Balik Pulau
Balik Pulau is a suburb of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. Located 12.7 km (7.9 mi) southwest of the city centre, it lies near the southwestern corner of Penang Island and is also the administrative seat of the island's Southwest district.
Balik Pulau | |
|---|---|
Suburb of George Town and district capital | |
| Other transcription(s) | |
| • Mandarin | 浮罗山背 (Simplified) 浮羅山背 (Traditional) Fú luó shān bèi (Pinyin) |
| • Hokkien | 浮羅 Phû-lô (Tâi-lô) |
| • Tamil | பாலிக் புலாவ் Pālik pulāv (Transliteration) |
Balik Pulau | |
| Coordinates: 5°21′N 100°14′E | |
| Country | Malaysia |
| State | Penang |
| City | George Town |
| Founded | 1794 |
| Government | |
| • Local government | Penang Island City Council |
| • Mayor of Penang Island | Rajendran P. Anthony |
| • Pulau Betong State Assemblyman | Mohamad Shukor Zakariah (PAS) |
| • Balik Pulau Member of Parliament | Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (PKR) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.1 km2 (0.04 sq mi) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 109 |
| • Density | 1,100/km2 (2,800/sq mi) |
| Demographics | |
| • Ethnic groups |
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| Time zone | UTC+8 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | Not observed |
| Postal code | 11000 |
| Area code(s) | +6048 |
| Website | www |
The agricultural town of Balik Pulau was established in 1794 by the British East India Company. To this day, the economy of Balik Pulau still relies heavily on agriculture; Penang's most famous produce, including nutmegs, cloves and durians, are grown and harvested in the town. These have also contributed to the town's growing tourism sector; Balik Pulau's reputation for its wide variety of durians, for instance, attracts hordes of tourists between May and August each year.
While Balik Pulau is generally seen as quieter in comparison to the bustling city centre on the other side of the island, urbanisation has also reached the town in recent years, with more residential developments being planned within the area.