Kuala Lumpur was founded in 1857 at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers. In Malay, the name literally means "muddy confluence". The settlement started when a member of the Selangor royal family, Raja Abdullah, opened up the Klang Valley for tin prospectors. 87 Chinese prospectors went up the river Klang and began prospecting in the Ampang area, which was then jungle. Despite 69 of them dying due to the pestilential conditions, a thriving tin mine was established. This naturally attracted merchants who traded basic provisions to the miners in return for some of the tin. The traders set up shop at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers. Thus, a city was born.

As the town grew, the British, who ruled Malaya at the time, felt they needed to appoint a headman (Chinese Kapitan, or Captain of the Chinese) to administer the settlement and ensure law and order. The first Kapitan Cina was Hiu Siew. It was the third Kapitan Cina, Yap Ah Loy, who oversaw the rise of Kuala Lumpur from a sleepy little mining town to become the foremost city of Selangor. In the early years, Kuala Lumpur was the centre of the Selangor Civil War, in which two conflicts could be discerned; a fight between Selangor princes over the revenue of tin mines, and the other one a vendetta between Kapitan Yap and Chong Chong, who wanted the Kapitanship. Kapitan Yap and his backer, Tengku Kudin, were successful and it was from then, thanks to Kapitan Yap's able leadership, that Kuala Lumpur became Selangor's biggest city. He rebuilt Kuala Lumpur, which was devastated by the Civil War and repopulated it with Chinese miners from elsewhere in Selangor. He also encouraged Malay farmers to settle near Kuala Lumpur in order to have a steady and accessible source of food.



It was made capital of Selangor in 1880 due to Kapitan Yap's success. He gave Kuala Lumpur a system of frontier justice which effectively maintained law and order, and ensured that Kuala Lumpur became the centre of commerce in Selangor. After Kuala Lumpur burnt down in 1881, Kapitan Yap decided to rebuild Kuala Lumpur in brick and tile to replace the dangerous attap houses. He set up Kuala Lumpur's first school and a shelter for the homeless. Yap's Kuala Lumpur was very much a rough frontier town as Yap himself was a member of the Hai San triad and gang warfare was common. Kapitan Yap licensed brothels, casinos and drinking saloons. Sir Frank Swettenham was at this time appointed Resident of Selangor and he was the person responsible for making Kuala Lumpur the seat of administration of Selangor. It was under his rule that after Kapitan Yap's death the city continued to prosper. When the Federated Malay States were incorporated with Swettenham in charge in 1896, Kuala Lumpur was made the capital.

During World War II Japanese forces captured Kuala Lumpur on January 11, 1942 and occupied the city for 44 months.

After independence in 1957, Kuala Lumpur was the capital of the Federation of Malaya and continued to be the capital of the renamed Federation of Malaysia in 1963. For the occasion of independence, a large stadium, Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium), was built, where Malaysia's first prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, declared Malaya's independence in front of a massive crowd. The Union Jack was lowered from the flagpole at Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) and the Malayan flag was raised. The site symbolized British sovereignty as it was a cricket ground for the colonial administrators and fronted the Royal Selangor Club, Malaya's most exclusive whites-only club.

On 1 February 1974 Kuala Lumpur seceded from Selangor and the city became a Federal Territory (Wilayah Persekutuan).

Kuala Lumpur advanced by leaps and bounds ever since the Asian Economic Boom of the early 1990s (when economic growth was averaging at 10%). Skyscrapers have shot up and Kuala Lumpur, formerly a languid colonial outpost, has become one of the most lively, advanced and vibrant cities in South East Asia. Traffic jams are a scourge commuters endure daily, despite the numerous 6-lane highways constructed all over the city (including two elevated highways). Bus services are notoriously irregular and inadequate.

Most of central KL has grown without any central planning whatsoever, so the streets in the older parts of town are extremely narrow, winding and congested. The architecture in this section is a unique colonial type, a hybrid of European and Chinese forms.

The stretch of road facing Dataran Merdeka is perhaps the most famous road in Kuala Lumpur. The Sultan Abdul Samad building with its signature copper domes and Moorish architecture stands here, as does one of the tallest flagpoles in the world, which stands in the Dataran Merdeka itself. Up until 2004, the superior courts of the federation (the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court) were housed in the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, since then the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court have moved to the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya. The Dayabumi building is visible, being down the road. This area used to be the focal point of Malaysia's Independence Day parade, which was televised all over Malaysia. In 2003 however, the parade was moved to the boulevard in Putrajaya, keeping with Putrajaya's status as the new administrative capital of Malaysia. Interestingly, the white Police Headquarters located atop Bukit Aman (literally "Peace Hill") also faces the Dataran.

The rest of the city has mostly developed in the standard way, similar with other capital cities in other countries. Aware of this, architects have been urged to incorporate traditional design elements into their work. Notable examples of this fusion are the Dayabumi building, Kuala Lumpur's first skyscraper, the Tabung Haji Building and Menara Telekom, both designed by local architect Hijjas Kasturi, and of course, the Petronas Twin Towers.

Kuala Lumpur has been voted as one of top ten cities in Asia by a leading Asia magazine Asiaweek.

Kuala Lumpur, which is the capital of a multiracial nation, is the hub for cultural activities and events. Among the important centres is the National Museum which is situated along the Mahameru Highway. It offers various types of collection such as artefacts and paintings collected throughout the country. This museum symbolises the nation's rich cultural heritage and history.

Another venue for the appreciation of arts is the Kuala Lumpur Philharmonic Hall. This classical concert hall features a shoe-box shaped stage and is equipped with the latest facilities. The design is sophisticated, while the seating is spacious. It is headquartered to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), comprising an impressive cast of international musicians and features regular concerts, chamber concerts and traditional cultural performances.

Another proud success of Malaysians, the National Theater is among the top ten most sophisticated theatres in the world. It is the first Asian country to install cutting-edge equipments that is on par with the Royal Albert Hall in London. Walking within this hall will also allow visitors to experience Malaysian culture and heritage. It is well decorated with wooden hand-carved flowers and leaves and Langkawi marble. The Petronas Art Gallery, a centre where elegant and fine arts around the world are displayed, is situated in Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC). A platform called 'Experimental Space' is also included to boost innovation and experimentation in art. The National Art Gallery is a platform to showcase outstanding art collection and to cultivate awareness of the arts among all levels of society.

The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) in Sentul West is also a noted centre for the performing arts, notably theatre and music (it can also host film screening). It has housed impressive local productions and has been a key supporter of local and regional independent performance artists. Amongst the highlights of the year so far was the KL Sing Song 2006 music fest which featured Malaysian singer-songwriters of various cultural backgrounds, from both West and East Malaysia, through two days of performances and workshops. It was one of the key events featured in the inaugural KL Festival this year.

In Kuala Lumpur, there are several types of newspapers, including daily newspapers, business newspapers and also a digital newspaper. Daily newspapers are Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, Harian Metro, The Star, New Straits Times ,The Sun, Malay Mail, and other language newspapers. Digital versions of newspapers may be easily obtained through a computer equipped with internet access.

Kuala Lumpur is the headquarters for Malaysia's state broadcaster RTM and commercial station TV3. Programmes are broadcast in Malay, English, Chinese and Tamil.

The city is also home to the country's main pay-TV service, Astro, a satellite television service, which broadcasts local and global television channels such as CNN, BBC World, Star World and HBO.

Al-Jazeera, the Doha-based Arab news network has plans to expand its international viewership by launching a new, English-speaking, channel called Al-Jazeera International. One of its international broadcast centres will be based at the Petronas Twin Towers, in downtown Kuala Lumpur.

Phoenix TV, a Hong Kong based television broadcaster has also announced plans to expand its regional business by setting up its representative office in Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur has a comprehensive road network that can lead you to all parts of Peninsular Malaysia. With almost 7 highways in the city, it is convenient to travel in the city with a car. Cars can be rented from the airport or in the city. Motorists may have a choice of paying cash, using stored value card Touch 'n Go or SmartTag to pay at the toll booths while using the highways/expressways. A near-completion project, SMART Tunnel will facilitate motorists to enter the city without crawling through the congestions in the city using an underground tunnel. Another completed project, ITIS (Intergrated Transport Information System) will also facilitate motorists to get around the city by using advance systems, allowing them to see traffic conditions on major roadways and plan a suitable route into the city before beginning their journey..

However, despite all this, Kuala Lumpur often has horrendous traffic problems, and peak hour traffic is generally from 7:30am to 8:45am, and from 5:45pm to 8:30pm. One is advised to avoid the Federal Highway as well as the Middle Ring Road, especially heading towards Cheras or towards Petaling Jaya.

There are popular tourist locations in and around Kuala Lumpur.