Located
on the west coast of peninsular Malaysia and covering 8,000 square
kilometers, Selangor is bounded on the north by Perak, on the
east by Pahang and Negeri Sembilan, and on the west by the Straits of
Malacca.
Selangor's climate is characterized by a warm, sunny
days, and cool nights all year round and 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.
Selangor has been called the gateway of Malaysia. It
is also the industrial hub of Malaysia; the country's largest industrial
site is located in Shah Alam, the states capital, just 25 kilometers
from Kuala Lumpur. It is the most populous state in the country with a
total population of 2.7 million inhabitants. Despite being
industry-based, the state is blessed with natural forests, waterfalls,
hills, and lakes to complement its many man-made attractions.

Selangor's history dates to the 16th
century, when rich tin deposits were found in the region. The area's
natural wealth, along with its relative freedom from the presence of the
Dutch, attracted miners, immigrants and colonisers. One especially
important group of settlers were the Bugis, a Malay people from Macassar
(now Ujung Padang) in Celebes. Bugis emigration from this great port
city followed the steady encroachment of the Dutch over territory
previously dominated by Portuguese traders, with whom the Bugis had
allied themselves. Renowned for their capabilities as sea traders and
warriors, the Bugis soon rose to prominence in Selangor. By 1700 they
dominated the state both politically and economically and had
established the present Sultanate of Selangor.
Over the course of the
eighteenth century, Selangor extended its sphere of influence to become
a regional political power. As the western colonial presence increased
over the following century, in-fighting between the Bugis, Chinese and
Malay nobility forced Selangor to accept the presence of a British
Resident in 1874. Unsurprisingly, this foothold in the prosperous
state's administration proved out to be rather obstinate. In 1896, the
British included Selangor in the Federated Malay States, at about the
same time that rubber cultivation began in Malaysia. 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
Wilayah Persekutuan, a Federal Territory.
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. Its
highly diversified economy ranges from agriculture, industry, and
commerce to tourism. While industry is rapidly expanding, the mainstays
of the state's economy remain rubber, palm-oil, and tin mining. Port
Klang, already the largest port in the country, is experiencing vigorous
development. Tourism is also beginning to have a major impact on the
economy. Selangor completely surrounds the Federal Territory of Wilayah
Persekutuan, and there are many close economic and social ties between
them.

Travelling to Selangor is
really easy and convenient as it has he most modern and comprehensive
transport infrastructure of any state in Malaysia.
By Sea
The nation's largest port is Port Klang, with ultramodern Westport
complementing the sophisticated berthing facilities in the area. Nearby
is the Star Cruise terminal, which was built exclusively for the
convenience of tourists arriving on cruise ships. Smaller
single-facility jetties serve visitors from Dumai, Indonesia and the
outlying local islands while private marinas welcome foreign guests who
wish to berth their yachts in comfort and convenience.
By Air
The Kuala Lumpur International Airport at Sepang is one of the largest
and most sophisticated in the world, and is sometimes viewed as an
attraction in itself with the forest-style landscaping, numerous
eateries and the world's tallest control tower. The Sultan Abdul Aziz
Shah Airport in Subang caters mainly for domestic flights, as well as
for flights to nearby regional destinations. Buses and taxicabs as well
as self-drive rental car companies serve both airports.
By Rail
Visitors can come in from Thailand or Singapore by Keretapi Tanah Melayu
(KTM) services, while the convenient KTM commuter trains provide regular
services to numerous towns within Selangor. The state can also be
accessed from Kuala Lumpur by the Star and Putra Light Rail Transit
services.
By Road
An excellent network of good roads takes the intrepid traveller to any
destination within the state. Selangor is also linked to Singapore,
Thailand and the rest of the peninsula by a system of new tolled
highways that have all amenities a traveller could need including rest
areas, restaurants, souvenir shops and even suraus where Muslims can
perform their prayers. These roads include the PLUS North-South Highway,
the LDP Puchong-Damansara Highway, The KESAS Shah Alam Expressway, the
Karak Highway linking the East Coast, The New Klang Valley Expressway
and the SPRINT Expressway into Kuala Lumpur, the Selayang-Kepong
Highway, the BESRAYA Salak South Highway and the pioneer project of them
all, the venerable Federal Highway.

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