George Town is the capital of the Malaysian state of Penang and the core city of the George Town Conurbation, Malaysia's second largest metropolitan area with a population of 2.83 million. The city proper covers an area of and was home to a population of 794,313 .
Initially established as an entrepôt by Francis Light in 1786, George Town now serves as the economic hub for northern Malaysia. Rated a 'Gamma −' level global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network in 2020, it contributed nearly 8% of Malaysia's personal disposable income, second only to Kuala Lumpur. George Town remains the financial centre of northern Malaysia, while the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, a high-tech manufacturing hub in the city's south, has become the nucleus of Malaysia's electronics industry. Its strong manufacturing sector, anchored by hundreds of multinational corporations, has made George Town the top exporter among Malaysian cities. It is also the primary medical tourism hub in the country. The Penang International Airport links George Town with several major regional cities, while a ferry service and two road bridges connect the city with the rest of Peninsular Malaysia. In recent years, Swettenham Pier has emerged as the busiest port of call in Malaysia for cruise shipping.
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 in the early 19th century. Following rapid growth in its early years, it became the capital of the Straits Settlements in 1826, only to lose its administrative status to Singapore in 1832. The Straits Settlements became a British crown colony in 1867. George Town was subjugated by the Empire of Japan in December 1941, before being retaken by the British at the end of World War II. 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 modern history. In 1974, the Malaysian federal government revoked George Town's city status, a position that would not be altered until 2015, when its jurisdiction was reinstated and expanded to cover the entirety of Penang Island and the surrounding islets in 2015.
The city is renowned for its unique architectural styles, which have been shaped by centuries of intermingling of various ethnicities and religions. It has also gained a reputation as modern Malaysia's gastronomical capital for its distinct and ubiquitous street cuisine. The preservation of these cultures contributed to the city centre's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.
Etymology
The city was named in honour of King George III. Prior to the arrival of the British, the area had also been named 'Tanjung Penaga' (Jawi: ) due to the abundance of a tree called penaga laut (Calophyllum inophyllum) found at the city's cape (tanjung). It is often erroneously spelt 'Georgetown', which was never the city's official name; such misspelling may have arisen in confusion with other places having the same name.
History
Establishment
In the 1770s, the British East India Company instructed Francis Light, a Royal Navy captain, to form trade relations in the Malay Peninsula. Light subsequently landed in Kedah, a Siamese vassal state threatened by both Siam and Burma, as well as an internal Bugis revolt. Aware of this situation, Light formed friendly relations with the then Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin II, and promised British military protection, while the Sultan reciprocally offered Penang Island, then part of Kedah.
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. The British East India Company sought control of the island as a Royal Navy base, and as a trading post between China and India. 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. After an agreement was signed between Light and the Sultan, Light and his entourage sailed on to Penang Island, where they arrived on 17 July 1786.
The area where Light first landed, which is now the Esplanade, was originally a swamp covered in thick jungle. Once the area was cleared, a simple ceremony was held on 11 August, during which the Union Jack was raised. Penang Island was renamed the Prince of Wales Island after the heir to the British throne, while the new settlement was given the name George Town.