Penang is a state in Malaysia located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Strait of Malacca. Highly urbanised and industrialised Penang is one of the most developed and economically important states in the country, as well as a thriving tourist destination. Penang has the third-highest Human Development Index in Malaysia, after the state of Selangor and the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur. Its heterogeneous population is highly diverse in ethnicity, culture, language and religion. A resident of Penang is colloquially known as a Penangite (in English) or a Penang lang (in the local Penang Hokkien dialect).
