Penang (Pulo Pînang, 'Betel-nut Island'), the official but less used name of which is PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND, one of the British Straits
Settlements (q.v.), lies at the northern extremity of the Strait of Malacca, 2 to 10 miles from the west coast of the Malay Peninsula, and 360 miles NNW. of Singapore. Length, 15 miles; breadth, 5 to 10 miles; area, 107 sq. m., three-fifths being hilly. A sanatorium crowns the highest point, 2920 feet above sea-level. The whole is covered with forest and vegetation, cocoa-nut and area palms predominating. In the low lands the thermometer ranges from 70° to 95°, and at the sanatorium from 60° to 75°. The rainfall averages 111 inches a year. Penang is a great shipping centre for the products of the native states of the Malacca Peninsula. The value of the commerce of Penang has greatly increased of late years. In 1888 the imports and exports combined reached a total value of £15,425,458; in 1896-98 the annual value of imports alone exceeded £10,000,000, and of exports only a little less. By far the most important export is tin; the next being spices, sugar, and tobacco. Georgetown, the capital, is situated at the north-east extremity of the island, and is defended by forts; pop. about 25,000. Province Wellesley, on the peninsula opposite, forms part of this same settlement administratively. Pop. of Penang, including Province Wellesley and the Dindings, (1881) 190,597; (1891) 235,618, one-half Chinese, nearly one-fourth Malays, and one-sixth Tamils and others from India. Nearly two-thirds of the total are males. Many thousands of Chinese and Indians arrive every year, and the arrivals (129,896 Chinese and 20,599 Indians in 1887) are not balanced by the departures. Province Wellesley, 45 miles in length by 4 to 11 in breadth, with an area of 270 sq. m., produces tapioca, sugar, rice, and cocoa-nuts. Another dependency of the settlement is the Dindings, including the island of Pangkor, situated about 80 miles S. of Penang. Pop. 2322. The native raja of Kedah ceded Penang to the English in 1785 in return for an annual pension of £1000. Thirteen years later the same power acquired what is now Province Wellesley, for the purpose of putting down piracy. In 1805 the East India Company, the proprietors of the settlement, made Penang a presidency of equal rank with Bombay and Madras. From 1826 Singapore and Malacca were united with it, but in 1831 the seat of government was transferred from Penang to Singapore.
PENANG LAWYERS is the commercial name for the stems of a species of palm imported from Penang for walking-sticks. They are small and hard, and have a portion of the root-stock attached, which is left to form the handle.