Penang is split into two areas, the island (Penang Island) and the mainland (Seberang Perai). Penang is mostly flat, with the island being somewhat hilly. The Penang currency is called the Malaysian Ringgit (MYR). One RM is equal to .23 cents in U.S. dollars. The cost of living in Penang, Malaysia is low but that doesn't mean the standard of living isn't extremely high. Rent in Penang is mostly dependent on location. The closer you are to more tourist laden ares (such as the beach, Georgetown, bridge to mainland) the higher you will pay in rent. Renting a furnished apartment short term will cost you about RM1800-5000 a month. An unfurnished apartment for 12 month + will cost you around RM800-3000. Utilites are about water RM8, gas RM5, electric RM200, cable RM49, and internet RM18. The following link gives more information of Penang's cost of living. http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=Malaysia&city=Penang
The climate in Penang is tropical, which can be effected by the sea and wind. There is a dryer season during what we would consider the winter, which averages about 83 degrees plus/minus. Rainy season is also between Apr-Nov with October having the most rain.
The population of Penang is about 1,500,000. The Island of Penang is the most populated island in Malaysia, as the highest population isChinese followed by Malays. Malay is the official state language but Standard Mandarin is taught in medium school and is increasingly become popular. English is also spoken in Penang but mostly for the working environments and is predominantly British English. Most of the population of Penang is Muslim with Buddhism as the second most common religion. Penang has two local authorities one for the island called Penang Island City Council and for the mainland, Seberang Perai Municipal Council. Penang is a federal representative democratic constitutional monarchy, with a Prime Minister as head of government. There are two main parties in Penang are Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional. The Federal legislative power is in the federal parliament and 13 state assemblies. Judicial system is independent of the executive and legislative branches. The Federal Constitution of Malaysia was created in 1957.
Transportation in Penang various but is similar to the US. Buses are cheap and modernized with AC and free Wi-Fi. There are paved roads and highways so having a car makes life easy. But cars are very expensive but you can also rent those too (which is cheap). Motorbikes are also used around the mainland and island. Georgetown has the best public transportation system in Penang. There is also an airport called Penang International Airport which can handle 3 million passengers at any given time. There are even Trishaws and ferry services.
Penang has a rich entertainment industry and nightlife. With a wide variety of events, clubs, attractions, shopping, music, bars, restaurants, etc. There is also a booming tourist area and even eco friendly amusement parks. So much so that there is a Hard Rock Café Hotel on the island. Timeout.com has a wonderful guide to Penang and getting to know the activities of this area http://www.timeout.com/penang. Some of which aren't that expensive, example for a family of four to go to the cinema is only RM40 (9.10 U.S. Dollars!)
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