George Town (
Tamil: ஜோர்ஜ் டவுன்) is the
capital city of the Malaysian state of
Penang, located on the north-east corner of the island. It had an estimated population of 500,000 as of 2010. The
metropolitan area (which consists of
Jelutong,
Sungai Pinang,
Sungai Nibong,
Gelugor,
Air Itam,
Tanjung Bungah and
Tanjung Tokong) has a population of 2.5 million, making it the second largest metropolitan area and the biggest northern metropolis in Malaysia. Together with
Alor Setar and
Malacca City, it is
one of the Malaysian oldest cities in the
Straits of Malacca since been founded by
Francis Light, who is a captain and trader for the
British East India Company (EIC) after been instructed by his company, Jourdain Sullivan and de Souza to establish presence in the
Malay Archipelago.