People and government
People. About 55 per cent of the population of Penang are Chinese, 33 per cent are Malay, and about 11 per cent are Indian. The high proportion of Chinese is due to immigration from the middle of the 1800's. Many coolie (Chinese) immigrants were heading for the tin-mining states of Perak and Selangor, but a large number stayed in, or returned to, Penang to work on the docks and wharves. There was also an important and wealthy Chinese merchant community. The principal Chinese dialect in Penang is Hokkien. There are also large Cantonese, Teochieu, and Hainanese groups.
Penang has more different ethnic groups of people than any other state in Malaysia. Each group has its own customs, traditions, festivals, and religions. There are a large number and variety of places of worship, including mosques, temples, and churches. The ethnic differences can also be seen in food and in styles of traditional dress, as well as in language.
Government. The head of state of Penang is a governor appointed by the yang di-pertuan agong (paramount ruler). The state legislative assembly has 33 seats.
Economy
In the rural areas of Province Wellesley, agriculture is an important source of employment. The main crop, rubber, is grown on smallholdings and plantations. Other crops include coconuts, palm oil, and rice.
Most people work in nonagricultural employment. Three sectors are particularly important: manufacturing, tourism, and the service sector. Many work in factories, but there are several important subsidiary activities. These include the processing of primary exports and the distribution of imported goods. There are also many banks, trading firms, and shipping offices which handle Penang's trade. The state has an important industrial sector on both the island and the mainland. Among the major industrial plants are canning and packaging factories, food processing plants, and metal works. Since the early 1970's, many high technology factories have opened. Their products inclu