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 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.

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