Butterworth, Seberang Perai

Butterworth Bagan
City centre of Seberang Perai
Other transcription(s)
• Mandarin	北海 Běi hǎi (Pinyin)
• Hokkien	北海 Pak-hái (Tâi-lô)
• Tamil	பட்டர்வொர்த் Paṭṭarvort (Transliteration)
• Thai	บัตเตอร์เวิร์ท Battoewoet (RTGS)
Etymology: William John Butterworth
Butterworth Location within    Seberang Perai in    Penang
Coordinates: 5°23′39″N 100°21′59″E / 5.39417°N 100.36639°E / 5.39417; 100.36639
Country	Malaysia
State	Penang
City	Seberang Perai
District	North Seberang Perai
Government
• Local government	Seberang Perai City Council
• Mayor of Seberang Perai	Azhar Arshad
Area
• Total	14.6 km2 (5.6 sq mi)
Population  (2020)[1]
• Total	80,378
• Density	5,500/km2 (14,000/sq mi)
Demographics [1]
• Ethnic groups	51.6% Chinese 24.3% Bumiputera 24.1% Malay 0.3% indigenous groups from Sabah and Sarawak 14.1% Indian 0.5% Other ethnicities 9.5% Non-citizens
Time zone	UTC+8 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	Not observed
Postal code	120xx to 134xx
Area code(s)	+6043

Butterworth is the city centre of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. It lies about 3 km (1.9 mi) east of George Town, the capital city of Penang, across the Penang Strait.^[2] As of 2020^[update], Butterworth had a total population of 80,378 residents.^[3]

Butterworth was named after William John Butterworth, a former Governor of the Straits Settlements during the mid-19th century. Under the British Raj, the town came into being as a transportation hub, due to its proximity to George Town. While the British East India Company initially obtained Seberang Perai (then named Province Wellesley) for agricultural purposes, Butterworth has also witnessed massive industrialisation during the latter half of the 20th century.^[4][5] In 1974, the Port of Penang was relocated into the town.^[6]

Currently, Rapid Ferry is the main transportation link between Butterworth and George Town. The Port of Penang handled 1.52 million TEUs of cargo as of 2017^[update], making it one of the busiest seaports in Malaysia.^[7] In addition, the Butterworth railway station, situated adjacent to the town's ferry terminal, is a major Malayan Railway station, with train services operated by both the Malayan Railway and the State Railway of Thailand.

Butterworth is also home to RMAF Butterworth, a British-built facility, which now functions as a major Royal Malaysian Air Force base.