Johor is the southernmost State in the Peninsular Malaysia. The State is bounded on the north by Malacca and Pahang, on the west by the Straits of Malacca, on the east by South China Sea and on the south by Singapore.

The State covers an area of 18,986 sq km. Johor's highest point is Gunung Ledang.

On the whole, Johor's climate is tropical monsoon. The temperature is relatively uniform within the range of 26°C to 27°C throughout the year. During the months of January to April, the weather is generally dry and warm. Humidity is consistently high on the lowlands ranging between 82% to 86% per annum. The average rainfall per year is 2,030 mm to 3,050 mm and the wettest months are from May to December.

The economic activity of Johor is dominated by agriculture, manufacturing, commerce and tourism. It is also the nation's major producer of palm oil, rubber, pineapples and bananas.

Around Johor Bahru and other major towns, one can find many industrial estates that produce electronic components, electrical appliances, furniture, textiles and petrochemical products.

State:	Johor
Capital:	Johor Bahru
Population (2000)	2,740,652
Total Area (sq km):	18,986
Tempreature (°C):	26 - 27
Humidity (%):	82 - 86
Rainfall (mm):	2,030 - 3,050
Head of State:	Sultan: His Majesty Sultan Iskandar Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Ismail
Head of Govt.:	Menteri Besar: Y.A.B. Dato' Haji Abdul Ghani Othman

Johor history can be traced to the 16th century. It began in 1511 when Sultan Mahmud of the Malacca Sultanate, after losing Malacca to the Portuguese, fled to Johor and engaged in regular wars to try to recapture Malacca from the Portuguese. He did not succeed and died in Kampar, in Sumatra in 1528. Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Aceh on the northern part of Sumatra was steadily gaining its strength. The Acehnese was in constant conflict with the Portuguese in Malacca. The former tried to wrest control of the region. At the same time the Johor Sultanate did not give up its desire to recapture Malacca. This resulted in the Aceh-Malacca-Johor war.

The Portuguese, after failing to gain control of Johor, eventually gave up and let the Malay rulers to rule from their capitals near the Johor River. The Acehnese continue to attack Johor. When the Dutch came to this region, they allied with Johor for a combined successful attack on the Portuguese. In return, Johor was conferred special trading rights on other states by the Dutch. By the end of 17th century, the Johor empire was among the strongest in the region. However, a war with the Bugis of Celebes in 1716 weakened Johor.

The Dutch East India Company's control of Riau-Johor in 1784 ended the Bugis domination in Johor. In 1819, the squabble between the Malay and Bugis factions in Johor gave Stamford Raffles an opportunity to put Singapore under the British control. Mainland Johor was separated from the rest of the empire in Riau-Lingga Archipelago.

Sultan Abu Bakar, who became the Sultan in 1885 was fondly remembered as the "Father of Modern Johor", as he has laid the foundation for developing Johor into a modern state. He first transformed Johor Baharu from a humble fishing village into a thriving new town. Thereafter, he extended the development to other parts of Johor, in particular the township of Muar and Batu Pahat.

Sultan Abu Bakar was the first Malay ruler to visit England. He became the personal friend of Queen Victoria. He used western methods to manage Johor's internal affairs and secured the personal services and advice of British businessmen and professionals. He introduced a modern public administration system, known as Johor Civil Service and gave the State its first constitution.

These successes and his contacts with people in high places in London and Singapore convinced the British that his government was good and stable and thus, deferred the appointment of a British "advisor" to help him rule Johor.

His successor Sultan Ibrahim tried to implement similar independent policies, but reigned at the time when the British power was at its height. In 1914, Sultan Ibrahim reluctantly accepted a British General Advisor, which effectively put Johor under British control.

Throughout the period of British rule, Johor succeeded in maintaining a strong identity of its own. Its leaders played a major role in the post-1945 independence movement, including the formation of the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) in 1946. Dato' Onn bin Jaafar, a former Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Johor was the founder of UMNO.