Johor

Johor, formerly Johore, state of Malaysia, southernmost state of peninsular Malaysia, bounded on the north-west by Melaka and Negeri Sembilan states, and on the north by Pahang State. Singapore lies immediately to the south across the narrow Johor Strait. Johor has a 400-km (250-mi) coastline, extending from the Strait of Malacca to the South China Sea, and an area of about 18,985 sq km (7,330 sq mi). The state capital is Johor Baharu.

Johor is generally low-lying and forest covered. However, there are hilly uplands rising above 900 m (3,000 ft) in the east-central region; the highest point in the state is Mount Ledang (1,276 m/4,186 ft), near the border with Melaka State. Johor has many short rivers draining from the central hills to the sea; the east coast has extensive swampy areas.

Johor has a population (1990 census) of about 2.1 million, giving a population density of 111 people per sq km (286 per sq mi). Johor Baharu, lying on the Strait of Johor, has a population (1980 census) of about 246,395; other large cities include Batu Pahat and Maur. The indigenous Malay population of the peninsula makes up a little more than 50 per cent of Johor's population; about one third of the population is of Chinese descent; 6 per cent is of Indian descent. The Malay dialect spoken in Johor Baharu, is the standard for Bahasa Malaysia, the national language.

Partly cut off by swamps from the rest of the peninsula, Johor's economy only began to develop strongly after 1919 when the railway was extended southwards, linking Johor and Singapore to the central tin and rubber producing areas of Malaya. After World War I, rubber plantations were established, and tin, iron ore, and bauxite deposits were discovered. Johor is one of the leading palm-oil producing states; coconut and pineapple flourish on the swampy coasts. Shallow harbours mean that the state's trade is channelled through Singapore. Johor is linked to Singapore by two causeways over the Johor Strait. Although the port of Pasir Gudang is being rapidly developed, Johor, economically, is essentially part of Singapore's hinterland; economic relations with Pahang State to the north are tiny. Ties to Singapore have helped Johor's industrialization, especially through the growth of the electronics industry.

Johor is one of the nine Malaysian states to have a hereditary ruler, known as the sultan. Johor has 26 seats in the House of Representatives, the lower house of the federal parliament; the state legislative assembly has 36 seats. Johor was founded by Mahmud, Sultan of the Kingdom of Malacca, after the fall of Malacca in 1511. Following a triangular struggle with the Dutch and the north-western Sumatran Sultanate of Achin (modern Aceh) for control of the Strait of Malacca, the state's power declined in the 17th and 18th centuries. Johor's independence was, however, recognized by the British when they founded Singapore in 1819. Sultan Abu Bakar (ruled 1862-1895), is considered the founder of modern Johor. He successfully resisted British pressure for control, but a permanent British adviser was finally imposed on Johor in 1914. In 1948 the state became part of the Federation of Malaya, the forerunner of modern Malaysia.