Malacca | |
|---|---|
City and state capital | |
| City of Malacca Bandaraya Melaka | |
| Other transcription(s) | |
| • Jawi | باندراي ملاک |
| • Chinese | 马六甲市 Mǎliùjiǎ shì (Hanyu Pinyin) |
| • Tamil | மலாக்கா மாநகரம் Malākkā mānakaram (Transliteration) |
From top, left to right: Panorama view of Malacca, Taming Sari Tower, the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum, Porta de Santiago, St. Francis Xavier statue in front of St. Paul's Church, the Christ Church beside the Stadthuys, the Melaka Straits Mosque, and the Malacca City Council Building. | |
.jpg) Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname(s): Bandaraya Bersejarah Historical City | |
 Location of Malacca City in Malacca | |
| Coordinates: 02°11′40″N 102°14′55″E / 2.19444°N 102.24861°E | |
| Country |  Malaysia |
| State |  Malacca |
| District | Melaka Tengah |
| Founded | 1396 |
| Establishment of the local government | 1824 |
| Municipality status | 1 January 1977 |
| City status | 15 April 2003 |
| Government | |
| • Type | City council |
| • Body | Malacca City Council |
| • Mayor | Shadan Othman |
| Area | |
• City and state capital | 277 km2 (107 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 307.86 km2 (118.87 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Population (2019) | |
• City and state capital | 579,000[1] |
| • Demonym | Malaccans |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | Not observed |
| Postal code | 75xxx to 78xxx |
| Area code(s) | 06 |
| Vehicle registration | M |
| Website | mbmb |
| Official name | The Historic City of Melaka |
| Part of | Melaka and George Town, the Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii)(iii)(iv) |
| Reference | 1223bis-001 |
| Inscription | 2008 (32nd Session) |
| Extensions | 2011 |
| Area | 45.3 ha (112 acres) |
| Buffer zone | 242.8 ha (600 acres) |
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Malacca City (Malay: Bandaraya Melaka or Kota Melaka) is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Malacca, in Melaka Tengah District. It is the oldest Malaysian city on the Straits of Malacca, having become a successful entrepôt in the era of the Malacca Sultanate. The present-day city was founded by Parameswara, a Sumatran prince who escaped to the Malay Peninsula when Srivijaya fell to the Majapahit. Following the establishment of the Malacca Sultanate, the city drew the attention of traders from the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia, as well as the Portuguese, who intended to dominate the trade route in Asia. After Malacca was conquered by Portugal, the city became an area of conflict when the sultanates of Aceh and Johor attempted to take control from the Portuguese.
Following a number of wars between these territories, Aceh declined in influence while Johor survived and expanded its influence over territory previously lost to Aceh in Sumatra when Johor co-operated with the Dutch to take Malacca from the Portuguese who arrived to establish dominance over Java and Maluku Islands. However, due to royal internal strife between the Malay and Bugis, the Johor-Riau Empire was divided into the sultanates of Johor and Riau-Lingga. This separation became permanent when the British arrived to establish their presence in the Malay Peninsula. The Dutch, who already felt threatened in the presence of the British, began conquering the Riau-Lingga Sultanate along with the rest of Sumatra, while Johor came under British influence following the signing of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824.
When the British succeeded in extending their influence over the Malay Peninsula, the city soon became an area of development under the Straits Settlements as part of the British Empire. The development and burgeoning prosperity were, however, halted when the Japanese arrived in World War II and occupied the area from 1942 to 1945. During the occupation, many of the city's residents were taken and forced to construct the Death Railway in Burma (present-day Myanmar). After the war, the city was returned to the British and remained as the capital of Malacca. The status as a capital remained until the formation of Malaysia in 1963, and in 2008 it was listed, together with George Town of Penang, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its long history.[4] As of 2019 it has a population of 579,000.[1]
The economy of Malacca City is largely based on tourism. As the economic centre of the state of Malacca, it also hosts several international conferences and trade fairs. The city is located along the Maritime Silk Road, proposed by China in 2013. Among the tourist attractions in Malacca City are Porta de Santiago, Jonker Walk, Little India, Portuguese Settlement, Stadthuys, Maritime Museum, Christ Church, Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum and Taming Sari Tower.
- ^ a b "DOSM_DOSM_MELAKA_1_2020_Siri-81" (PDF). dosm.gov.my (in Malay). Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ "Background" (in Malay and English). Historical Malacca City Council. 8 October 2015. Archived from the original on 11 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- ^ "Malaysia Elevation Map (Elevation of Melaka)". Flood Map : Water Level Elevation Map. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ "Eight new sites, from the Straits of Malacca, to Papua New Guinea and San Marino, added to UNESCO's World Heritage List". UNESCO (World Heritage Site). 7 July 2008. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2008..