Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. They are connected by Malaysia's two longest road bridges, the Penang Bridge and the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge; the latter is also the second longest oversea bridge in Southeast Asia. The second smallest Malaysian state by land mass, Penang, is bordered by Kedah to the north and the east, and Perak to the south.
George Town is the capital of the Malaysian state of Penang, and the eighth-most populous city proper in Malaysia. The historical core of the city, covering an area of 19 km2 (7 sq mi), has a population of 158,336 in the 2020 census, making it among the densest urban areas in Asia; while the city proper has an estimated population of 794,313 inhabitants, presiding over an area of 306 km2 (118 sq mi). George Town is also the core city of the Greater Penang Conurbation, the third largest metropolitan area in the country with 2.833 million inhabitants.
Captain Francis Light was a British explorer and the founder of the British colony of Penang and its capital city of George Town in 1786. Light and his lifelong partner, Martina Rozells, were the parents of William Light, who founded the city of Adelaide in South Australia.
The Tun Abdul Razak Complex, ; colloquially known by its Malay acronym Komtar, formerly known as the Penang New Urban Center and the Central Area Redevelopment Plan for Penang, is a multicomplex located in the city of George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The complex comprises retail outlets, a transportation hub, and a skyscraper, containing the administrative offices of the Penang state government. It was named after Abdul Razak Hussein, the second Prime Minister of Malaysia, who officiated the construction of the complex. The tower is the third tallest building in Malaysia outside of Kuala Lumpur, after The Astaka Tower B at 255.6 m (839 ft). It was the tallest building in George Town, Penang and Malaysia upon completion. Until 1988, it became the second-tallest building, after the completion of the Maybank Tower.
Fort Cornwallis is a bastion fort in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, built by the British East India Company in the late 18th century. It is the largest standing fort in Malaysia. The fort never engaged in combat during its operational history.
St. Xavier's Institution, at Farquhar Street in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, is the oldest Lasallian school in Southeast Asia and one of the Catholic Lasallian schools in Malaysia. While it has a history dating back to 1787, the present-day institution, named after St. Francis Xavier, was only established in 1852.
Pulau Tikus is a northwestern suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Situated between the city centre and Tanjung Tokong, this upper class suburb was named after a rock just off the coast of Penang Island. It is home to small minorities of Eurasians, Thais and Burmese populations.
Ayer Itam is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Nested within the central valleys of Penang Island, it is located approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) southwest of the city centre. Ayer Itam is one of the well-known places to sample Penang cuisine, and includes a handful of major tourist attractions such as Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si Temple.
The Suffolk House refers to two early residences built on the same site located some four miles west of George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Located on the banks of the Air Itam River, the earliest of the two buildings is notable for having served as the residence of Francis Light, the founder of the first British settlement on Penang. Following Light's death in 1794, and with Penang becoming the fourth presidency of India in 1805, a newer Suffolk House replaced the original house, assuming multiple roles before it was later neglected and subsequently restored.
St. George's Church is a 19th-century Anglican church in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. It is the oldest purpose built Anglican church in Southeast Asia. The church lies within the jurisdiction of the Upper North Archedeaconry of the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Penang is situated in the northern region of Malaysia covering 5 states, namely Penang, Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan. It was created on 25 February 1955 together with the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur. It is under the Ecclesiastical province of Kuala Lumpur.
The Church of the Assumption was founded in 1786, when Captain Francis Light first came to Penang, Malaysia. It is located in Farquhar Street, George Town, within the heritage core zone of the city. The church is the third oldest Catholic church in Malaysia.
Beach Street is a major thoroughfare and part of the central business district in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. It is also one of the oldest streets in Penang, having been created soon after the founding of Penang by Captain Francis Light in 1786.
The Penang High Court, founded in 1808, is the birthplace of Malaysia's judiciary system. It is housed inside a Palladian-style building at Light Street, George Town, Penang. To this day, the High Court sits at the top of Penang's hierarchy of courts.
Light Street is the oldest road in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. It was named after the founder of Penang, Captain Francis Light. As the epicentre of George Town, the street was created soon after Light established the settlement in 1786 and has been serving as a major thoroughfare within the city centre ever since.
Pitt Street or Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling in Malay is a major thoroughfare in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. One of the oldest roads in the city centre, it was named after William Pitt the Younger, the Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1786.
Farquhar Street is a major thoroughfare in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Created in the late 18th century, the road forms part of the city centre's civic precinct, and is notable for the colonial buildings built under British rule. These include some of the most significant civic, religious, and commercial buildings of Penang, such as Penang High Court, Penang State Museum and Art Gallery, St. George's Church, Church of the Assumption, and Eastern & Oriental Hotel.
Weld Quay is a coastal road along the eastern shoreline of the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. One of a handful of places worldwide that was named after a Prime Minister of New Zealand, the road connects the Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu Expressway with Light Street and Beach Street in the heart of the city.
Macalister Road is a major thoroughfare in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. The road stretches out of Magazine Circus next to Komtar in the city centre towards the leafier western edge of the city.
The Town Hall is a British-built administrative building in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. It is located adjacent to the City Hall, which now serves as the seat of the Penang Island City Council.
