1. Penang was discovered by Francis Light, a British, in the year 1786.

2. Today it is the second most developed state in Malaysia.

3. It is made up of 2 main land areas. The island of Penang and a strip of land on the peninsula of Malaysia facing it across the sea.

4. The capital of the state of Penang is a city called Georgetown, named after King George III. It is located on the northeastern part of the island.

5. The size of the island is about 300 square kilometers, while the piece of land on the peninsula, called Province Wellesley, is about 800 sq. km. Thus, the size of Penang is about 1,100 sq. km.

6. The population of Penang is about 2 million, with about half of its people living on the island, which is the more developed part of the state.

7. The majority of the people living on the island are Chinese (about 70%), while the Malays form the majority on the mainland (about 60%).

8. The most important industry of Penang is manufacturing of electronic components and semi-conductors. However, tourism also plays a big part in developing the economy.

9. Some of the major tourist attractions of Penang are:
- Penang Hill, for it's cool temperarure and great view of Georgetown below;
- Kek Lok Si Temple, probably the largest temple complex in South East Asia;
- Batu Ferringhi Beach, a long, wide beach with clean golden sands;
- Butterfly Farm, voted the best managed butterfly farm in the region;
- street food, that makes Penang famous as a goumet paradise.

10. There are many ways to get to Penang. The most popular way is to travel by road and cross the 4th longest bridge in the world, the Penang Bridge.

11. Now that you know a liitle more about Penang, I hope that you will enjoy yourselves there.