Situated on the north-western coast of the Malay Peninsula at the entrance to the Straits of Malacca, Penang Island covers an area of 292 sq km (112 sq mi). The island is separated from mainland Malaysia by a channel of sea varying between 3 km (1.9 mi) and 13 km (8 mi) wide, and they are linked by the 13.5 km (8.4 mi) Penang Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world.
The island has the oldest British settlement in Malaysia, which was founded by Captain Francis Light in 1786 while he was searching for a docking place for ships of the East India Company. Captain Light made a treaty with the Sultan of Kedah who gave him permission to colonize the sparsely populated island.
Penang today is a fine mixture of old and new: bustling, industrial port meets historic Old Town. In the capital, Georgetown, modem skyscrapers tower above one of the largest collections of pre-war buildings in south-east Asia. Colourful produce markets compete for space with high-tech electronics manufacturers. There is also a fascinating mixture of cultures here. Hundred year old churches, Chinese temples, Indian temples and mosques stand side by side.