Melaka

State of west Peninsular Malaysia; area 1,700 sq km/656 sq mi; population (2000 est) 602,900 (about 70% Chinese). The capital is Melaka. Rubber is the leading export of the state, though the output of coconuts and fruit, especially pineapples, is also commercially significant. Other exports include tin and wire. The town originated in the 13th century as a fishing village frequented by pirates, and later developed into a trading port. Portuguese from 1511, then Dutch from 1641, it was ceded to Britain in 1824, becoming part of the Straits Settlements.

Melaka

Seaport and capital of Melaka state, Peninsular Malaysia, situated on the Strait of Malacca at the mouth of the Melaka River; population (2000 est) 369,200. Historically Melaka is a blend of Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial influences. Much of the old planned Dutch town still stands, and there are remains of the 16th-century Portuguese town, fortifications, and church. Once a major centre of the spice trade, silting of the river estuary made Melaka's harbour inaccessible to larger ocean-going vessels, and the trade declined. The chief exports are rice and rubber; industries include electronics. It is a major tourist centre with an international airport, and has road links to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Melaka has a large Baba (Malay-speaking) Chinese community, and a small Portuguese Eurasian fishing community (speaking the archaic Christao dialect of Portuguese), forming two distinctive subcultures. The population is made up of Malay (53%), Chinese (38%), Indians (8%), and Eurasians (1%).