In anticipation of our upcoming first visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, we conducted a little background research.
Here are 12 Interesting Facts About Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:
1) Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia’s largest city and its capital.
2) The city was founded in 1857 by Chinese tin miners.
3) The name Kuala Lumpur is a Malay term meaning “muddy confluence”. The city is situated at the confluence of Gombak River (earlier Lumpur River) and Klang River.
4) Kuala Lumpur is fondly known as KL, and its residents are known as KLites.
5) The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia and is one of the few elected monarchs in the world. Sultan Abdul Halim of Kedah is the current Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and lives at the palatial Istana Negara complex -the official residence of the Malaysian monarch – covering 13 acres in Kuala Lumpur.
6) Kuala Lumpur is 94 square miles in size with an average elevation of 72 feet above sea level. The city floods during periods of heavy rains.
7) An Argentinian architect, Cesar Pelli, designed the Petronas Twin Towers. Between 1998 through 2004 they were the world’s tallest buildings and are still regarded as the world’s tallest ‘twin’ buildings.
8) One of the Petronas Twin Towers was built by the Japanese Hazama Corporation; the other twin tower was built by the Korean Samsung C&T Corporation. The tower built by Samsung group is level; the tower constructed by the Hazama Corporation, however, has a tilt of nearly 10 inches.
Build your own Petronas Towers
Wange Building & Construction 8011 The Petronas Towers Of Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Building Blocks (1160 Piece)
9) Kuala Lumpur is the retail and fashion hub of Malaysia and boasts of more than 65 shopping malls, including the world’s fourth largest mall, 1Utama, which covers 5 million square feet. The Sunway Pyramid shopping mall is most recognizable with its Egyptian-inspired sphinx architecture.
10) During World War II, Kuala Lumpur was captured by the Japanese Army on January 11th, 1942, and occupied until August 15th, 1945 when Seishiro Itagaki surrendered to the British following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
11) In 1957, the Federation of Malaya gained its independence from British rule. Kuala Lumpur remained the capital city after the formation of Malaysia on September 16, 1963.
12) One of the most popular Hindu shrines outside of India, the Batu Caves are a series of cave temples in a limestone hill located 8 miles north of KL in the Gombak district.
Check out these resources to learn more about Kuala Lumpur:
Lonely Planet Pocket Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur Street Names: A Guide to Their Meanings and Histories
If you enjoy history and interesting facts about far-flung destinations, check out these other Fun Facts posts:
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