Langkawi
Encyclopedia : L : LA : LAN : Langkawi
Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of Malaysia's Kedah state, but are adjacent to the Thai border. By far the largest of the islands is the eponymous Pulau Langkawi with a population of some 45,000, the only other inhabited island being nearby Pulau Tuba.
Geography
Langkawi lies north of the Straits of Malacca in the southern Andaman Sea near the border between Malaysia and Thailand. Only a few kilometres to the north lies the neighbouring Thai island of Koh Tarutao. The island group's main town, on the main island, is Kuah.
From Kuah there are ferry connections to Satun in southern Thailand, to Pulau Pinang and to Kuala Perlis in Malaysia's northwesternmost state of Perlis. Langkawi's international airport lies, as indeed does the harbour at Telok Ewa with its cement works, on the west coast. The whole island has a well developed road network.
Langkawi's highest point is Gunung Raya, rising to 890 m above the surrounding sea in the main island's central-eastern area.[link]
History
The name "Langkawi" is believed to be related to the kingdom of Langkasuka, itself a version of the Malay negari alang-kah suka ("the land of all one's wishes"), centred in modern-day Kedah. The historical record is sparse, but a Chinese Liang Dynasty record (c. 500 AD) refers to the kingdom of "Langgasu" as being founded in the 1st century AD. 'Langkawi' means Eagle Island, it may be noted, and indeed there is a great abundance of eagles in the area. In Kuah, the capital, a huge eagle statue can be found.
Langkawi eventually came under the influence of the Sultanate of Kedah, but Kedah was conquered in 1821 by Siam and Langkawi along with it. The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 transferred power to the British, which held the state until independence, except for a brief period of Thai rule under the Japanese occupation of Malaya during World War II. Thai influences remain visible in the culture and food of Langkawi.
Tourism
Sheltered by the mountainous backbone of Peninsular Malaysia, Langkawi escapes the northeastern winter monsoon entirely and enjoys sunny skies when the eastern provinces are flooded. Coupled with natural white sand beaches, lush jungle foliage and craggy mountain peaks – but hampered by inaccessibility – the island was at one time touted as "Malaysia's best-kept secret".Langkawi remained a sleepy backwater until 1987, when the island was granted tax-free status with the intention of promoting tourism. The island's airport was upgraded and ferry links were increased.
Today, Langkawi competes with nearby Penang for the title of Malaysia's largest tourist draw. Resorts and 5-star hotels line the beaches and, in the winter high season, direct flights land from as far as Europe and Japan.
Langkawi is affected by the milder western monsoon (May-September), and while diving is possible at Pulau Payar, water clarity tends to be poor.
Langkawi also offers an 'Anna and the king' museum, situated in Oriental Village, created from the props of the movie, filmed in Langkawi.
External links
from Wikitravel
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.