French
DeutschKlang Valley
2°40′54.05″N 101°39′40.57″E / 2.6816806°N 101.6612694°E
Klang Valley (Malay: Lembah Klang; Chinese: 巴生谷; Tamil: கிள்ளான் பள்ளத்தாக்கு) is an urban agglomeration in Malaysia centred on the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, along with their surrounding cities and towns in the state of Selangor. Greater Kuala Lumpur is located within the Klang Valley. Although the two terms are often used interchangeably, the Klang Valley covers a larger area.
The Klang Valley is geographically defined by the Titiwangsa Mountains to the east and the Strait of Malacca to the west. It stretches to Rawang in the northwest, Semenyih in the southeast and Klang and Port Klang in the southwest.[1] The conurbation forms the core of Malaysia's industrial and commercial activity.[2] As of 2022, the Klang Valley is home to around 9 million people, nearly one third of Malaysia's total population of 32 million.[3]
Origin
[edit]The valley is named after the Klang River, the principal river that flows through it that starts at Klang Gates Quartz Ridge in Gombak and flows into the Straits of Malacca in Port Klang, The river is closely linked to the early development of the area as a cluster of tin mining towns in the late 19th century. Development of the region took place largely in the East-West direction (between Gombak and Port Klang) but the urban areas surrounding Kuala Lumpur have since grown north and south towards the border with Perak and Negeri Sembilan respectively.
Regions
[edit]There is no official designation of the boundaries that make up the Klang Valley but it is often assumed to comprise the following areas and their corresponding local authorities:
Core Constituencies in the Klang Valley (Greater Kuala Lumpur)
Constituencies in the Greater Klang Valley (including the Rawang and Langat River Valley)
Sometimes included (for TV and radio broadcasting)
Course of the Klang River is shown in blue.
- Federal Territory of Putrajaya
- Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur
- Selangor district of Petaling
- Selangor district of Klang
- Selangor district of Gombak
- Selangor district of Hulu Langat
- Selangor district of Sepang
- Selangor district of Kuala Langat
Transport
[edit]Although the Klang Valley officially consists of separate cities and suburbs, integration between these areas is very high, supported by a developed road network and an expanding integrated rail transit system. Many expressways criss-cross the metropolis, making cars the most convenient way to travel. However, this has resulted in the Klang Valley's notorious traffic jams and extremely car-centric infrastructure, making peak hour driving exhausting and time consuming. Since the 1990s, several new rail systems such as Rapid KL's light rapid transit (LRT), mass rapid transit (MRT), KTM Komuter, ERL's airport rail links and the monorail have been developed, with most undergoing extensive expansions. The Klang Valley Integrated Transit System is currently being upgraded to include a new MRT line, the LRT line and a proposed monorail to serve Putrajaya.
Despite these developments, public transport in the Klang Valley still suffers from serious shortcomings. Although bus networks across the region are extensive, last mile connectivity remains poor and many rail stations are located in isolated areas. As a result, ridership on these systems remains low, with many residents still preferring to drive.[4] In 2024, National Defence University of Malaysia associate professor Wu Chai Bin stated that traffic congestion in the Klang Valley might persist for more than a decade unless the public transport network is fundamentally reimagined.[5][6]
See also
[edit]- 1998 Klang Valley water crisis
- Greater Kuala Lumpur
- Kuala Lumpur
- List of metropolitan areas in Asia by population
- Public Transport in Klang Valley
References
[edit]- ^ Ooi Keat Gin (2009). Historical Dictionary of Malaysia. Scarecrow Press. pp. 157–158. ISBN 978-0810859555. Archived from the original on 2015-06-04.
- ^ "world gazetteer". Archived from the original on 2012-12-05.
- ^ "World Gazetteer: Malaysia - largest cities (per geographical entity)". world-gazetteer.com. 9 February 2013. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013.
- ^ Cher, Boo Jia (8 July 2024). "Understanding the low ridership of Klang Valley's MRT and how to fix it". focusmalaysia.my. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "专家：巴生谷300万车主 未来10年继续塞！(Expert: three million car owners in Klang Valley will continue to experience traffic jams in the next ten years)". China Press. 4 June 2024. Archived from the original on 4 June 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ Nizam, Fitri (4 June 2024). "3 juta hadap sesak 10 tahun lagi (Three million is expected to experience traffic jams for another 10 years) (subscription required)". Utusan Malaysia. Archived from the original on 4 June 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
