"Kuala Lumpur, the heart of Malaysia " a Kuala Lumpur Travel Page by Icemaiden02

Kuala Lumpur is situated midway along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, at the confluence of the Klang and Gombek rivers. It is approximately 35 km from the coast and sits at the centre of the Peninsula's extensive and modern transportation network. Kuala Lumpur is easily the largest city in the nation, possessing a population of over one and a half million people drawn from all of Malaysia's many ethnic group.

Malaysia has a tropical, humid climate with temperatures averaging 86?F (30?C), though it is cooler in the highland areas. The major change in seasons is marked by the arrival of the monsoons that bring with it heavy downpours on the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia, the northeastern part of Sabah and the western end of Sarawak (from November to February). Boat trips to the islands do not run during the height of the monsoon. The best time to visit Malaysia is between April and October.

Kuala Lumpur was founded in 1857 at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers. In Malay, the name literally means "muddy confluence". The settlement started as a tin mining area that attracted merchants who traded basic provisions to the miners in return for some of the tin. The traders set up shop at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers.

In 1974 Kuala Lumpur seceded from Selangor and the city became a Federal Territory (Wilayah Persekutuan).