One suggestion is that it was named after Sungai Lumpur ("muddy river"); it was recorded in the 1820s that Sungei Lumpoor was the most important tin-producing settlement up the Klang River.
Chinese miners were involved in tin mining up the Selangor River in the 1840s about north of present-day Kuala Lumpur, and Mandailing Sumatrans led by Raja Asal and Sutan Puasa were also involved in tin mining and trade in the Ulu Klang region before 1860, and Sumatrans may have settled in the upper reaches of Klang River in the first quarter of the 19th century, possibly earlier.
It first developed as a town serving the tin mines of the region circa 1857, before it became the capital of Selangor in 1880 until 1978, and the capital of Malaya before the formation of Malaysia.
It is generally accepted that Kuala Lumpur become established as a town circa 1857, when the Malay Chief of Klang, Raja Abdullah bin Raja Jaafar, aided by his brother Raja Juma'at of Lukut, raised funds from Malaccan Chinese businessmen to hire some Chinese miners from Lukut to open new tin mines here.
Kuala Lumpur was the furthest point up the Klang River to which supplies could conveniently be brought by boat; it therefore became a collection and dispersal point serving the tin mines. Although the early miners suffered a high death toll due to the malarial conditions of the jungle, the Ampang mines were successful, and the first tin from these mines was exported in 1859.
Chinese miners were involved in tin mining up the Selangor River in the 1840s about north of present-day Kuala Lumpur, and Mandailing Sumatrans led by Raja Asal and Sutan Puasa were also involved in tin mining and trade in the Ulu Klang region before 1860, and Sumatrans may have settled in the upper reaches of Klang River in the first quarter of the 19th century, possibly earlier.
The third Chinese Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur, Yap Ah Loy, was appointed in 1868. Important Malay figures of early Kuala lumpur also include Haji Mohamed Tahir who became the Dato Dagang ("chief of traders").
Raja Asal and Sutan Puasa also switched side to Raja Mahdi, and Kuala Lumpur was captured in 1872 and burnt to the ground.
Kuala Lumpur was recaptured by Yap in March 1873 when Raja Mahdi forces were defeated with the help of fighters from Pahang.
The slump lasted until late 1879, when a rise in the price of tin allowed the town to recover.
It first developed as a town serving the tin mines of the region circa 1857, before it became the capital of Selangor in 1880 until 1978, and the capital of Malaya before the formation of Malaysia.
In 1880, the state capital of Selangor was moved from Klang to the more strategically advantageous Kuala Lumpur by the colonial administration, and the British Resident William Bloomfield Douglas then decided that the government buildings and living quarters should be located to the west of the river.
As development intensified in the 1880s, it also put pressure on sanitation, waste disposal and other health issues.
In late 1881, the town was severely flooded, following a fire that had destroyed the entire town in January that year.
He also stipulated in 1884 that buildings should be constructed of brick and tile so that they would be less flammable, and that the town be rebuilt with wider streets to reduce fire risk.
The population grew from 4,500 in 1884 to 20,000 in 1890.
Kapitan Yap Ah Loy also built Kuala Lumpur's first school and a major tapioca mill in Petaling Street of which the Selangor's Sultan Abdul Samad held an interest. A railway line between Kuala Lumpur and Klang, initiated by Swettenham and completed in 1886, increased accessibility which resulted in the rapid growth of the town.
The population grew from 4,500 in 1884 to 20,000 in 1890.
A Sanitary Board was created on 14 May 1890 which was responsible for sanitation, upkeep of roads, lighting of street and other functions.
It was only in 1895, but was extended to encompass in 1903.
In 1896, Kuala Lumpur was chosen as the capital of the newly formed Federated Malay States. ===20th century–present=== The area that is defined as Kuala Lumpur expanded considerably in the 20th century.
The Padang, now known as Merdeka Square, would later become the centre of the British administrative offices when the colonial government offices were moved to the Sultan Abdul Samad Building in 1897. Frank Swettenham, on becoming the British Resident, began improving the town by cleaning up the streets.
A riot in 1897 was a relatively minor affair that began with the confiscation of faulty dacing (a scale used by traders), and in 1912, a more serious disturbance called the tauchang riot began during the Chinese New Year with the cutting of pigtails and ended with rioting and factional fighting lasting a number of days.
By the time it became a municipality in 1948 it had expanded to , and then to in 1974 as a Federal Territory. The development of rubber industry in Selangor fueled by the demand for car tyre in the early 20th century led to a boom of the town, with the population of Kuala Lumpur increasing from 30,000 in 1900 to 80,000 in 1920.
It was only in 1895, but was extended to encompass in 1903.
A riot in 1897 was a relatively minor affair that began with the confiscation of faulty dacing (a scale used by traders), and in 1912, a more serious disturbance called the tauchang riot began during the Chinese New Year with the cutting of pigtails and ended with rioting and factional fighting lasting a number of days.
By the time it became a municipality in 1948 it had expanded to , and then to in 1974 as a Federal Territory. The development of rubber industry in Selangor fueled by the demand for car tyre in the early 20th century led to a boom of the town, with the population of Kuala Lumpur increasing from 30,000 in 1900 to 80,000 in 1920.
The growth of the rubber industry led to an influx of foreign capital and planters, with new companies and industries becoming established in Kuala Lumpur, and other companies previously based elsewhere also found a presence here. During World War II, Kuala Lumpur was captured by the Imperial Japanese Army on 11 January 1942.
They occupied the city until 15 August 1945, when the commander in chief of the Japanese Seventh Area Army in Singapore and Malaysia, Seishirō Itagaki, surrendered to the British administration following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
By the time it became a municipality in 1948 it had expanded to , and then to in 1974 as a Federal Territory. The development of rubber industry in Selangor fueled by the demand for car tyre in the early 20th century led to a boom of the town, with the population of Kuala Lumpur increasing from 30,000 in 1900 to 80,000 in 1920.
Kuala Lumpur grew through the war, and continued after the war during the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960), during which Malaya was preoccupied with the communist insurgency and New Villages were established on the outskirts of the city. The first municipal election in Kuala Lumpur was held on 16 February 1952.
On 31 August 1957, the Federation of Malaya gained its independence from British rule.
The British flag was lowered and the Malayan flag was raised for the first time at the Padang on the midnight of 30 August 1957, and in the morning of 31 August, the ceremony for the Declaration of Independence was held at the Merdeka Stadium by the first Prime Minister of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Kuala Lumpur remained the capital after the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963.
The Malaysian Houses of Parliament was completed at the edge of the Lake Gardens in 1963. Kuala Lumpur had seen a number of civil disturbances over the years.
The worst rioting on record in Malaysia however occurred on 13 May 1969, when race riots broke out in Kuala Lumpur.
This system of appointing the mayor has been in place ever since the local government elections were suspended in 1970. ===Districts=== Kuala Lumpur's eleven parliamentary constituencies, with estimated population and percentage of the total, are congruent with administrative subdivisions under the authority of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall authority.These 11 districts can be divided into 29 subdistricts. ===Politics=== Kuala Lumpur is home to the Parliament of Malaysia.
The riots caused the deaths of 196 people according to official figures, and led to major changes in the country's economic policy to promote and prioritise Malay economic development over that of the other ethnicities. Kuala Lumpur achieved city status on 1 February 1972, becoming the first settlement in Malaysia to be granted the status after independence.
By the time it became a municipality in 1948 it had expanded to , and then to in 1974 as a Federal Territory. The development of rubber industry in Selangor fueled by the demand for car tyre in the early 20th century led to a boom of the town, with the population of Kuala Lumpur increasing from 30,000 in 1900 to 80,000 in 1920.
Later, on 1 February 1974, Kuala Lumpur became a federal territory.
In 1974, Kuala Lumpur was separated from Selangor to form the first Federal Territory governed directly by the Malaysian Federal Government.
It first developed as a town serving the tin mines of the region circa 1857, before it became the capital of Selangor in 1880 until 1978, and the capital of Malaya before the formation of Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur ceased to be the capital of Selangor in 1978 after the city of Shah Alam was declared the new state capital.
Since the 1990s, the city has played host to many international sporting, political and cultural events including the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.
On 14 May 1990, Kuala Lumpur celebrated 100 years of local council.
Kuala Lumpur however still retained its legislative function, and remained the home of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Constitutional King). From the 1990s onwards, major urban developments in the Klang Valley have resulted in an extended Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Area.
Since the 1990s, the city has played host to many international sporting, political and cultural events including the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.
The city remained the seat of the executive and judicial branches of the federal government until these were relocated to Putrajaya in early 1999.
Most of the country's largest companies have their headquarters here, and as of December 2007 and excluding Petronas, there are 14 companies that are listed in Forbes 2000 based in Kuala Lumpur. Other important economic activities in the city are education and health services.
On 1 February 2001, Putrajaya was declared a Federal Territory, as well as the seat of the federal government.
Shopping in Malaysia contributed RM7.7 billion (US$2.26 billion) or 20.8 percent of the RM31.9 billion tourism receipts in 2006. Suria KLCC is one of Malaysia's premier upscale shopping destination due to its location beneath the Petronas Twin Towers. Apart from Suria KLCC, Bukit Bintang district has the highest concentration of shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur.
Most of the country's largest companies have their headquarters here, and as of December 2007 and excluding Petronas, there are 14 companies that are listed in Forbes 2000 based in Kuala Lumpur. Other important economic activities in the city are education and health services.
, the market capitalisation stood at US$505.67 billion. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Kuala Lumpur is estimated at RM73,536 million in 2008 with an average annual growth rate of 5.9 percent.
The per capita GDP for Kuala Lumpur in 2013 was RM79,752 with an average annual growth rate of 5.6 percent, and RM94,722 in 2015.
MICE tourism, which mainly encompasses conventions— has expanded in recent years to become a vital component of the industry, and is expected to grow further once the Malaysian government's Economic Transformation Programme kicks in, and with the completion of a new 93,000 sq m-size MATRADE Centre in 2014.
The current mayor is Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan, who has been in office since 18 July 2015. ===Local government=== The local administration is carried out by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, an agency under the Federal Territories Ministry of Malaysia.
By 2015, the GDP has reached RM160,388 million, representing 15.1% of the total GDP of Malaysia.
The per capita GDP for Kuala Lumpur in 2013 was RM79,752 with an average annual growth rate of 5.6 percent, and RM94,722 in 2015.
Average monthly household income is RM9,073 (~$2,200) as of 2016, growing at a pace of approximately 6% a year.
Since the 1990s, the city has played host to many international sporting, political and cultural events including the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.
Kuala Lumpur is one of the leading cities in the world for tourism and shopping, being the 6th most-visited city in the world in 2019.
Kuala Lumpur was named as World Book Capital 2020 by UNESCO. ==History== ===Etymology=== Kuala Lumpur means "muddy confluence" in Malay; Kuala is the point where two rivers join together or an estuary, and lumpur means "mud".
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