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Kedah
Columbia Encyclopedia entry: Kedah
Kedahkĕ'də, kā'dä, state (1991 pop. 1,304,800), 3,660 sq mi (9,479 sq km), central Malay Peninsula, Malaysia, on the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered on the N and NE by Thailand. The capital and chief city is Alor Setar; Sungai Patani is an important town. Along the coast are wide alluvial plains where rice is grown. S Kedah has rubber plantations, and tin is mined in the hills of the interior. Generally level, Kedah has on its east border a mountain range that rises to 6,600 ft (2,012 m). Several islands are also included in the state; Langkawi off the northwest coast is the largest. The majority of the inhabitants of Kedah are Malays; there are also many Chinese, Indians working on the rubber plantations, and small groups of aborigines. Kedah was the center of the early Hinduized kingdom of Langkasuka, according to Arab and Chinese reports of the 6th–8th cent. During the Sri Vijaya domination of the Malay Peninsula (8th–13th cent.) it was an important naval and trade center. During the 15th cent. it fell under the domination of Malacca (see Melaka) but maintained substantial independence and a profitable trade with India and Indonesia. At this time most of the inhabitants were converted to Islam. After the fall of Malacca (1511), Kedah was fought over by the Portuguese, Dutch, Bugis, Minangkabau, and Siamese. By ceding Pinang (1786) and Province Wellesley (1800) to the British, the sultan of Kedah embittered his relations with the Siamese court, which was not appeased by his subsequent conquest of Perak for Siam. A bloody Siamese invasion (1821) drove him into exile until 1842; upon his return Perlis was created as a separate state. In 1909, Siam transferred sovereignty over Kedah to Great Britain. Before the establishment of the Federation of Malaya (1948), Kedah was classed as one of the Unfederated Malay States. See Malaysia.

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Wikipedia search results for: Kedah
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice. Langkawi is an archipelago of islands, most of which are uninhabited. Kedah was called Syburi by the Siamese when it was under their influence. Kedah borders the state of Perlis and shares an international boundary with the Songkhla and Yala provinces of Thailand to the north. It also borders the state of Perak to the south and Penang to the southwest. The state's capital and royal seat is...more »
Columbia Encyclopedia search results: Kedah
Results 1 - 10  of 10
  • Alor Setar

    Alor Setar or Alor Star, city (1991 pop. 165,113), capital of Kedah, Malaysia, central Malay Peninsula, on the Kedah River. It is a major center for trade in rice and rubber. The residence of ...

  • Abdul Rahman, Tunku

    Abdul Rahman, Tunku,, 1903–90, Malaysian political leader. A prince (tunku), he was the fifth son of Sultan Abdul Halim Shah of Kedah and was educated in England at Cambridge. Abdul Rahman ent...

  • Perlis

    Perlis, state (1991 pop. 184,070), 310 sq mi (803 sq km), Malaysia, central Malay Peninsula, on the Andaman Sea. The smallest of the states of Malaysia, it is bordered on the N and E by Thaila...

  • Sailendra

    Sailendra, name of a dynasty in Indonesia and SE Asia. The dynasty appeared in central Java in the 7th cent. and had consolidated its position by the mid-8th cent. The Sailendras, who adopted ...

  • Malay Peninsula

    Malay Peninsula, southern extremity (c.70,000 sq mi/181,300 sq km) of the continent of Asia, lying between the Andaman Sea of the Indian Ocean and the Strait of Malacca on the west and the Gul...

  • Perak

    Perak, state (1991 pop. 1,880,016), 8,030 sq mi (20,798 sq km), Malaysia, central Malay Peninsula, on the Strait of Malacca. Perak is bordered on the N by Thailand. The capital is Ipoh; Taipin...

  • Malaysia

    Malaysia, independent federation (2005 est. pop. 23,953,000), 128,430 sq mi (332,633 sq km), Southeast Asia. The official capital and by far the largest city is Kuala Lumpur; Putrajaya is the ...

  • Melaka

    Melaka or Malacca, state (1991 pop. 504,502), 640 sq mi (1,658 sq km), Malaysia, S Malay Peninsula, on the Strait of Malacca. Formerly one of the Straits Settlements, it was constituted a stat...

  • Pinang

    Pinang or Penang, state (1991 pop. 1,065,075), c.400 sq mi (1,040 sq km), Malaysia, on the Strait of Malacca. It consists of Pulau Pinang (an island of 108 sq mi/280 sq km), formerly known as ...

  • Thailand

    Thailand, Thai Prathet Thai [land of the free], officially Kingdom of Thailand, constitutional monarchy (2005 est. pop. 65,444,000), 198,455 sq mi (514,000 sq km), Southeast Asia. Occupying a ...

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