Klang Valley () is an Urban area in Malaysia centred on the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, along with their surrounding cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is part of the larger Greater Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area.
The Klang Valley is geographically defined by the Titiwangsa Mountains to the east and the Strait of Malacca to the west. It stretches to Rawang in the northwest, Semenyih in the southeast and Klang and Port Klang in the southwest.
Origin
The valley is named after the
Klang River, the principal river that flows through it that starts at Klang Gates Quartz Ridge in
Gombak and flows into the Straits of Malacca in
Port Klang, The river is closely linked to the early development of the area as a cluster of
tin mining towns in the late 19th century. Development of the region took place largely in the East-West direction (between
Gombak and
Port Klang) but the urban areas surrounding Kuala Lumpur have since grown north and south towards the border with
Perak and
Negeri Sembilan respectively.
Regions
There is no official designation of the boundaries that make up the Klang Valley but it is often assumed to comprise the following areas and their corresponding local authorities:
Transport
Although the Klang Valley officially consists of separate cities and suburbs, integration between these areas is very high, supported by a developed road network and an expanding integrated rail transit system. Many expressways criss-cross the metropolis, making cars the most convenient way to travel. However, this has resulted in the Klang Valley's notorious
traffic jams and extremely
Car dependency infrastructure, making peak hour driving exhausting and time consuming. Since the 1990s, several new rail systems such as
Rapid KL (LRT), mass rapid transit (MRT),
KTM Komuter, ERL's airport rail links and the
KL Monorail have been developed, with most undergoing extensive expansions. The Klang Valley Integrated Transit System is currently being upgraded to include a new
Putrajaya line line, the LRT line and a proposed monorail to serve
Putrajaya.
Despite these developments, public transport in the Klang Valley still suffers from serious shortcomings. Although bus networks across the region are extensive, last mile connectivity remains poor and many rail stations are located in isolated areas. As a result, ridership on these systems remains low, with many residents still preferring to drive.
See also
-
1998 Klang Valley water crisis
-
Greater Kuala Lumpur
-
Kuala Lumpur
-
List of metropolitan areas in Asia by population
-
Public Transport in Klang Valley
