Kuantan
| Kuantan | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State Capital | |||
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 Kuantan
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| Coordinates: 3°49′00″N 103°20′00″E / 3.81667°N 103.33333°ECoordinates: 3°49′00″N 103°20′00″E / 3.81667°N 103.33333°E | |||
| Country |
 Malaysia
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| State |
 Pahang
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| Establishment | 1851 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 2,960 km2 (1,143 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 21.95 m (72 ft) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 607,778 | ||
| • Density | 192.09/km2 (497.46/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym(s) | Kuantanese | ||
| Time zone | MST (UTC+8) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | Not observed (UTC) | ||
| Postcode | 25xxx, 26xxx | ||
| Mean solar time | UTC+06:46:48 | ||
| Website | mpk.gov.my | ||
Kuantan is the state capital of Pahang, Malaysia. It is near the mouth of the Kuantan River and faces the South China Sea. Kuantan is the ninth largest city in Malaysia.
The National Physical Plan 2005 identified Kuantan as one of the future growth centres and a hub for trade, commerce, transportation and tourism. Kuantan is considered the social, economic and commercial hub for the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia due to its strategic location. Rapid development has transformed and modernised Kuantan. Recently, the introduction of Malaysia's first Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Kuantan is designed to boost the regional economy, tourism and growth.
Kuantan in the first century was a part of Chih-Tu empire. In the 11th century, this piece of land was conquered by another small empire called Pheng-Kheng before being taken over by the Siamese during the 12th century. During the 15th century, Kuantan was ruled by the Malacca Empire.
Kuantan is said to have been founded in the 1850s. The word "Kuantan" was mentioned by Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir (Munshi Abdullah) circa 1851/2 as below:
...On Thursday night came a boat from Kuantan. Then they told the ship's crew there's a pirate ship at Tanjung Tujuh, forty of them and at Pulau Kapas, and as well at Pulau Redang; it was spotted by two Kuantan boats and they set off...
In its early days, it was known as Kampung Teruntum (Teruntum Village). The village was situated at the mouth of Teruntum River which is in front of the current hospital and it was established by Haji Senik and his followers in the 1850s. Early primary economic activities included fishing and small businesses. The main evidence of the establishment of the village is the cemetery that is situated near Taman Esplanade in front of the current Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan.
Towards the late 19th century, arrival of Chinese miners and traders saw the establishment of a township in Kuantan and nearby tin mining areas such as Gambang and Sungai Lembing. Similar to what occurred in other states in Peninsular Malaysia, rubber plantations attracted Indian settlers as well.
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Wikipedia