Introduction to Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur, which is also frequently called KL for short, is the capital of Malaysia and its largest city, with an urban population of 1.6 million. It covers an area of 243 square kilometers (94 sq mi). The sprawling populated area of KL and the nearby Klang Valley has about 7.5 million inhabitants. The majority of the central government, once based in central KL, has been moved to nearby Putrajaya, but the official residence of the Malaysian King, the Istana Negara, is still located in KL. Kuala Lumpur is the cultural, financial and economic centre of Malaysia, and is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers, which have become a symbol of Malaysia’s progress and futuristic growth.
Kuala Lumpur is located in a broad valley known as the Klang Valley, bordered by the Titiwangsa Mountains in the east, some minor mountains to the north and south and the busy Strait of Malacca to its west. Kuala Lumpur is a Malay term which translates as “muddy delta” since it is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers. Kuala Lumpur has a tropical rainforest climate that is warm and sunny, along with having considerable precipitation, particularly during the northeast monsoon season, roughly from October to March. Temperatures year round tend to remain constant. The nearby Strait of Malacca, separating Malaysia from Indonesia’s island of Sumatra, is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
Bahasa Malaysia, the national language, is the main and official language spoken in Malaysia. It is an Austronesian language, a family that includes languages from Madagascar’s Malagasy to Hawaiian. However, numerous other languages are spoken in KL including Cantonese, Mandarin and Hokien (all Chinese dialects), plus English, and Tamil. English is compulsory in schools. Like most other Malaysian cities, KL has a diverse population with three major ethnic groups, Malays (38%), Chinese (42%) and Indians (10%), with the remaining 10% comprising foreigners, local Eurasians and various indigenous ethnic groups from East Malaysia and Peninsula Malaysia.
Malaysia was an English colony, which explains the strong English character found throughout Kuala Lumpur and the country, and many English words have been assimilated into the Malaysian language.
The religions practiced basically follow ethnic lines, with the Malays largely following Islam and the Chinese following Christian and Confucian beliefs, while the Indians are Hindus. The restraints of Islam and the Western cultural trends that have penetrated the Chinese sector lead to an intriguing assortment that coexists in a peaceable milieu.
Petronas Twin Towers
These stunning structures stand 458 meters tall and have 88 floors. The foundation of these towers stretches 120 meters underground. The towers themselves are made primarily of reinforced concrete and steel with a glass facade. Construction on these towers was finished in 1996. Visitors are allowed to go to the 41st floor to see the sky bridge. From this vantage point you can see the park below and on a clear day all the surrounding cities of Kuala Lumpur. In order to get into the sky bridge it is necessary to get a pass. These passes are given to about 1400 people every day, and usually they are all distributed before noon, so make sure you get there very early to ensure that you manage to get one.
At the base of the towers there is a shopping plaza called Suria KLCC. It has a large number of shops featuring all kinds of different merchandise. On the 4th floor you will find the petroleum development centre. Just outside the plaza is the KLCC Park. This park has jogging and walking paths, a wading pool, and a children’s playground. It has a very large water fountain with built in lighting that puts on a fantastic show, as the water blasts high into the air. Getting to the towers is easy. Take the Putra train right to the towers.
