Photo : State Secretariat Building (Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim)

History

The word Johor is derived from the Arabic word Jauhar, which literally means 'Precious Stones', which illustrates the influence of the early Arab traders who traded spices in the State. To the Siamese, Johor is Gangganu or 'Treasured Stones'.

Johor was founded in the early 16th century by the son of Sultan Mahmud Shah, the last Sultan of Malacca, whose State was captured by the Portuguese. From a small State, it grew into the Johor Empire that covered the Riau Archipelago.

In the 18th century, the Bugis of Celebes and the Minangkabaus of Sumatra controlled the political powers in the Johor-Riau Empire. However, in the early 19th century, Malay and Bugis rivalry commanded the scene. In 1819, Stamford Raffles took opportunity on the conflict to acquire Singapore for the British. As a result, the Johor-Riau Empire was broken into mainland Johor, controlled by the Temenggong, and the Sultanate of Riau-Linggi, controlled by the Bugis.

This is when the history of modern Johor began. In 1855, under the terms of a treaty between the British in Singapore and Sultan Ali of Johor, the control over the State was formally ceded to Dato'; Temenggong Daing Ibrahim, who began to develop Johor.

The Temenggong was succeeded by his son, Dato'; Temenggong Abu Bakar, who later took the title Seri Maharaja Johor. In 1866, he was formally crowned the Sultan of Johor. Sultan Abu Bakar was the one who gave Johor its own constitution and developed its efficient administration system and constructed the Istana Besar, the official residence of the Sultan. Due to these achievements, Sultan Abu Bakar is known by the title 'Father of Modern Johor'.

Until the administration of his son and successor, Sultan Ibrahim, the State continued to prosper. In 1910, the British appointed a British advisor to counsel Sultan Ibrahim on matters of the State. The Johor State also suffered, as did others, during the Japanese occupation of Malaya until the year 1945.

Then in 1948, it joined the Federation of Malaya, which gained Independence in 1957. Today, Johor is a prosperous State with an expanding economy, fuelled by agriculture, manufacturing, commerce and tourism.

Economy

The economic activity of Johor is dominated by agriculture, manufacturing, commerce and tourism. It is also the nation's major producer of palm oil, rubber, pineapples and bananas.

Around Johor Bahru and other major towns, one can find many industrial estates that produce electronic components, electrical appliances, furniture, textiles and petrochemical products.

Geography

Johor is the southern most State in the Peninsular Malaysia. The State is bounded on the north by Malacca and Pahang, on the west by the Straits of Malacca, on the east by South China Sea and on the south by Singapore.

The State covers an area of 18,986 sq km. Johor';s highest point is Gunung Ledang.

Climate

On the whole, Johor's climate is tropical monsoon. The temperature is relatively uniform within the range of 26°C to 27°C throughout the year. During the months of January to April, the weather is generally dry and warm. Humidity is consistently high on the lowlands ranging between 82% to 86% per annum. The average rainfall per year is 2,030 mm to 3,050 mm and the wettest months are from May to December.