| HISTORY
Selangor's history dates to the 16th
century, when rich tin deposits were found in the region.
The area's natural wealth, along with its relative freedom
from the presence of the Dutch, attracted miners, immigrants
and colonizers. One especially important group of settlers
were the Bugis, a Malay people from Macassar (now Ujung
Padang) in Celebes. Bugis emigration from this great
port city followed the steady encroachment of the Dutch
over territory previously dominated by Portuguese traders,
with whom the Bugis had allied themselves. Renowned
for their capabilities as sea traders and warriors,
the Bugis soon rose to prominence in Selangor. By 1700
they dominated the state both politically and economically
and had established the present Sultanate of Selangor.
Over the course of the eighteenth century,
Selangor extended its sphere of influence to become
a regional political power. As the western colonial
presence increased over the following century, in-fighting
between the Bugis, Chinese and Malay nobility forced
Selangor to accept the presence of a British Resident
in 1874. Unsurprisingly, this foothold in the prosperous
state's administration proved out to be rather obstinate.
In 1896, the British included Selangor in the Federated
Malay States, at about the same time that rubber cultivation
began in Malaysia. In 1948 the state joined the Federation
of Malaya.
In 1957 the Federation became an independent
state within the Commonwealth of Nations. In 1974, the
country's capital city of Kuala Lumpur and some of the
surrounding areas were ceded to the Federal Government
for the establishment of Wilayah Persekutuan, a Federal
Territory.
Today Selangor is Malaysia's richest
and most developed state. It is home to the largest
port in the country, Port Klang, and to many of the
country's largest industrial operations, found particularly
in the Klang Valley. Its highly diversified economy
ranges from agriculture, industry, and commerce to tourism.
While industry is rapidly expanding, the mainstays of
the state's economy remain rubber, palm-oil, and tin
mining. Port Klang, already the largest port in the
country, is experiencing vigorous development. Tourism
is also beginning to have a major impact on the economy.
Selangor completely surrounds the Federal Territory
of Wilayah Persekutuan, and there are many close economic
and social ties between them.
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