Incorpora on into Malaya[edit]

See also: Si Rat Malai

In World War II, Kedah (along with Kelantan) was the
first part of Malaya to be invaded by Japan. The
Japanese returned Kedah to their Thai allies who had it
renamed Syburi, but it returned to British rule after the
end of the war. Kedah became one of the states of
the Federation of Malaya in 1948, which then achieved
independence in 1957. Malaya was then enlarged to
become Malaysia in 1963.
Since 2017, the hereditary Sultan of Kedah has
been Sultan Sallehuddin. The Kedah Sultanate began
when the ninth Kedah Maharaja Derbar Raja or Phra
Ong Mahawangsa, converted to Islam and changed his
name to Sultan Mudzafar Shah I. Since then there have
been 27 Sultans who ruled Kedah.[23]
On 11 May 2018, Mahathir Mohamad son Mukhriz
Mahathir took his oath of office before Kedah
Sultan Tunku Sallehuddin Ibni Almarhum Sultan
Badlishah in a ceremony held in Istana Anak Bukit.[24]
Geography[edit]
 Paddy field in Sungai Meriam.
Kedah is the 8th largest state by land area and 8th
most populated state in Malaysia, with a total land
area of 9,500 km2 (3,700 sq mi),[25] and a population of
1,890,098.[26] The terrain is mostly flat in general, as
the Kedah–Perlis Plain covers much of the state's land
area, from the district of Kuala Muda in the south
towards the state of Perlis in the north. Owing to
its alluvial properties, most of the plains have been
developed for rice farming for centuries. Meanwhile,
the northeastern towards the southeastern part of the
state is particularly mountainous, especially in the
districts of Padang Terap, Sik, Baling, Kulim and Bandar
Baharu. The Kedah–Songkhla and Bintang
Ranges formed the state's boundary between the Thai
provinces of Songkhla and Yala in the northeast, and
the state of Perak in the southeast. The Bintang Range
is home to Mount Bintang, the state's highest point,
located on the border with Perak.
Some parts of Kedah are also karstic, with areas
punctuated by limestone hills called mogotes.
The Pedu Lake is the largest man-made lake in the
state.