| Kangar | |
| Native Name: | Kangaq |
| Settlement Type: | Town and state capital |
| Official Name: | Town of Kangar |
| Translit Lang1: | Other |
| Translit Lang1 Type1: | Jawi |
| Translit Lang1 Type2: | Chinese |
| Translit Lang1 Info2: | Chinese: 加央 Jiā Yāng |
| Translit Lang1 Type3: | Hokkien |
| Translit Lang1 Info3: | Chinese: 加央 / Ka-yang |
| Translit Lang1 Type4: | Tamil |
| Translit Lang1 Info4: | Kaṅkār |
| Translit Lang1 Type5: | Thai |
| Translit Lang1 Info5: | Tamil: กางาร์ Kanga |
| Pushpin Map: | Perlis#Malaysia West#Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 275px |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Kangar in Perlis |
| Pushpin Label: | Kangar |
| Coordinates: | 6.4333°N 112°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Perlis |
| Established Title: | Foundation of Kota Sena |
| Established Date: | 1653 |
| Established Title1: | Establishment of the town council |
| Established Date1: | 1956 |
| Established Title2: | Municipality status |
| Established Date2: | 1 January 1980 |
| Government Type: | Municipal council |
| Governing Body: | Kangar Municipal Council |
| Leader Title: | President |
| Leader Name: | Norazlan Bin Yahaya |
| Area Total Km2: | 29.84 |
| Population Total: | 48,898 |
| Population As Of: | 2005 |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Demonym |
| Timezone: | MST |
| Utc Offset: | +8 |
| Timezone Dst: | Not observed |
| Kangar Municipal Council | |
| Native Name: | Majlis Perbandaran Kangar مجليس ڤربندرن كڠار |
| Native Name Lang: | Malay |
| Coa Pic: | The Seal of Kangar Municipal Council.png |
| Session Room: | Kangar Municipal Council.jpg |
| Foundation: | 1 January 1980 |
| House Type: | Local authority |
| Leader1 Type: | President |
| Leader1: | Norazlan Bin Yahaya |
| Leader2 Type: | Municipal Secretary |
| Leader2: | Raziff Yaacob |
| Meeting Place: | 192, Persiaran Jubli Emas, 01000 Kangar, Perlis. |
Kangar (Northern Malay: Kangaq; Jawi:) is the state capital and the largest town in Perlis, Malaysia.[1] It has a population of 48,898 and an area of 2,619.4 ha. It is located next to the Thailand border, in the northernmost point of Peninsular Malaysia. It is situated by the Perlis River.[2]
The town is also a gathering centre for the paddy rice production of the surrounding district. Its municipal government is unified with that of the neighbouring communities of Arau and Kaki Bukit. The centre of Kangar is Sena Province. The town is the smallest state capital in Malaysia and its inhabitants are mostly farmers and civil servants. Its industries include cement, saw milling, rubber, paper, and processing of sugar and prawns.[3]
Kangar existed from about 350 years ago, that is since 1653 when Kota Sena was built as the administrative centre for the 14th Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Muhyiddin Mansor Shah. Kangar was then a land port or pengkalan where boats and tongkangs anchor at the confluence of Perlis River, which runs through Kangar town to Kuala Perlis.[1]
The name Kangar was derived from a type of tree. It was here at the port that trading was done, under a big tree that gave shade and respite to the traders. This tree that became a "witness" to many business deals was called Pohon Kangar. Every trader and merchant who came and went to this place began calling it the Pohon Kangar Port, in honour of the tree.[1]
Majority of Kangar population speaks Perlis Malay which is a sub-dialect of Kedah Malay but also has its own unique features compared to those of neighbouring Kedah.
The Han Chinese, the second largest community in Kangar are primarily Hokkien speaking. However, significant Mandarin and English is also well known amongst the local Chinese. In particular, Kangar, and by extension Perlis, is best known for its distinct Hokkien dialect, known as Penang Hokkien. Hokkien serves as the lingua franca of Kangar.
Other languages spoken in Kangar includes Tamil, Telugu, Malayali as well as Punjabi and Hindi among the Kangar Indian population and Southern Thai by the Kedah-Siamese community.
Downtown Kangar is a mixture of old and new shophouses, and has an elegant colonial State Secretariat Building and clocktower from the 1930s. Other major landmarks are: