Seberang Perai

Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located on the Malay Peninsula and separated from Penang Island by the Penang Strait, it shares borders with Kedah to the north and east, and Perak to the south. The city spans an area of 748 km² (289 sq mi) and had a population of 946,092 as of 2020, making it the third largest city in Malaysia.

Originally a part of Kedah, the territory containing the city was ceded to the British East India Company in 1800. It was named Province Wellesley and has been administered as part of Penang ever since. The territory became a centre for cash crop agriculture, while the development of new towns such as Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam followed with the advent of roads and railways towards the end of the 19th century.

After Malaya's independence, Seberang Perai benefitted from the development spillover from George Town. The Port of Penang, the third busiest seaport in the country, was relocated to the municipality in 1974, bolstering its burgeoning industrial-based economy that has attracted numerous multinational companies. Two road bridges were constructed to physically connect Seberang Perai with George Town, complementing an existing ferry service between the two cities. Penang Sentral, a new transit-oriented development, has strengthened Seberang Perai's role as the logistics hub of northwestern Malaysia. Following decades of rapid urbanisation and infrastructural developments, Seberang Perai was conferred city status in 2019.