Kedah
sits in the northwest corner of Peninsular
Malaysia. The state is fairly small, covering
an area of 9,425 sq km that consists mostly
of expansive padi fields and gently rolling
hills. Off its coast are the isles of
Langkawi, and rising to meet the western
shoreline is the mountain of Gunung Jerai
(1,200 meters above sea level). Kedah's
population of about one million is primarily
Malay, though there are significant Chinese
and Indian minorities.
Kedah has
the distinction of being the "Rice-bowl
of Malaysia" - a term that takes
on aesthetic significance when one sees
the rice fields for themselves: the flat
expanse of padis against a backdrop of
rolling hills provides a picture of utter
serenity that lulls the senses.
Like Malaysia's
other states, Kedah has its share of rich
cultural traditions, songs and dances.
Due to its close proximity to Thailand,
some of these traditions are Thai in influence
and origin, and faces of Kehah's people
often bear signs of Thai or Achinese ancestry.
Kedah
