Malacca City

Malacca
City of Malacca
Bandaraya Melaka
Other transcription(s)
 • Jawiباندراي ملاک
 • Chinese马六甲市
Mǎliùjiǎ shì (Hanyu Pinyin)
 • Tamilமலாக்கா மாநகரம்
Malākkā mānakaram (Transliteration)
From top, left to right:
Panorama view of Malacca, Taming Sari Tower, the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum, Porta de Santiago, St. Francis Xavier statue in front of St. Paul's Church, the Christ Church beside the Stadthuys, the Melaka Straits Mosque, and the Malacca City Council Building.
Flag of Malacca
Official seal of Malacca
Nickname(s): 
Bandaraya Bersejarah
Historical City
Map
Location of Malacca City in Malacca
Malacca is located in Malacca
Malacca
Malacca
   Malacca City in    Malacca
Malacca is located in Malaysia
Malacca
Malacca
Malacca (Malaysia)
Malacca is located in Asia
Malacca
Malacca
Malacca (Asia)
Malacca is located in Earth
Malacca
Malacca
Malacca (Earth)
Coordinates: 02°11′40″N 102°14′55″E / 2.19444°N 102.24861°E / 2.19444; 102.24861
Country Malaysia
State Malacca
DistrictMelaka Tengah
Founded1396
Establishment of the local government1824
Municipality status1 January 1977
City status15 April 2003 (15 April 2003)
Government
 • TypeCity council
 • BodyMalacca City Council
 • MayorShadan Othman
Area
 • City and state capital
277 km2 (107 sq mi)
 • Metro
307.86 km2 (118.87 sq mi)
Elevation6 m (20 ft)
Population
 (2019)
 • City and state capital
579,000[1]
 • Demonym
Malaccans
Time zoneUTC+8 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)Not observed
Postal code
75xxx to 78xxx
Area code(s)06
Vehicle registrationM
Websitembmb.gov.my
Official nameThe Historic City of Melaka
Part ofMelaka and George Town, the Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca
CriteriaCultural: (ii)(iii)(iv)
Reference1223bis-001
Inscription2008 (32nd Session)
Extensions2011
Area45.3 ha (112 acres)
Buffer zone242.8 ha (600 acres)

Malacca City (Malay: Bandaraya Melaka or Kota Melaka) is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Malacca, in Melaka Tengah District. It is the oldest Malaysian city on the Straits of Malacca, having become a successful entrepôt in the era of the Malacca Sultanate. The present-day city was founded by Parameswara, a Sumatran prince who escaped to the Malay Peninsula when Srivijaya fell to the Majapahit. Following the establishment of the Malacca Sultanate, the city drew the attention of traders from the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia, as well as the Portuguese, who intended to dominate the trade route in Asia. After Malacca was conquered by Portugal, the city became an area of conflict when the sultanates of Aceh and Johor attempted to take control from the Portuguese.

Following a number of wars between these territories, Aceh declined in influence while Johor survived and expanded its influence over territory previously lost to Aceh in Sumatra when Johor co-operated with the Dutch to take Malacca from the Portuguese who arrived to establish dominance over Java and Maluku Islands. However, due to royal internal strife between the Malay and Bugis, the Johor-Riau Empire was divided into the sultanates of Johor and Riau-Lingga. This separation became permanent when the British arrived to establish their presence in the Malay Peninsula. The Dutch, who already felt threatened in the presence of the British, began conquering the Riau-Lingga Sultanate along with the rest of Sumatra, while Johor came under British influence following the signing of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824.

When the British succeeded in extending their influence over the Malay Peninsula, the city soon became an area of development under the Straits Settlements as part of the British Empire. The development and burgeoning prosperity were, however, halted when the Japanese arrived in World War II and occupied the area from 1942 to 1945. During the occupation, many of the city's residents were taken and forced to construct the Death Railway in Burma (present-day Myanmar). After the war, the city was returned to the British and remained as the capital of Malacca. The status as a capital remained until the formation of Malaysia in 1963, and in 2008 it was listed, together with George Town of Penang, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its long history.[4] As of 2019 it has a population of 579,000.[1]

Map of (Malacca) Melaka Town in 1951

The economy of Malacca City is largely based on tourism. As the economic centre of the state of Malacca, it also hosts several international conferences and trade fairs. The city is located along the Maritime Silk Road, proposed by China in 2013. Among the tourist attractions in Malacca City are Porta de Santiago, Jonker Walk, Little India, Portuguese Settlement, Stadthuys, Maritime Museum, Christ Church, Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum and Taming Sari Tower.

  1. ^ a b "DOSM_DOSM_MELAKA_1_2020_Siri-81" (PDF). dosm.gov.my (in Malay). Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Background" (in Malay and English). Historical Malacca City Council. 8 October 2015. Archived from the original on 11 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  3. ^ "Malaysia Elevation Map (Elevation of Melaka)". Flood Map : Water Level Elevation Map. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Eight new sites, from the Straits of Malacca, to Papua New Guinea and San Marino, added to UNESCO's World Heritage List". UNESCO (World Heritage Site). 7 July 2008. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2008..

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