Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of Malaysia's Kedah state, but are adjacent to the Thai border. By far the largest of the islands is the eponymous Pulau Langkawi with a population of some 45,000, the only other inhabited island being nearby Pulau Tuba. An archipelago is a landform which consists of a chain or cluster of islands. ... The Andaman Sea is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Myanmar and west of Thailand; it is part of the Indian Ocean. ... State motto: no State motto Capital Alor Star Royal Capital Anak Bukit Sultan Tuanku Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Chief Minister Dato Hj Mahdzir Bin Khalid Area 9,426 km2 Population  - Est year 2003 1 778 188 State anthem Allah Selamatkan Sultan Mahkota Kedah (Jawi:قدح, pop. ...

Geography

Map of Langkawi and environs

Langkawi lies north of the Straits of Malacca in the southern Andaman Sea near the border between Malaysia and Thailand. Only a few kilometres to the north lies the neighbouring Thai island of Ko Tarutao. The island group's main town, on the main island, is Kuah. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (809x523, 16 KB)[edit] Summary Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia and nearby areas in Malaysia and Thailand. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (809x523, 16 KB)[edit] Summary Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia and nearby areas in Malaysia and Thailand. ... The Straits of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water between Peninsular Malaysia (West Malaysia) and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. ... Ko Yang Tarutao National Marine Park consists of 51 islands in the Satun Province of Southern Thailand. ... Kuah is a town and district capital of Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia. ...

Langkawi's highest point is Gunung Raya, rising to 890 m above sea level in the main island's central-eastern area.[1]

Continental drift

According to a continental drift theory, the huge landmass of Gondwana split into smaller landmasses such as Africa, Australia, India and Langkawi 500 million years ago during the Cambrian Age. Hills in the north-western part of Langkawi Island (including Mat Chincang Hill) are formed during this continental drift. Continental drift, first proposed as a theory by Alfred Wegener in 1912, is the movement of the Earths continents relative to each other. ... Pangaea was formed by the merging of two continents, Laurasia and Gondwana East African and Kuungan Orogens 550 Ma reconstruction showing final stages of assembly The southern supercontinent Gondwana (originally Gondwanaland) included most of the landmasses which make up todays continents of the southern hemisphere, including Antarctica, South America... A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... The Cambrian is a major division of the geologic timescale that begins about 542 mya (million years ago) at the end of the Proterozoic eon and ended about 488. ...

History

The name "Langkawi" is believed to be related to the kingdom of Langkasuka, itself a version of the Malay negeri alang-kah suka ("the land of all one's wishes"), centred in modern-day Kedah. The historical record is sparse, but a Chinese Liang Dynasty record (c. 500 AD) refers to the kingdom of "Langgasu" as being founded in the 1st century AD. 'Langkawi' means Eagle Island, it may be noted, and indeed there is a great abundance of eagles in the area. In Kuah, the capital, there is a huge eagle monument in Eagle Square which commemorates the origin of Langkawi's name. Langkasuka (-langkha Sanskrit for resplendent land -sukkha of bliss) was apparently the oldest kingdom on the Malay peninsula. ... // Headline text Bold text Not to be confused with the Malayalam language, spoken in India. ... State motto: no State motto Capital Alor Star Royal Capital Anak Bukit Sultan Tuanku Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Chief Minister Dato Hj Mahdzir Bin Khalid Area 9,426 km2 Population  - Est year 2003 1 778 188 State anthem Allah Selamatkan Sultan Mahkota Kedah (Jawi:قدح, pop. ... Liang Dynasty (also: Leung in Cantonese,) 梁朝 (502-557) was the third of Southern dynasties in China, followed by the Chen Dynasty. ... Kuah is a town and district capital of Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia. ...

Langkawi eventually came under the influence of the Sultanate of Kedah, but Kedah was conquered in 1821 by Siam and Langkawi along with it. The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 transferred power to the British, which held the state until independence, except for a brief period of Thai rule under the Japanese occupation of Malaya during World War II. Thai influences remain visible in the culture and food of Langkawi. For the country formerly called Siam see Thailand SIAM is an acronym for Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. ... The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1906 (in which the Malays were not represented) effectively dissected the northern Malay states into two parts: Pattani, Narathiwat, Songkhla, Satun and Yala remained under Siam, but Siam relinquished its claims to sovereignty over Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Terengganu to Great Britain. ... Map of Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia (Malay: Semenanjung Malaysia) is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

Transport

From Kuah, there are ferry connections to Satun in southern Thailand, to Penang, to Kuala Kedah and to Kuala Perlis. Langkawi's international airport lies, as indeed does the harbour at Telok Ewa with its cement works, on the west coast. The whole island has a well developed road network. Satun (Thai: สตูล) is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Satun province. ... State motto: Bersatu dan Setia (United and Loyal), formerly Let Penang Lead Location in Malaysia Government Capital George Town (5. ... Kuala Kedah is a town in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Kuala Perlis is the second largest town and the main port of Perlis in Malaysia. ...

Tourism

Sheltered by the mountainous backbone of Peninsular Malaysia, Langkawi escapes the northeastern winter monsoon entirely and enjoys sunny skies when the eastern provinces are flooded. Coupled with natural white sand beaches, lush jungle foliage and craggy mountain peaks – but hampered by inaccessibility – the island was at one time touted as "Malaysia's best-kept secret". Map of Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia (or Semenanjung Malaysia in the Malay language) is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. ...

Langkawi remained a sleepy backwater until 1987, when the island was granted tax-free status with the intention of promoting tourism. The island's airport was upgraded and ferry links were increased. Tourists at Oahu island, Hawaii Tourism is the act of travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes, and also refers to the provision of services in support of this act. ...

Today, Langkawi competes with nearby Penang for the title of Malaysia's largest tourist draw. Resorts and 5-star hotels line the beaches and, in the winter high season, direct flights land from as far as Europe and Japan. State motto: Bersatu dan Setia (United and Loyal), formerly Let Penang Lead Location in Malaysia Government Capital George Town (5. ... World map showing Europe Political map (neighboring countries in Asia and Africa also shown) Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ...

Langkawi is affected by the milder western monsoon (May-September), and while diving is possible at Pulau Payar, water clarity tends to be poor. Diving refers to the sport of acrobatically jumping or falling into water. ... Pulau Payar is one of the main islands in Kedah, next to Langkawi in Malaysia. ...

Langkawi also offers an 'Anna and the King' museum, situated in Oriental Village, created from the props of the movie, which was partly filmed in Langkawi. Anna and the King is a 1999 motion picture loosely based on the true story of Anna Leonowens, who was an English schoolteacher in Siam, now Thailand, in the 19th_century. ...

The 'Welcome' board greets you upon arrival via the sea. ImageMetadata File history File links Welcome-langkawi. ...	The giant eagle statue in Eagle Square, Kuah viewed from behind Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1377x1412, 353 KB)[edit] Summary Eagle Statue, Eagle Square, Kuah, Langkawi, Malaysia Taken by Dave Sumpner [edit] Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...	The same eagle viewed from front	Paddy fields in Langkawi Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 1608 KB)[edit] Summary Paddy fields in Langkawi, Malaysia Picture taken by Dave Sumpner [edit] Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...
Cenang Beach Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 985 KB)Pantai Cenang in Langkawi, Malaysia. ...

External links

Langkawi travel guide from Wikitravel Wikitravel is a project to create an open content, complete, up-to-date, and reliable world-wide travel guide. ...

• Langkawi Island page on the official site of Tourism Malaysia
• Langkawi @ Talk Malaysia
• Eagle Square Photos
• Langkawi Photo Gallery
• Langkawi-online
• Langkawi maps
• Langkawi Myths and Legends
• Langkawi Experience
• Nic Havers writes about Langkawi http://www.nhavers.8k.com/drops.htm

Coordinates: 6°21′N 99°48′E State motto: no State motto Capital Alor Star Royal Capital Anak Bukit Sultan Tuanku Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Chief Minister Dato Hj Mahdzir Bin Khalid Area 9,426 km2 Population  - Est year 2003 1 778 188 State anthem Allah Selamatkan Sultan Mahkota Kedah (Jawi:قدح, pop. ... Baling is a major town in the northern state of Kedah in Malaysia. ... Bandar Baharu is a major town and district in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Kota Setar is a district in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Kuala Muda is a district in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Kubang Pasu is a district in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Kulim is a major town and district in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Padang Terap is a district in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Pendang is a major town and district in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Sik is a major town and district in Kedah, Malaysia. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Alor Star (pop. ... Anak Bukit is a royal town near Alor Star, Kedah, Malaysia. ... Baling is a major town in the northern state of Kedah in Malaysia. ... Bandar Baharu is a major town and district in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Bedong is a small town in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Bukit Kayu Hitam is a Kedahs main border town of Malaysia-Thailand Border near the town is Sadao, Thailand. ... Changlun is a main border town in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Guar Chempedak is a small town in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Gurun is a small town and main industrial park in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Jeniang is a town in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Jitra is an area of Malaya in north Kedah. ... Kodiang is a town in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Kota Sarang Semut is a small town in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Kuah is a town and district capital of Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia. ... Kuala Kedah is a town in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Kuala Nerang is the town and district capital of Pendang district, Kedah, Malaysia. ... Kulim is a major town and district in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Langgar is a town near Alor Star, Kedah, Malaysia. ... Lunas is a town in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Merbok is a small town in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Padang Matsirat is a town in Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia. ... Pendang is a major town and district in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Pokok Sena is a town in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Sik is a major town and district in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Sintok is a town in Kedah, Malaysia. ... Sungai Petani (also known locally as SP) is a town in the state of Kedah, in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. ... Tokai is a small town in Kedah, Malaysia. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Pulau Payar is one of the main islands in Kedah, next to Langkawi in Malaysia. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...