Photo : Kota Darul Ehsan

History

Selangor's history dates to the 16th century, when rich tin deposits were found in the region. One especially important group of settlers was the Bugis from Macassar (now Ujung Padang) in Celebes. Renowned for their capabilities as sea traders and warriors, the Bugis soon rose to prominence in Selangor.

The Bugis first landed in Kampung Permatang in Kuala Selangor in the 16th century. By 1700, they dominated the State both politically and economically and had established the present Sultanate of Selangor.

Over the course of the 18th century, Selangor extended its sphere of influence to become a regional political power. As the western colonial presence increased over the following century, the constant fighting between the Bugis, Chinese tin-miners and Malay nobility forced the Sultan of Selangor to accept the presence of a British Resident in 1874. Then in 1896, about the same time the rubber cultivation began in the country, the British included Selangor in the Federated Malay States.

In 1948, the State joined the Federation of Malaya. In 1957, the Federation became an independent State within the Commonwealth of Nations. In 1974, the country's capital city of Kuala Lumpur and some of the surrounding areas were ceded to the Federal Government for the establishment of Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.

Today, Selangor is Malaysia's richest and most developed state. It is home to the largest port in the country, Port Klang, and to many of the country's largest industrial operations, found particularly in the Klang Valley.

Economy

Being the richest and the most developed, Selangor's economy is diversified with a good mixture of agricultural, industrial, commercial and tourism activities.

Though rubber, palm oil, and tin mining are the core of the State's economy, the development of its port, Port Klang, and the rapidly expanding industrial areas are increasingly contributing towards the prosperity of the State. Tourism is also beginning to have a major impact on the economy and Selangor is in the process of developing its many attrURL.states, both natural and man-made.

Due to the recent economic downturn in the late 1990s, Selangor's Gross Domestic Product fell a few points. However, the situation is expected to change in the new millennium.

The agriculture, forestry, livestock and fishing's share of the State's GDP declined from 7% in 1995 to 5.1% in 1997. Other shares on a decline over the same period are the manufacturing sector from 35.5% to 33.4% and the construction sector from 19.1% to 18.2%. Meanwhile the share of the mining and quarrying sector increased from 1.2% in 1995 to 3.4% in 1997.

Even though the State's GDP increased from RM123,722 million in 1995 to RM147,235 million in 1997 - a growth of 20.9%, the per capita income fell from RM10,313 in 1997 to RM9,849 in 1998.

Geography

Measuring 8,000 sq km, Selangor is the most developed state in Malaysia. The State is bounded on the north by Perak, on the east by Pahang and Negeri Sembilan and on the west by the Straits of Malacca.

Climate

Warm, sunny days and cool nights all year round with occasional rain in the evenings. Temperature ranges from 23°C to 33°C. Humidity usually exceeds 80%. Annual rainfall is 2,670 mm. Although rain falls throughout the year, December to February are said to be the wettest months.