Kedah

It is believed that traders, who plied the East-West trade route, used Kedah as a stopover point since the 5th Century. The traders used Gunung Jerai (Mount Jerai), Kedah's highest peak, as a navigational point to guide them into Kuala Muda, which was Kedah's famous trading port at that time. Early Hindu-Buddhist civilisation also left their marks in the form of ancient candi (temples) around Lembah Bujang (Bujang Valley).

Later in the 7th and 8th Centuries, Kedah became a vassal of the Sumatran Kingdom of Sri Vijaya. After the kingdom's disintegration, the Thais placed Kedah under their wing. It was later won by the reigning Malacca Sultanate in the 15th Century. During the 17th Century, Kedah was fiercely attacked by the Portuguese and Achinese. In the 18th century, Penang, which was once belonged to Kedah, was handed over to the British in compensation for the latter's protection from the Thai attacks. However, Kedah still fell to the Thais in 1821.

In 1907, the Thais handed over Kedah to the British and a British advisor was appointed to advise the Sultan on State matters. The State of Kedah also suffered, as did others, during the Japanese occupation of Malaya until the year 1945. Then in 1948, it joined the Federation of Malaya, which gained independence in 1957. Today, Kedah is a prosperous State with an expanding economy, fuelled by agriculture, manufacturing and tourism.

Capital: Alor Star

Government: state of the Federation of Malaya (1948), Malaysia (1963)

Area: 9.426 km²

Population: 1.778.188 (2003)

Currency: Malaya Dollar (100 cent)

Links

Kedah in Wikipedia.

Flag of Kedah in Flags of the World.

Stamp catalogue

UPU 75th anniversary

date: 10 October 1949

designer: -

printer: Waterlow & Sons, London (1 and 4), Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., New Malden (2 and 3)

perforated: 13½:14 (1 and 4), 11:11½ (2 and 3)

1 10 cents Hermes, globe, letter, airplane, boat, train, text "UNIVERSAL / POSTAL UNION / 1874 1949"

purple

(cat. Michel 57/SG 72/Yvert 64)

2 15 c hemispheres, airplane, steamer, text "1874 / UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION / 1949"

deep blue

(cat. Michel 58/SG 73/Yvert 65)

3 25 c Hermes scattering letters over globe, text "UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION / 1874 / 1949"

orange

(cat. Michel 59/SG 74/Yvert 66)

4 50 c UPU monument, Berne, text "UNIVERSAL / POSTAL / UNION / 1874 / 1949" and "UNION

POSTALE UNIVERSELLE"

blue-black

(cat. Michel 60/SG 75/Yvert 67)

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last revised: 7 October 2008