Kedah

Kedah
Kedah Darul Aman
Nickname(s): 
Negeri Jelapang Padi
The Rice Bowl State
Anthem: Allah Selamatkan Sultan Mahkota
God Save the Crowned Sultan
   Kedah in    Malaysia
Country Malaysia
Old Kedah2nd CE
Kedah Sultanate1136
Siamese control1821
Kedah Sultanate1842
British control1909
Japanese occupation1942
Independence as part of the Federation of Malaya31 August 1957
CapitalAlor Setar[a]
6°07′42″N 100°21′46″E / 6.12833°N 100.36278°E / 6.12833; 100.36278
Largest citySungai Petani
Ethnic groups
(2020)
Religion
(2020)
Demonym(s)Kedahan
GovernmentParliamentary constitutional monarchy
 Sultan
Sallehuddin
Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor
(PNPAS)
LegislatureLegislative Assembly
Area
 Total
9,492 km2 (3,665 sq mi)
Highest elevation1,862 m (6,109 ft)
Population
 2020 census
2,131,427
 Density
224.55/km2 (581.6/sq mi) (8th)
GDP (PPP)2023 estimate
 Total
$40.312 billion (10th)
 Per capita
$18,429 (13th)
GDP (nominal)2023 estimate
 Total
$12.397 billion (10th)
 Per capita
$5,779 (13th)
Gini (2022) 0.359
low
HDI (2023) 0.770
high · 13th
CurrencyMalaysian ringgit (RM/MYR)
Time zoneUTC+8 (Malaysian Time)
Date formatdd-mm-yyyy
Driving sideLeft
Calling code+604-4, +604-7, +604-9
Postal code
05xxx to 09xxx
ISO 3166 codeMY-02
Websitekedah.gov.my
^[a] Including royal seat in suburb Anak Bukit.

Kedah (Malay pronunciation: [kəˈdah]), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km2, and consists of a mainland portion and the Langkawi islands. The mainland has relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice, while Langkawi is composed of mostly of uninhabited islands.

Kedah was previously known as Kadaram (Tamil: கடாரம்; Kaṭāram) by the ancient and medieval Tamils, Kataha or Kalahbar (Arabic: قتح; qataḥa or Arabic: قلحبر; qalaḥbar) by the Arabs, and Syburi (Thai: ไทรบุรี; RTGS: Sai Buri) by the Siamese when it was under their influence.

Kedah borders the state of Perlis to the north and shares an international boundary with the Songkhla and Yala provinces of Thailand. It borders the states of Perak to the south and Penang to the southwest.

The state's capital is Alor Setar and the royal seat is in the capital's suburb Anak Bukit. Other major towns include Sungai Petani (its largest urban area by population), and Kulim on the mainland, and Kuah on Langkawi.