George Town was named in honour of King George III, the ruler of Great Britain and Ireland between 1760 and 1820. Prior to the arrival of the British, the geographical area had been known as Tanjung Penaga, due to the abun… See more

In 1771, Francis Light, a former Royal Navy captain, was instructed by the British East India Company (EIC) to establish trade relations in the Malay Peninsula. He arrived in Kedah, a Siamese vassal state facing threats fro… See more

The jurisdiction of George Town covers an area of approximately 306 km (118 sq mi), encompassing the entirety of Penang Island and nine surrounding islets. George Town is slightly more than two-fifths the size of Singapore. … See more

In 1796, a committee was formed to record trade revenue, and another committee responsible for property valuation was established in 1800. The latter committee was assembled through an election of ratepaying … See more

According to the 2020 Malaysian census, George Town's population was 794,313, out of which 158,336 – or almost 20% – resided within the city centre. With a population density of approximately 2,595.8/k… See more