The city of Kuala Lumpur, which is equal in size to the federal territory officially called Wilayah Persekutuan, covers an area of 243 sq km (94 sq mi). The Kelang Valley conurbation, however, extends into an area at least twice that size, although it is not precisely defined and some consider it even larger. KL's urban sprawl extends in all directions well into the surrounding state of Selangor, but particularly into the Kelang Valley to the south and southwest. An expressway connects KL with the other cities in this valley, of which the most important are Petaling Jaya; Shah Alam, Selangor's capital; Kelang; and Port Kelang, Malaysia's most important seaport. The KL metropolitan region is undergoing extensive growth and modernization. New industrial areas and suburbs are emerging all around KL, especially in the cities of the Kelang Valley, in Ampang to the east of the city center, and south toward the district of Sepang. The metropolitan area is expected to encompass much of Sepang, the site of a new center of government administrative offices, Putrajaya, which is planned for completion by the early 21st century. Sepang is also the site of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Merdeka Square, located just west of the point where the Gombak River joins the Kelang, marks the heart of the city. To the south, on the Kelang's west bank, are the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, where Malaysia's Federal Court sits; the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, constructed in a Moorish architectural style; and the main post office. Farther west is the Taman Tasek Perdana (Lake Gardens), and in and around this park are the Malaysian Parliament House, the National Monument, and the National Museum. Near the confluence on the Kelang's east bank lies KL's Old Town, which includes Chinatown, the Central Market, and two of the city's major religious structures—the Sri Mahamariamman Temple and the Masjid Jame mosque. The city's commercial heart, with modern banks, retail stores, shopping malls, restaurants, and hotels, also lies east of the Kelang. Outside the old core area of the city, housing consists of two-story Chinese shop houses and villages of Malay kampongs, wooden houses built on stilts. Still farther outside the core are residential areas of all types, from low-income squatter settlements to the upper-class Kenney Hill neighborhood. To the east and north of the city center, the Golden Triangle includes luxury hotels, multistoried office buildings, and a development project known as the Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC). The KLCC contains the world's tallest building, the Petronas Towers.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Kuala Lumpur Information info
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