KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia's Dynamic Capital City Affectionately Known as 'KL'. Young. Eclectic. Modern. A City of the Times. You'll Find it Lively, Buzzing with Vitality, a Gateway to a World of Action, Excitement and Discoveries. Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of the Federation of Malaysia, is centrally located on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Covering an area of 243sq km ( 94 square miles ), it lies approximately 35km from the coast. Kuala Lumpur was conferred city status on February 1, 1972 and declared as a Federal Territory in 1974.

The city began as a mining settlement in the late 1800s with the discovery of tin at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak Rivers. Although KL's tin trade has since declined, the growth of the city has remained unabated. Today, with a population of 1.8 million, it is the pulse of the nation.

Kuala Lumpur leads the country's fast paced development in trade and commerce , banking and finance, manufacturing, transportation, information technology and tourism.

Getting to Kuala Lumpur is easy with over 40 international airlines, including Malaysia Airlines, serving the city's new state-of-the art KL International Airport ( KLIA ) at Sepang. Domestic routes are served by Air Asia, Pelangi Air, Singapore Airlines and Royal Brunei Airlines, in additions to Malaysia Airlines.

Malaysia is also accessible overland from Thailand in the north, and Singapore in the South, via Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) which connects most of the principal towns in Peninsular Malaysia.

By sea, the main port-of-call for cruise liners to Malaysia is Port Klang, situated 41km from Kuala Lumpur.

The city's strategic location at the heart of Southeast Asia, along with excellent supporting infrastrunture, has made it a popular venue for international events, conventions and exhibitions.