Seberang Perai, formerly Province Wellesley, is a narrow hinterland on the Malay Peninsula opposite Penang Island, which together with the island forms the Malaysian state of Penang. Its principal town is Butterworth, which faces George Town, the capital city of Penang, across the Penang Strait. The seat of the local authority, the Seberang Perai Municipal Council, lies in the town of Bukit Mertajam further inland. As of 2010, Seberang Perai had a population of 815,767, making it the second most populous local government area in Malaysia.

Originally a part of Kedah, the hinterland was ceded to the British East India Company towards the end of the 18th century. Named after a British officer, Province Wellesley was acquired to provide more agricultural land and as a defensive bulwark against any cross-strait invasion from the mainland. Since then, it has become part of the Settlement (now State) of Penang, which became a British crown colony in 1867.

Seberang Perai has witnessed substantial economic development in the decades after the independence of Malaya. Massive industrial estates have been established within Seberang Perai, while the relocation of the Port of Penang's core operations to Butterworth in 1974 has also boosted the town's economy. Improvements in connectivity and transportation were facilitated by several major projects, such as the constructions of the North–South Expressway, the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge. Today, Seberang Perai forms part of the Greater Penang Conurbation, the second largest metropolis in Malaysia.

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