Kualar Lumpur, Malaysia's capital city, has a unique name; the words literally refer to ";a muddy confluence."; Kuala Lumpur received its peculiar name due to its location in a place where the Gombak and Klang rivers intersect.Hence, Kuala Lumpur owes its name to its founding location. As time passed, the city gradually grew to become one of the most important Asian centres. Malaysians generally consider Kuala Lumpur as the heartbeat of the nation; yes, it all happens in Kuala Lumpur- whatever you want to be done. Thus, hordes of people from everywhere within Malaysia regularly come to this metropolis to do business or find jobs. Many tourists also love Kuala Lumpur owing to its beautiful sights and multiple attractions.
Do you love to sample various types of dishes? Kuala Lumpur is the place to be; you're likely to be spoilt for choices. And the story doesn't end there; you'll have a rare chance to visit many modern shopping complexes and malls that thrive within the city centre. No wonder many consider Kuala Lumpur as the perfect place for those seeking to make a short stopover in Malaysia. Many who try to make this brief stopovers actually come back within a short time- intent on enjoying more of this beautiful place.
Do you know something about the history of Kuala Lumpur? Even if you do, you're likely to want to know some more. The settlement that later became Kuala Lumpur was first erected sometime in 1857. The settlement came up as a result of the massive tin mining activity (that continues in the Ampang district area). Another contributing factor was that it was possible to supply many goods over the rivers that straddled the city. At some point, it seemed that the minerals around Kuala Lumpur was actually inexhaustible. Unfortunately, the city soon faced many administrative and leadership issues, and before long- the town quickly became a place full of chaos and disorder. In time, the situation improved, and Kapitan ( Yap Ah Loy) introduced many changes and gradually transformed the town into a modern city. Yap Ah Loy was a prominent politician who received the direct support of the Sultan. Some, however, considered Yap Ah Loy as a crime Lord of some kind. But the city soon drew international attention due to its prosperity. Take for, example, England; since the Kingdom of England was quite interested in producing tin, Kuala Lumpur started having a strong English influence.. Later (in 1896), the Malaysian Federation was founded, with Kuala Lumpur as the capital. The English influence significantly contributed to Malaysia's rapid development; it also had a role in the growth of Kuala Lumpur as a modern city. In time, KL became a major South-East Asian city with huge stakes for the region.
Kuala Lumpur Becomes Capital of the New Malaysia
The Japanese forces temporarily drove away the British troops at some point during World War II. But after the 44-month occupation, the English authorities came back to Kuala Lumpur; they hoped to seize their former supremacy in the city and Malaysia as a whole. Nevertheless, England never succeeded fully despite trying to control the land right up to 1957. Inevitably, on August 31 1957, Malaysia was officially declared independent of British rule; the momentous declaration took place at Kuala Lumpur's Merdeka Square (Merdeka means independence). Thus, at independence Kuala Lumpur became the capital city of the newly independent state.
Petronas Twin Towers
Today, Kuala Lumpur is a prosperous modern metropolis; the city has a large central business district, many tall skyscrapers (like the Petronas Twin Towers), internationally renowned hotels and luxurious shopping malls. The city is located within the Selangor federal state, around 40 km from the coast (note that Kuala Lumpur is not considered a political part of Selangor). The Klang harbour Port in Kuala Lumpur is also the largest in Malaysia. The port is situated near the river Klang. 1.8 million people live in the Kuala Lumpur city centre itself. The term Klang Valley is used to refer to the Greater Kuala Lumpur area- this is an urban centre with more than 8 million residents.
Overall, Kuala Lumpur's residents today earn more and more. The people enjoy a vastly improved standard of living and a sophisticated lifestyle; many have become wealthy. The city's growth is also marked by the proliferation of many construction and business projects that are likely to attract many more people within and outside Malaysia.