page_title: Cameron Highlands District
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Cameron Highlands District / Geography
caption_attribution_description: English: taken at Bronx Zoo, New York
context_page_description: The Cameron Highlands is a district in Pahang, Malaysia, occupying an area of 712.18 square kilometres. To the north, its boundary touches that of Kelantan; to the west, it shares part of its border with Perak. Situated at the northwestern tip of Pahang, the "Camerons" is approximately 90 kilometres from Ipoh, roughly 200 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur or about 355 kilometres from Kuantan, the capital of Pahang. It is the smallest municipality in the state.
  Surveyed by the government geologist and explorer William Cameron in 1885, the outpost consists of three mukims, namely Ringlet, Tanah Rata and Ulu Telom. Its eight settlements are Ringlet, Tanah Rata, Brinchang, the Bertam Valley, Kea Farm, Tringkap, Kuala Terla, Kampung Raja and Blue Valley. All are nestled at elevations ranging from 800 metres to 1,603 metres above sea level.
  Developed in the 1930s, the tableland is one of the oldest tourist spots in Malaysia. Apart from its tea estates, the plateau is noted for its cool weather, orchards, nurseries, farmlands, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, wildlife, mossy forest, golf course, hotels, places of worship, bungalows, Land Rovers, museum and native inhabitants.
context_section_description: The Cameron Highlands is one of the 11 constituencies of Pahang. Occupying an area of 712 square kilometres (275 sq mi), the district comprises three townships and five settlements. All are nestled at elevations ranging from 800 metres (2,600 ft) to 1,603 metres (5,259 ft) above sea level. It is unlike any other constituency in Malaysia; it is not only home to hundreds of floral species that are rare to the tropics, but it is also an area with a substantially different ecosystem.
  In 1958, the outpost was declared a reserve for deer. Four years later, it became a venue affording protection to animals and birds. Located on the Main Range (Banjaran Titiwangsa), about 75 percent of the division is over a 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above sea level. The humidity is high with no marked dry seasons. Its wettest months are from October to November; its "driest" period is from January to February.
  The "Camerons" is one of the few places in Malaysia that serves as a habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna. There are more than 700 species of plants that grow here. The vegetation changes as one ascends the mountain. The ward is known for its tea growing, vegetable farms and flower nurseries. Its woodlands form the prevailing natural ecosystem within and around the prefecture. Of the fauna, the Sumatran serow, mountain peacock-pheasant and Malayan whistling-thrush are listed in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
  Geographically, the resort is located on the highland "spine" of Peninsular Malaysia. It owes its present standing to its location at a high altitude (generally between 800 metres (2,600 ft) to 1,603 metres (5,259 ft) above sea level). There are eight mountains at the retreat. They are Mount (Malay: Gunung) Batu Brinchang (2,031 metres (6,663 ft)), Mount Berembun (1,840 metres (6,040 ft)), Mount Irau (2,091 metres (6,860 ft)), Mount Jasar (1,696 metres (5,564 ft)), Mount Mentigi (1,563 metres (5,128 ft)), Mount Perdah (1,576 metres (5,171 ft)) and Mount Siku (1,916 metres (6,286 ft)). Mount Swettenham (1,961 metres (6,434 ft)) is located on its border with Kelantan. At the top of Mount Batu Brinchang is a radio and television station. It was constructed by the British in the early 1950s. Close to it is the mossy forest. The trail to the forest starts from the Sungei Palas Boh Tea Plantation. It takes about 15 minutes to reach the cloud forest by road.
  The "Camerons" are unique when compared to the other hill stations in Malaysia — it is drained by three river systems with numerous tributaries (totalling 123). Their high points serve as the water catchment for the Pahang and Perak rivers (Malay: Sungai Pahang and Sungai Perak).
  Overall, much of the retreat is still forested (estimated at 71 percent). Jungle trails lead visitors to tranquil spots, waterfalls and aboriginal villages. Most of the tracks begin at Tanah Rata. There are more than ten paths to pick and choose from. Depending on its distance, some routes can take as long as five hours to cover. Apart from its numerous walks, the sanctuary is also known for its native inhabitants, the Orang Asli, who rely on the land for subsistence farming, hunting and fishing. Many have left to take up residence in the nearby towns, there are still some who prefer to treat the woods as their home. To date, there have been many changes at the resort. During the colonial era, the county was developed to be "a healthy hill station similar to Nuwara Eliya." Today, it is different. During the Post-Independence Period (1957–1973), vast tracts of land were cleared for agriculture and infrastructure development. After 1974, more land was cleared for agriculture, housing projects, power plants, logging activities, livestock farming, hotel construction, small-scale industries, human resettlement and road building. There is no doubt that some of the advances have brought on economic benefits. This, however, has come with a price. Over the years, the "development (in this area) has been at the expense of the weather and the environment," as well as the consent of the indigenous comm
caption: A Malaysian mountain peacock-pheasant. It is listed in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
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