Kuala Lumpur is located on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, at the center of Selangor state. Kuala Lumpur translates to “muddy confluence” which name was given to the city due to its location at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers. The city dates back to 1895 when it was the capital of the then Federated Malay States. From 1946-48 and from1948-63, Kuala Lumpur also served as the capital for the Malayan Union and Federation of Malaysia respectively. Kuala Lumpur was granted its "city" status in 1972 and subsequently became a Federal Territory in 1974.

Kuala Lumpur is the most populous Malaysian city with a population of approximately 7.2 million people. This includes the federal territory and the suburbs. The federal urban metropolitan is more populated with over 6 million people. The city has experienced immense population growth in the recent years hence has been ranked as the fastest growing metropolitan city in Malaysia.

The city is endowed with some of the modern spectacular buildings and architecture in the world. The city is marked by some of Southeast Asia’s tallest skyscrapers such as the Petronas Twin Towers and the Menara KL Tower. This makes it the sixth most visited city in the world. The capital receives about 8.9 million tourists each year. Other major sites in Kuala Lumpur include Batu caves, the Bukit Bintang district, Merdeka Square, KL Bird Park and the National Palace (Istana Negara). Others are the Thean Hou Temple, Sri Maha Sakthi Amman Temple, and Chinatown. Kuala Lumpur also hosts many cultural festivals such as the Thaipusam which happens every year.

It is mostly hot throughout the year in Kuala Lumpur. The city experiences a tropical rainforest climate characterized by warmth, sunshine, and rainfall. This type of weather is attributed to the fact that Kuala Lumpur is bordered by the Titiwangsa Mountains and Sumatra Island to the east and west respectively. The city experiences a lot of rainfall during the monsoon season from October to March. This often causes flooding in the city. Temperatures remain constant with highs of 38.5 degrees Celsius and lows of 14.4 degrees Celsius.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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