Map of the Federal States of Malysia

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Map: Volker Preuß, to Malaysia? → click or tap here

Position on the Malay Peninsula:

Map: Volker Preuß

Numbers and Facts

Area: 316 square miles

Inhabitants: 254.400 (2019), thereof 80% Malays, 9% Chinese

Religions: 88% Muslim, 10% Buddhist

Density of Population: 804 inh./sq.mi.

Capital: Kangar, 48.898 inh. (2005)

official Language: Malaysian

other Languages: Pelat Utara, Hokkien, English, Tamil

Currency: Malaysische Currency

Time Zone: GMT + 8 h

Source: Wikipedia (EN)

History

7th–11th cent. · to the Shrividjaja Empire

11th cent. · first mention of a state of Kadaram (Kedah) in the region, to which today's Perlis belongs

12th cent. · Islamisation

14th-15th cent. · to the empire of Siam

15th cent. · Conquest by Malacca

17th cent. · Portuguese attacks, Kedah temporarily comes under the control of the Sultanate of Aceh

1786 · the Sultan of Kedah hands over the island of Penang to the British, as a guarantee of protection against Siam

1821 · Siamese troops occupy Kedah and annex it to their empire as "Syburi"

1842 · Siam separates Perlis from Kedah as a principality, from 1843 ruled by a Rajah from the House of Kedah

1896 · Kedah and Perlis are united to form the Siamese province of "Monthon Syburi"

1909 · Anglo-Siamese Treaty, the present-day border between Malaysia and Thailand is created, as Siam cedes Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu to United Kingdom and combines these countries in 1914 with Johor to form the "Non-Federated Malay States"

1941-1943 · occupied by Japanese Troops

1943–1945 · annexed to Thailand

1st of April 1946 · creation of the Malaysian Union by confederation of the Malaysian Sultanates (British protectorates) and the Straits Settlements (British crown colonies), however without Singapore

1948 · re-organization of the Malaysian Union, creation of the Malaysian Federation under a British High Commissioner

31st of August 1957 · independence and proclamation of the Kingdom of Malaysian Federation

16th of September 1963 · proclamation of the Kingdom of Malaysia

Source: Atlas zur Geschichte, Wikipedia (EN), Discovery '97

Origin of the Country's Name

The origin of the country name "Perlis" is unclear. There is only conjecture. The name is said to come from the phrase "Phrao Loi", which means "coconut washed ashore", or the name comes from the Malay word "peroleh", which means "preserved", alluding to the cession of Perlis from Kedah. There is also a theory that the name comes from a now extinct species of tree that grew here. The name is also said to come from the word "perelus" which means "foot falls into a crack" because of the mud found here.

Source: Wikipedia (EN)