About Melaka

Melaka is a state in the southwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Its capital, Malacca City has a colonial past and that is reflected in the preserved town centre with its historic churches alongside other ruins that attest to the earlier presence of the British, the Portuguese and the Dutch. To be precise, the Portuguese St. Paul’s Church that was built in the 16th century is a clear reflection of the Portuguese rule in the Malacca. On the other hand, the 18th century Christ Church that was built by the Dutch but later converted by the British to the Anglican denomination in the 19th century is a clear indication that both the Dutch and the British ruled the place.

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Here is a list of the top most fun facts that you didn’t know about Melaka. Check them out!

  1. Located approximately 150 miles north of Singapore, Malacca is the third smallest state in Malaysia.
  2. The majority of the locals are Muslims followed by Buddhists and then Hindu. To be precise, 66 percent of the Malacca population is Muslim, 25 percent are Buddhists while 5 percent are Hindus. 3 percent of the population are Christians.
  3. The Malacca zoo, which is a home to more than 1,200 animals is the second largest zoo in the greater Malaysia. The zoo is covers an area of approximately 54 acres.
  4. Many people in Malacca use decorated bicycle rickshaws as their favourite form of transport.
  5. Parameswara, who was the last king of Singapore was the one who founded Malacca. He ruled Singapure from 1389 to 1398. After an invasion in 1398, Parameswara fled and found a good port. The port was strategically situated narrowest point of the Malacca Straits and that is where Parameswara established Malacca in 1402.
  6. In 1511, General Alfonso de Albuquerque arrived in Malacca via ships from Goa with a force of more than 1200 men and conquered Malacca. He came with more than seventeen ships just a year after they captured Goa.
  7. The Dutch invaded Malacca in 1641 and the Sultan of Johore helped them to defeat the Portuguese. From 1641, Malacca was under the protection of the Dutch up to 1798.
  8. In 1824, the Dutch and the British signed an Anglo-Dutch treaty, which saw them end their rule in Malacca and hand it over to the British. In exchange, the Dutch took over Bencoolen on Sumatra.
  9. Malacca was under the protection of the British between 1826 and 1946. First, the British ruled it through the British East India Company but later by a Crown Colony. During this period, Malacca, Penang and Singapore were part of the Straits Settlements. When the crown colony was dissolved, Penang along with Malacca became part of the Malayan Union. The Malayan Union later became the present Malaysia.
  10. The state of Malacca is approximately 642 square miles in size and according to the 2010 census; it has a population of 821,110. Of its total population, 63 percent are Malays, 25 percent are Chinese, and 6 percent are Indians and other small communities of Kristang. Well, all of them have something in common; they are Malaccans.