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Perlis

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Perlis is a state located on the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It sits along the Strait of Malacca, which is a large body of water.

Mukims of Perlis labelled
Mukims of Perlis labelled

To the north, Perlis shares a border with the Thai provinces of Satun and Songkhla. To its south, it meets the Malaysian state of Kedah. Perlis is quite small compared to its neighbors. In fact, it is the smallest state in Malaysia by both area and population.

Map of Siam in 1900
Map of Siam in 1900

The land in Perlis has a very interesting shape. Much of the state is made of flat, low lands called the Kedah–Perlis Plain. These wide areas are mostly used for rice farming. You will see many paddy fields stretching across the landscape.

Limestone formations in Perlis
Limestone formations in Perlis

Rising up from these fields are many limestone hills called mogotes. The land gets much higher at the border with Thailand. Here, the Nakawan Range forms a natural boundary. The highest point in the whole state is Mount Perlis. It reaches a height of 733 meters.

Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year in Perlis, 2001-2024
Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year in Perlis, 2001-2024

History tells us that Perlis was once part of the state of Kedah. It sometimes came under the rule of Siam or Aceh. In 1843, Perlis became a sovereign state. This happened when the Siamese made Sayyid Hussain Jamalullail the first Raja of Perlis. His family has continued to rule the state as rajas ever since.

Seal Songkhla
Seal Songkhla

Later, the British took control of the area through a treaty in 1909. After World War II, Perlis became part of Malaysia in 1963. The state has a long story of changing hands between different powers.

Many different people live in Perlis today. In 2010, the population was 227,025 people. Most people in the state are Muslim. Other residents follow Buddhism, Hinduism, or Christianity.

Kuil Kuil Sri Kamatchi Amman di padang besar
Kuil Kuil Sri Kamatchi Amman di padang besar

People use many different languages to talk to each other. Most speak Perlis Malay, which is a special dialect. Some people also speak Hokkien, Mandarin, English, or Tamil.

Perlis Hokkien Association
Perlis Hokkien Association

The state is divided into 22 communes, which are called mukims. Because it is so small, Perlis does not use districts like other states.

Visitors often travel to Perlis to see its natural wonders. You can visit the Gua Kelam cave to see amazing rock formations.

The Cave of Darkness, Gua Kelam, Perlis, Malaysia (4676312227)
The Cave of Darkness, Gua Kelam, Perlis, Malaysia (4676312227)

There is also a snake sanctuary and research centre at Sungai Batu Pahat. If you want to visit Langkawi Island, you can take a ferry from the village of Kuala Perlis. The capital city of the state is Kangar. The royal capital is a town called Arau.

Perlis State Legislative Assembly
Perlis State Legislative Assembly

Perlis is a small place with a very big personality.

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🖼️ Images & Media (12)
Perlis_State_Anthem.ogg
File:Map of Siam in 1900.png
Map of Siam in 1900.png
File:Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year in Perlis, 2001-2024.png
Global Forest Change tree-cover loss year...
File:Limestone formations in Perlis.jpg
Limestone formations in Perlis.jpg
File:Perlis State Legislative Assembly.jpg
Perlis State Legislative Assembly.jpg
File:Svgfiles 2022-11-25-13-19-14-752065-14842915061957288095.svg
Svgfiles...
File:Mukims of Perlis labelled.svg
Mukims of Perlis labelled.svg
File:Kuil Kuil Sri Kamatchi Amman di padang besar.jpg
Kuil Kuil Sri Kamatchi Amman di padang besar.jpg
File:Perlis Hokkien Association.jpg
Perlis Hokkien Association.jpg
File:The_Cave_of_Darkness,_Gua_Kelam,_Perlis,_Malaysia_(4676312227).jpg
The_Cave_of_Darkness,_Gua_Kelam,_Perlis,_M...
File:Seal Songkhla.png
Seal Songkhla.png
File:Seal Satun.png
Seal Satun.png
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