Native name: Pulau Pangkor ڤولاو ڤڠكور |
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Sunset at a beach of Pangkor
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Geography | |
Location | Strait of Malacca |
Coordinates | 4°13′12″N 100°33′18″E / 4.22000°N 100.55500°E |
Area | 18 km2 (6.9 sq mi) |
Administration | |
State | Perak |
District | Manjung |
Demographics | |
Population | 25,000 |
Pangkor Island (Malay: Pulau Pangkor) is a resort island in Manjung District, Perak, Malaysia. It has a population of approximately 25,000. Nearby islands include Pangkor Laut Island, Talang Island,Giam Island (Pulau Giam) and Mentagor Island (Pulau Mentagor). The major industries of the island are tourism and fishing.
Pangkor Island has a land area of 18km2 and is 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) from Peninsular Malaysia. The interior of the island is forested and is home to 65 reptile species, 17 amphibian species, and 82 total herpetofaunal species.
Historically, Pangkor was a refuge for local fishermen, merchants and pirates. In the 17th century, the Dutch built a fort in an effort to control the Perak tin trade known as the Dutch Fort. In 1874, it was the location of a historical treaty between the British government and a contender for the Perak throne (the Pangkor Treaty), which began the British colonial domination of the Malay Peninsula. The old British name for the Pangkor Island group was the Dindings.
In 2003, Marina Island (a man-made island) was developed by the Marina Island Group of companies and began operation in 2010, with private investment of RM250 million by 2013. The integrated mixed development resort island consists of waterfront residential properties, a new jetty called Marina Island Jetty, a private commercial marina called Pangkor Marina Malaysia, service apartments, hotels and shop offices.
2004-2014 was a period of high growth and development for the island and the surrounding district. In 2006, a biotechnology centre, a joint venture of Global Hi-Q Malaysia S/B and Hi-Q Bio-Tech International (Taiwan) Ltd began operations with initial investments of RM100million (USD30m). Their operations include fish farming and aquaculture, and the first harvest was expected in 2009.