Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🗺️

Johor Bahru

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Johor Bahru is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor.

Johor Bahru, Malaysia - 49676323172
Johor Bahru, Malaysia - 49676323172

It sits at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula. The city borders the country of Singapore.

Singapore causeway blown up
Singapore causeway blown up

It is a very important place for business and money in Malaysia. The World Bank says it is the second best city in the country for business.

Johor Bahru City Council Tower
Johor Bahru City Council Tower

It also has the fastest internet speeds of any Malaysian city. Many people visit this city from all over the world.

Persada johor international convention centre
Persada johor international convention centre

The city is a busy hub for travel and trade. It has the busiest land border crossing in the world. This crossing is called the Johor-Singapore Causeway.

Singapore causeway blown up
Singapore causeway blown up

People can also travel by train using the KTM Intercity. There is even a future link called the RTS Link being planned.

JB Sentral 5
JB Sentral 5

For sea travel, the city is near the Tanjung Pelepas port. This port is the 15th busiest port in the whole world.

Johor Bahru, Malaysia - 49676323172
Johor Bahru, Malaysia - 49676323172

The city is also served by the Senai International Airport.

Long ago, this place was a small Malay fishing village. It was originally known as Tanjung Puteri.

Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim
Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim

In 1858, a leader named Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim renamed it Iskandar Puteri. He encouraged people to move there to farm the land. Chinese settlers planted black pepper and gambier.

Johor Bahru town in the 1920s
Johor Bahru town in the 1920s

Javanese settlers built canals and planted coconuts. After the Temenggong died, Sultan Abu Bakar renamed the area Johor Bahru. The name means "New Johor" in the Malay language.

Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim
Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim

The city has seen many big changes through history. During the Pacific War, Japanese forces occupied the town.

Japanese troops final stages to conquest Singapore, Johore Bahru (AWM 127900)
Japanese troops final stages to conquest Singapore, Johore Bahru (AWM 127900)

They used the Bukit Serene Palace as a main base. After the war ended, the city became a center for Malay politics.

SultanPalastJB
SultanPalastJB

In 1994, Johor Bahru was officially granted city status.

Johor Bahru City Council Tower
Johor Bahru City Council Tower

Since then, it has grown very quickly with new buildings and roads. It is now part of the Iskandar Malaysia project.

Today, Johor Bahru is a place of very tall buildings.

The Astaka 2022
The Astaka 2022

One famous building is called The Astaka. It is the tallest residential building in Southeast Asia.

The Astaka 2022
The Astaka 2022

The city also has many places for fun and learning. You can visit the Johor Zoo or the state library.

Johor Public Library Corporation (2020)
Johor Public Library Corporation (2020)

People also go to large malls like KSL City.

It is a lively city that connects many different people and cultures.

370 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (27)
File:Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim.jpg
Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim.jpg
File:Johor Bahru town in the 1920s.jpg
Johor Bahru town in the 1920s.jpg
File:Japanese troops final stages to conquest Singapore, Johore Bahru (AWM 127900).JPG
Japanese troops final stages to conquest...
File:Singapore causeway blown up.jpg
Singapore causeway blown up.jpg
File:The Astaka 2022.jpg
The Astaka 2022.jpg
File:Johor Bahru City Council Tower.jpg
Johor Bahru City Council Tower.jpg
File:Johor Bahru High Court.jpg
Johor Bahru High Court.jpg
File:Tropical rainforest, Johor Bahru.jpg
Tropical rainforest, Johor Bahru.jpg
File:Johor Bahru, Malaysia - 49676323172.jpg
Johor Bahru, Malaysia - 49676323172.jpg
File:Persada johor international convention centre.jpg
Persada johor international convention centre.jpg
File:JB Sentral 5.jpg
JB Sentral 5.jpg
File:Larkin Public Market and Bazaar (231104).jpg
Larkin Public Market and Bazaar (231104).jpg

+ 15 more

More to explore

✨ What else?

Related topics you might enjoy

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.