Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysian pronunciation: [ˈkualə, -a ˈlumpo(r), -ʊ(r)]), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (Malay: Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur) and colloquially referred to as KL, is a federal territory and the ceremonial, legislative and judicial capital city of Malaysia. It is one of the fastest growing cities in Asia and the largest city in Malaysia, covering an area of 243 km2 (94 sq mi) with a census population of 1,982,112 as of 2020[update].[8] Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.564 million people as of 2018[update].[4] It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in Southeast Asia, both in population and economic development.
The city serves as the cultural, financial, and economic centre of Malaysia. It is also home to the Parliament of Malaysia, and the Istana Negara, the official residence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (monarch of Malaysia). Kuala Lumpur first developed around 1857 as a town serving the tin mines of the region and served as the capital of Selangor from 1880 until 1978. Kuala Lumpur was the founding capital of the Federation of Malaya and its successor Malaysia, and the city remained the seat of the executive and judicial branches of the Malaysian federal government until these were relocated to Putrajaya in early 1999.[9] However, some sections of the political bodies still remain in Kuala Lumpur. The city is one of the three federal territories of Malaysia,[10] enclaved within the state of Selangor, on the central west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.[11]
Since the 1990s, the city has played host to many international sporting, political and cultural events including the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 2017 Southeast Asian Games. Kuala Lumpur has undergone rapid development in recent decades and is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Towers, which have since become an iconic symbol of Malaysian development. Kuala Lumpur is well connected with neighboring urban regions such as Petaling Jaya via the rapidly-expanding Klang Valley Integrated Transit System. Residents of the city can also travel to other parts of Malaysia through KL Sentral.
Kuala Lumpur is one of the leading cities in the world for tourism and shopping, the 6th most-visited city in the world in 2019.[12] The city houses three of the world's ten largest shopping malls.[13] Kuala Lumpur ranks 70th in the world and second in Southeast Asia for Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Ranking[14] and ninth in ASPAC and second in Southeast Asia for KPMG's Leading Technology Innovation Hub 2021.[15] Kuala Lumpur was named World Book Capital 2020 by UNESCO.[16][17]
Kuala Lumpur means "muddy confluence" in Malay; Kuala is the point where two rivers join or an estuary, and lumpur means "mud".[18][19] One suggestion is that it was named after Sungai Lumpur ("muddy river"); in the 1820s a place named Sungei Lumpoor was said to be the most important tin-producing settlement up the Klang River. However this derivation does not account for this: Kuala Lumpur lies at the confluence of Gombak River and Klang River, and therefore should be named Kuala Gombak, since the kuala is typically named after the river that joins a larger river or the sea. Some have argued that Sungai Lumpur in fact extended down to the confluence and therefore the point where it joined the Klang River would be Kuala Lumpur,[22] although this Sungai Lumpur is said to be another river joining the Klang River 1.5 kilometres (1 mile) upstream from the Gombak confluence, or perhaps located to the north of the Batu Caves area.
Jamek Mosque at the confluence of the Gombak (left) and Klang (right) rivers. The earliest settlement of Kuala Lumpur developed on the eastern side of the river bank (to the right in this picture).
Kapitan Yap Ah Loy, the third Chinese Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur
Frank Swettenham,
credited with Kuala Lumpur's rapid growth and development
Part of a panoramic view of Kuala Lumpur
c. 1884. To the left is the Padang. The buildings were constructed of wood and atap before regulations enacted by Swettenham in 1884 required buildings to use bricks and tiles. The appearance of Kuala Lumpur transformed rapidly in the following years due to the building regulations.
The Government Offices of the Federated Malay States (Now the Sultan Abdul Samad Building) facing the Padang,
c. 1900 The construction of railway spurred the growth of the city. The first headquarters of the Federated Malay States Railways (now the National Textile Museum) near the F.M.S. Government Offices in the distance,
c. 1910.
An arcade of shophouses with a road sweeper at work in the street of Kuala Lumpur,
c. 1915–1925.
Japanese troops advancing up High Street (now Jalan Tun H S Lee) in Kuala Lumpur in December 1941 during World War II.
The Majestic Theatre on Pudu Road was an early pioneer in Kuala Lumpur's cinema scene. It was converted into an amusement park in the 1990s and demolished in 2009.
Kuala lumpur cityscape in the 1980s before KLCC was created. The race track in the foreground was replaced by the Petronas Tower and KLCC Park.
[65] The Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) in 2020
A satellite view of Klang Valley or Greater Kuala Lumpur
The Red Arrows over the city in 2016
Perdana Botanical Gardens
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A map of Kuala Lumpur with the locations of the city centre and its suburbs.
The Malaysia Parliament House (
Bangunan Parlimen Malaysia), located at the end of Jalan Parlimen.
A pedestrian mall by the Central Market
The Merdeka 118 is the tallest building in Southeast Asia; it is also the second-tallest building in the world, after the Burj Khalifa.
The Exchange 106 is the third-tallest building in Malaysia, located within TRX.
The Medan Pasar with its clock tower right at the centre of the square.
Sultan Abdul Samad Building, a historic building designed in the Moorish style and formerly housed various government offices.
The National Museum of Malaysia, located along Jalan Damansara.
Clockwise from top left: Masjid Negara, Thean Hou Temple, Sri Mahamariamman Temple, St. John's Cathedral
Panorama view of Kuala Lumpur in 2020
The Kuala Lumpur Railway Station (right) contrasts with Keretapi Tanah Melayu (left) Administration Building, a darker, similarly Mughal-styled building. Both were designed by A. B. Hubback
Jamek Mosque (
Masjid Jamek) is one of the oldest mosques still standing in Kuala Lumpur, built in 1909.
KLCC Park is a 50-acre urban park located in the city centre.
The view of Kuala Lumpur from Titiwangsa Lake Gardens
University of Malaya City View.
Frieze depicting Malaysian history at the National Museum.
The Saloma Link seen at dusk.
Bukit Jalil National Stadium is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium that was built in January 1995.
The decorative relief wall portraying the
Rukun Negara, the Malaysian national pledge, at the Upper Concourse Level of Merdeka MRT station.
Major urban rail transportation in Kuala Lumpur. Left from top: MRT Kajang Line, MRT Putrajaya Line, LRT Ampang/Sri Petaling Line, LRT Kelana Jaya Line, KL Monorail Line and KTM Komuter
Entrance A of the Tun Razak Exchange MRT station. The station is designed to look more business-friendly, located in and named after a new financial district under development, TRX.
Airport rail link in Kuala Lumpur: ERL (left) and Skypark Link (right)
Double-deck buses crossing at Jalan Ampang
Typical public cab in Kuala Lumpur
Isfahan street (formerly
Jalan Selat, Straits Road) in Kuala Lumpur (above) and Kuala Lumpur avenue in Isfahan (below)
