Langkawi, officially known as
Langkawi the Jewel of Kedah (
Malay:
Langkawi Permata Kedah) is an
archipelago of 104 islands in the
Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern
Malaysia. The islands are a part of the state of
Kedah, which is adjacent to the
Thai border. On 15 July 2008,
Sultan Abdul Halim of
Kedah had consented to the change of name to Langkawi Permata Kedah in conjunction with his
Golden Jubilee Celebration. By far the largest of the islands is the eponymous
Langkawi Island with a population of some 64,792, the only other inhabited island being nearby Tuba Island. Langkawi is also an
administrative district with the town of
Kuah as largest town. Langkawi is a
duty-free island.