[102][103][104], The Indian Ocean tsunami which struck in 2004 hit the western and northern coasts of Penang Island, including George Town, claiming 52 lives (out of 68 in Malaysia). Information about regional climates. The second Central Business District at Northam Road and Gurney Drive, which lies along the city's northern shoreline, is also home to some of Penang's tallest skyscrapers, including Setia V, Gurney Paragon and BHL Tower. [290][291], George Town contains a total of 30 libraries. [178], George Town currently has a sizeable expatriate population, especially from Singapore, Japan and various Asian countries as well as the United Kingdom, many of whom chose to retire in Penang as part of Malaysia My Second Home programme. The Daily Dose is a coffee and wine bar located in the heart of Penang. [161][162] The members of the State Legislative Assembly, known as State Assemblymen, are elected into office via the Penang State Election, which by convention is held simultaneously with the Malaysian General Election every five years. [43][44] Due to the opening of the Suez Canal, the advent of steam ships and a tin mining boom in the Malay Peninsula, the Port of Penang became a major tin-exporting harbour. [308][309] In addition, the city was one of the pit-stops of The Amazing Race 16, The Amazing Race Asia 4 and The Amazing Race Asia 5. This was not to last, however – in 1969, the Malaysian federal government revoked George Town's free port status, sparking massive unemployment in the city. [166] Another Sessions Court has also been established in Balik Pulau to the west. [306] The Penang-centric newspaper focuses on the current issues affecting Penang.[306]. Mandarin, more widely used by youths, has been the medium of instruction in Chinese schools throughout Penang. [133][134], Since the 1970s, massive industrialisation around Bayan Lepas, which created the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, led to the rapid urbanisation of the southeastern corner of Penang Island as well. [10] Together with Singapore and Malacca, George Town formed part of the Straits Settlements, which became a British crown colony in 1867. Land reclamation projects have been carried out to provide more low-lying land at high-demand areas, such as at Gurney Drive, Tanjung Tokong and Jelutong. However, George Town, and by extension Penang, is best known for its distinct Hokkien dialect, known as Penang Hokkien. [243][244][245] Besides these, several tau sar pneah shops can be found throughout the city, selling bean paste biscuits. George Town is Malaysia's third most populous city with 708,127 inhabitants as of 2010[update], while Greater Penang is the nation's second largest conurbation in the country after Greater Kuala Lumpur with a population of 2,412,616. ", "One family's world of Judaism in Malaysia", "The Jewish community in Penang is all but gone leaving only tombs behind", "Penang Hokkien will be 'dead' in 40 years if people stop using it, says language expert", "Bahasa Tanjong: The Heritage Language of the Jawi Peranakans of Penang", "Translating Penang Hokkien to English with ease", "Shooting to begin for first Penang Hokkien film", "Guan Eng: Penang airport may turn into 'pasar malam, "Malaysia Commercial Real Estate Investment Sentiment Survey 2016", "Projects Approved by State, 2017 and 2016", Malaysian Investment Development Authority, "The Big Read: Penang takes a leaf from S'pore, and bids to become a competitor", "The Malaysian region that became a hardware hub", "List of Company Secretaries, Taxation and Accounting Services", "Penang's Catholic museum documents history of church in the northern peninsula", "A history of local elections in Penang Part II: A legacy to protect", "Malaysia's highest skywalk opens to public", "Lonely Planet: Best in Travel 2016 – George Town", "Penang one of 2016's 'best budget travel destinations, "10 Amazing Asian Vacations That Won't Cost a Fortune", "PIA catat pertumbuhan 8% ketibaan penumpang, tunggu pelaksanaan projek pembesaran", "Nazri Aziz: Tourism Tax collection will be split 50-50 between state and federal governments", "Can Penang lead the way in sustainable tourism? [47][53][54], With improved access to education, a greater level of participation in municipal affairs by its Asian residents and substantial press freedom, George Town was perceived as being more intellectually receptive than Singapore. [270][271] It is the home ground of Penang FA, and was where Penang footballer Mohd Faiz Subri scored the goal that won him the 2016 FIFA Puskás Award. [9][117][118], The World Heritage Site covers nearly 260 ha (2.6 km2) of the city centre, roughly bounded by Transfer Road to the west and Prangin Road to the south. Some of the oldest missionary schools in George Town include the Penang Free School, St. Xavier's Institution, Convent Light Street, St. George's Girls' School and Methodist Boys' School. However, the absorption of the British colony of Penang into Malaya alarmed Penang's population over economic and ethnic concerns. [256] Aside from wall art, several wrought iron caricatures, each depicting a unique aspect of George Town's history and culture, have been installed throughout the city centre. [75] As the Peranakans tended to be more loyal to the British Crown than to China, they were also known as the King's Chinese. [41], In 1826, George Town was made the capital of the Straits Settlements, an administrative polity that was also composed of Singapore and Malacca. [23] To that end, Light negotiated with the new Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah, regarding the cession of the island to the British East India Company in exchange for British military aid. The oldest portion of the city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while outside the UNESCO zone lies the modern cityscape, with skyscrapers, residential high-rises, office blocks and shopping malls built all over the city. Covering 2,562 ha (25.62 km2) of the northwestern tip of Penang Island, it contains mangrove swamps, rainforest interspersed with hiking trails and tranquil beaches. In addition, open-topped double deckers, known as Hop-On Hop-Off buses, have been introduced for tourists in the city. Heavy rain (total 38mm), heaviest during Thu night. The courts in George Town consist of the Magistrates, Sessions and the High Court, the latter of which sits at the top of Penang's judicial system. Moderate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Sun night. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca, International rankings of George Town, Penang, 2013 Women's World Open Squash Championship, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and University College Dublin Malaysia Campus, Han Chiang University College of Communication, Adventist College of Nursing and Health Sciences, "Malaysia Elevation Map (Elevation of George Town)", "The Process and Effects of Demographic Transition in Penang, Malaysia", "Key summary statistics for Local Authority areas, Malaysia, 2010", "Urban Regeneration : The Case of Penang, Malaysia (Putting Policy into Practice) – The Penang Metropolitan Region (George Town Conurbation)", "Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca", "Eight new sites, from the Straits of Malacca, to Papua New Guinea and San Marino, added to UNESCO's World Heritage List", "Asia's 10 greatest street food cities CNN Travel", "Looking for a 2016 vacation? Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. [257], The Penang State Museum and Art Gallery houses relics, photographs, maps, and other artifacts that document the history and culture of Penang. George Town, Penang - Get the very latest weather forecast, including hour-by-hour views, the 10-day outlook, temperature, humidity and precipitation for your area. [29], Aside from colonial European architecture, a huge assortment of Asian architectural styles also exist throughout the city. The oldest bank in Malaysia, Standard Chartered, opened its main branch in George Town in 1875 to cater to the financial requirements of early European traders. George Town is 94 m above sea level and located at 5.39° N 100.29° E. George Town has a population of 300000. [55][85][86], In a bid to revitalise George Town, the Komtar project was launched in 1974. It was subjugated by Japan during World War II, before being recaptured by the British at war's end. [243][244][245] The more prominent local dishes include asam laksa, char kway teow, curry mee, Hokkien mee, nasi kandar, oh chien (fried oyster omelette), rojak and chendol. [144], The city is also home to the world's smallest national park – the Penang National Park. George Town is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang. [303], In 2011, the then Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng, officiated the launch of the Penang edition of Time Out. [149], George Town's proximity to the island of Sumatra makes it susceptible to dust particles carried by wind from the perennial but transient forest fires, creating a yearly phenomenon known as the Southeast Asian haze. [325] Occasionally, the pier hosts warships as well, including those from Singapore, Thailand and the United States. [190][191] Meanwhile, George Town's Chinese population uses a variety of Chinese dialects, including Hakka and Cantonese. [80][89][90], The city's decline continued into the early 2000s. [233], While shopping malls now dominate the retail scene in George Town, many centuries-old shophouses are still operating alongside the city's flea markets and wet markets, such as Chowrasta Market. George Town experiences relatively consistent temperatures throughout the course of the year, with an average high of about 32 °C (90 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (70 °F). [232] Among the more well-known shopping malls within the city are Gurney Plaza, Gurney Paragon, 1st Avenue and Queensbay Mall. [182] A small but commercially significant community of German merchants existed in George Town as well, as did a Jewish enclave. [268][269], George Town has a relatively well-developed sporting infrastructure. Under Operation Jurist, the British Royal Marines accepted the surrender of the Japanese garrison in Penang and retook Penang Island on 3 September 1945. [22][25][26], Although Light subsequently reported on this offer to his superiors, it was only in 1786 when he was finally ordered to obtain Penang Island from Kedah. [234], George Town is the birthplace of a unique form of Chingay procession, which began with its first parade in 1919. Not only did the British abandon the Batu Maung Fort south of the city, they also covertly evacuated Penang's European population, leaving the rest of the populace to their fates. [29][46], Throughout the century, George Town's population grew rapidly in tandem with the city's economic prosperity. [37][38] Edmond Stanley assumed office as the First Recorder of the Supreme Court of Penang in 1808, thus serving as Malaya's first Superior Court Judge. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 75°F to 89°F and is rarely below 72°F or above 92°F.. Based on the beach/pool score, the best time of year to visit George Town for hot-weather activities is from mid December to early March. [39][40] The spice trade also allowed the British East India Company to cover the administrative costs of Penang. [7] Thus, Greater Penang is the most populous metropolitan area in Malaysia outside the Klang Valley (Greater Kuala Lumpur). [164] The parliamentary constituencies are Tanjong, Bukit Bendera, Jelutong, Bukit Gelugor, Bayan Baru and Balik Pulau. [320], The Penang International Airport, 16 km (9.9 mi) south of the city centre, was opened in 1935. Sri Mahamariamman Temple. [14][217][218][219][220] These are in addition to George Town's reputation as a gastronomic haven, with the CNN placing the city as one of Asia's best street food cities. In 2013, the State of Penang signed a friendship state agreement with Hainan Province in China. [275][276] In addition, George Town will host the Asia Pacific Masters Games in 2018, the first Malaysian city to be selected to host this regional multi-sports tournament.[277]. 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