Pearl of the Orient *Penang*

Penang (pronounced /pə'næŋ/; Malay: Pulau Pinang) is a state in Malaysia, located on the north-west coast of peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. Penang is the second smallest state in Malaysia after Perlis, and the eighth most populous. A resident of Penang is colloquially known as a Penangite.

The island was referred to as 檳榔嶼 (Bīnláng Xù) in the navigational drawings used by Admiral Zheng He of Ming-dynasty China in his expeditions to the South Seas in the 15th century. Early Malays called it Pulau Ka-Satu or "First Island".

The name "Penang" comes from the modern Malay name Pulau Pinang, which means island of the betel nut tree (Areca catechu), family Palmae. In Chinese, Penang is known as 檳城 (pinyin: Bīnchéng / Bīngchéng; Hokkien: Peng Sheah). All three names can refer either to the island of Penang, the state of Penang or sometimes the state capital, George Town.

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