 • Per capita$15,692
Time zoneUTC+8 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)Not observed
Postal code
  • 100xx–108xx
  • 110xx–119xx
Area code(s)4-2, 4-6, 4-8
Websitewww.mbpp.gov.my
Official nameMelaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca
CriteriaCultural: ii, iii, iv
Reference1223
Inscription2008 (32nd Session)

George Town is the capital of the Malaysian state of Penang. It is the core city of the George Town Conurbation, Malaysia's second largest metropolitan area with a population of 2.84 million and the second largest metropolitan economy in the country. The city proper spans an area of 306 km2 (118 sq mi) encompassing Penang Island and surrounding islets, and had a population of 794,313 as of 2020.

Classified as a "Gamma −" city, the second highest in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur, George Town is the commercial centre for northern Malaysia and one of the few high-income economies of the cities outside the Klang Valley. According to Euromonitor International and the Economist Intelligence Unit, George Town has the highest potential for revenue growth among all Malaysian cities and contributed nearly 8 per cent of the country's personal disposable income in 2015, second only to Kuala Lumpur. Its technological sector, anchored by hundreds of multinational companies, has made George Town the top exporter in the country. The Penang International Airport links George Town to several regional cities, while a ferry service and two road bridges connect the city to the rest of Peninsular Malaysia. Swettenham Pier is the busiest cruise terminal in the country.

Established as an entrepôt by Francis Light in 1786, George Town was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia, and its proximity to maritime routes along the Strait of Malacca attracted an influx of immigrants from various parts of Asia. It became the capital of the Straits Settlements in 1826, only to lose its administrative status to Singapore in 1832. Shortly before Malaya attained independence from Britain in 1957, George Town was declared a city by Queen Elizabeth II, making it the first city in the country's history. In 1974, George Town was merged with the rest of the island, throwing its city status into doubt until 2015, when its jurisdiction was reinstated and expanded to cover the entire island and adjacent islets.

The city is described by UNESCO as having a "unique architectural and cultural townscape" that is shaped by centuries of intermingling between various cultures and religions.[14] It has also gained a reputation as Malaysia's gastronomical capital for its distinct culinary scene. The preservation of these cultures contributed to the designation of the city centre of George Town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.

  1. ^ Mike Aquino (30 August 2012). "Exploring Georgetown, Penang". Asian Correspondent. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  2. ^ "Logo". Penang Island City Council. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Penang Island City Council-2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Samuel Wee-1992 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Koay-2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference The Straits Times-1957 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Opalyn Mok (31 March 2015). "Council President Now Penang's First Mayor". Malay Mail. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Mayor's Profile". Penang Island City Council. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  9. ^ "City Secretary (Chief Digital Officer (CDO))". Penang Island City Council. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Looi-2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b "Key Findings of Population and Housing Census of Malaysia 2020" (pdf) (in Malay and English). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. ISBN 978-967-2000-85-3.
  12. ^ Jessica Chan (30 November 2000). "Asiaweek's Top Ten Cities of Asia". Asiaweek. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Gross Domestic Product by Administrative District: Timur Laut, Pulau Pinang 2015–2020". Department of Statistics Malaysia. November 2024. ISBN 978-967-253-792-2.
  14. ^ "Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2016.

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