Explore Johor

What to know before visiting Johor

Johor is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the northwest. Johor shares maritime borders with Singapore to the south and Indonesia to both the west and east. Johor Bahru is the capital city and the economic centre of the state, Kota Iskandar is the seat of the state government, and Muar serves as the royal capital of the state. Johor Lama served as the old state capital during the period of the Johor Sultanate. As of 2020, the state's population is 4.01 million, making it the second most populated state in Malaysia. Johor has highly diverse tropical rainforests and an equatorial climate. Situated at the southern foothills of the Tenasserim Hills, inselbergs and massifs dominate the state's flat landscape, with Mount Ledang being the highest point. Johor Bahru is one of the anchor cities of the Iskandar Malaysia development corridor, which is one of the most densely populated and fastest-growing urban areas in Malaysia. Johor has high diversity in ethnicity, culture, and language. The state is known for its traditional dance of Zapin and Kuda kepang. The head of state is the Sultan of Johor, while the head of government is the Menteri Besar. The government system is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system, with the state administration divided into administrative districts. Islam is the state religion per the 1895 Constitution of Johor, but other religions can be freely practised. Both Malay and English have been accepted as official languages for the state since 1914. The economy is mainly based on services and manufacturing sectors. Johor is one of the main economic powerhouses in Malaysia and is currently among the top 3 contributors to the national gross domestic product, along with Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. It is also one of the most vital international trade centres in Malaysia, with Port of Tanjung Pelepas being the 16th busiest port in the world, as well as the busiest container port in the nation. -Wikipedia