Kedah
Kedah | |
|---|---|
| State of Kedah Negeri Kedah Darul Aman (Malay) | |
| Nickname(s): | |
| Anthem: Allah Selamatkan Sultan Mahkota God Save the Crowned Sultan | |
| Country | Malaysia |
| Old Kedah | 2nd CE |
| Kedah Sultanate | 1136 |
| Siamese control | 1821 |
| Kedah Sultanate | 1842 |
| British control | 1909 |
| Japanese occupation | 1942 |
| Independence as part of the Federation of Malaya | 31 August 1957 |
| Capital | Alor Setar[a] 6°07′42″N 100°21′46″E / 6.12833°N 100.36278°E |
| Largest city | Sungai Petani |
| Ethnic groups (2020) |
|
| Religion (2020) |
|
| Demonym(s) | Kedahan |
| Government | Federated parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Sultan | Sallehuddin |
| Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor (PN–PAS) | |
| Legislature | Legislative Assembly |
| Area | |
• Total | 9,492 km2 (3,665 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 1,862 m (6,109 ft) |
| Population | |
• 2020 census | 2,131,427 |
• Density | 224.55/km2 (581.6/sq mi) (8th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $40.312 billion (10th) |
• Per capita | $18,429 (13th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $12.397 billion (10th) |
• Per capita | $5,779 (13th) |
| Gini (2022) | 0.359 low |
| HDI (2024) | 0.778 high · 14th |
| Currency | Malaysian ringgit (RM/MYR) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 ( Indonesia Time) |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy |
| Driving side | Left |
| Calling code | +604-4, +604-7, +604-9 |
| Postal code | 05xxx to 09xxx |
| ISO 3166 code | MY-02 |
| Website | kedah |
| ^[a] Including royal seat in suburb Anak Bukit. | |
Kedah (Malay pronunciation: [kəˈdah]), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 square kilometres (3,500 sq mi), and consists of a mainland portion and the Langkawi islands. The mainland has relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice, while Langkawi is composed mostly of uninhabited islands.
Kedah was previously known as Kadaram (Tamil: கடாரம்; Kaṭāram) by the ancient and medieval Tamils, Kataha or Kalahbar (Arabic: قتح; qataḥa or Arabic: قلحبر; qalaḥbar) by the Arabs, and Syburi (Thai: ไทรบุรี; RTGS: Sai Buri) by the Siamese when it was under their influence.
Kedah borders the state of Perlis to the north and shares an international boundary with the Songkhla and Yala provinces of Thailand. It borders the states of Perak to the south and Penang to the southwest.
The state's capital is Alor Setar and the royal seat is in the capital's suburb Anak Bukit. Other major towns include Sungai Petani (its largest urban area by population), and Kulim on the mainland, and Kuah on Lorong kempas.