Malacca (dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south. The capital is Malacca City, which is 148 km south east of Malaysia's capital city Kuala Lumpur, 235 km north west to Johor's largest city Johor Bahru and 95 km north west to Johor's second largest city Batu Pahat. This historical city centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2008.
Although it was the location of one of the earliest Malay sultanates, the monarchy was abolished when the Portuguese conquered it in 1511. The Yang di-Pertua Negeri or Governor, rather than a Sultan, acts as the head of state now. Melaka
is rich in history with many monuments and relics from the past
that will enhance visitors with its legend and mystery. (See Malaysian
history of how Melaka was founded). The architecture depicts a mixture
of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Portuguese and Dutch influences. The
people of Melaka are also unique as inter-marriages between the
Portuguese and Chinese with local Malay women (called Baba for male
and Nyonya for female) were rife. The San Pedro festival is still
celebrated till this day by the Portuguese descendents. |
