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Kuala

Kuala is a Malay toponym meaning the estuary or river mouth. In place names it signals a location where a river meets the sea or where two rivers meet near the coast. The prefix is common in Malaysia and Brunei and is preserved in many town and district names.

Examples include Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, whose name refers to a muddy estuary at the

Historically, these places developed as riverine trade hubs or gateways for coastal navigation. Today, the name

confluence
of
the
Klang
and
Gombak
rivers;
Kuala
Terengganu,
the
state
capital
of
Terengganu
on
the
Terengganu
River
near
the
coast;
Kuala
Kangsar
in
Perak;
Kuala
Lipis
in
Pahang;
Kuala
Selangor
in
Selangor;
and
Kuala
Belait
in
Brunei
along
the
Belait
River.
survives
in
urban
areas
and
districts
even
if
geographic
changes
or
urban
expansion
alter
the
river's
course.
The
use
of
Kuala
as
a
prefix
highlights
the
importance
of
rivers
in
the
region's
settlement
patterns
and
the
maritime
geography
of
Malay-speaking
areas.