| Tanah Merah District | |
| Native Name: | Tanoh Meroh |
| Official Name: | Jajahan Tanah Merah |
| Translit Lang1: | Other |
| Translit Lang1 Type1: | Jawi |
| Translit Lang1 Type2: | Chinese |
| Translit Lang1 Type3: | Tamil |
| Settlement Type: |  District of Malaysia |
| Pushpin Map: | Malaysia District |
| Image Map1: | |
| Coordinates: | 5.8°N 106°W |
| Pushpin Label Position: | Center |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Tanah Merah District in Malaysia |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Seat: | Tanah Merah |
| Parts Type: | Local area government(s) |
| Parts: | Tanah Merah District Council |
| Leader Title: | District officer |
| Leader Name: | Mohammad Yusoff bin Hassan[1] |
| Leader Title1: | Administrative office |
| Leader Name1: | Tanah Merah Land Officers and Colony |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population As Of: | 2021 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | MST |
| Utc Offset: | +8 |
| Timezone Dst: | Not observed |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +8 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postcode |
| Postal Code: | 17xxx |
| Area Code: | +6-09 |
| Area Code Type: | Calling code |
| Registration Plate Type: | Vehicle registration plates |
| Registration Plate: | D |
| Tanah Merah District Council | |
| Native Name: | Majlis Daerah Tanah Merah |
| Native Name Lang: | Malay |
| Coa Pic: | The_Seal_of_Tanah_Merah_District_Council.png |
| Foundation: | 1 January 1979 |
| House Type: | Local authority |
| Leader1 Type: | President |
| Leader1: | Mohammad Yusoff Hassan |
| Leader2 Type: | District secretary |
| Leader2: | Tengku Ahmad Zarir Tengku Abdul Rahim |
| Meeting Place: | 17500 Tanah Merah, Kelantan Darul Naim. |
Tanah Merah District (meaning Red Land or Laterite, Kelantanese: Tanoh Meghoh; Jawi: تانه ميره) is a district (jajahan) in the state of Kelantan in northeast Peninsular Malaysia. The urban area of Tanah Merah is situated along the Kelantan River. It is bordered by Pasir Mas District in the north, Machang District to the east, Kuala Krai District to the south east, Jeli District to the south west and Thailand in the west.
Historically it used to be a capital of a kingdom called Chi Tu. Chinese Sui dynasty annals from the 7th century describe an advanced kingdom called Chi Tu ("Red Earth") in the area now called Kelantan. The ancient name for Kelantan was "Raktamrittika", meaning "red earth" — this was later changed to "Sri Wijaya Mala".[3]
Several types of school can be found in Tanah Merah.[4] Among the schools in Tanah Merah are
The total population in 2020 was about 151,000, the majority being Malays, with a small Chinese and Indian population. Immigrants, mostly from neighbouring Thailand, also make up a part of the population.
Most of the population be distributed among various villages (or "kampung" in Malay) and suburb areas, while only a small proportion is located in the town.
Tanah Merah used to be a small town, but has seen major changes in the last decade when the younger generation started to migrate to cities along the Malaysian west coast for jobs with higher pay. Money sent back to their families has catalysed the growth, expansion and development of the town.
Ranking Population of Jajahan Tanah Merah.
| Rank | Daerah/Mukim | Population 2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 46,737 | ||
| 2 | Jedok | 27,474 | |
| 3 | Ulu Kusial | 27,298 |
The landscape of Tanah Merah is greatly influenced by the Kelantan River (Malay: Sungai Kelantan) which supplies much needed water to its agricultural plantations. Mt. Kemahang (876m (2,874feet)) and Mt. Kusial (723m (2,372feet)) are both located in the western part of Tanah Merah.
List of Tanah Merah district representatives in the Federal Parliament (Dewan Rakyat):
List of LMS district representatives in the State Legislative Assembly:
| Parliament | State | Seat Name | State Assemblyman | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P27 | N26 | Perikatan Nasional (PAS) | |||
| P27 | N27 | Bahari Mohamad Nor | Perikatan Nasional (BERSATU) | ||
| P27 | N28 | Perikatan Nasional (PAS) |
Highway 4 is the main highway serving the constituency. Highway 129 is a shortcut to Pasir Mas.
KTM Intercity has a station in Tanah Merah town.