From its ancient origins in Kedah, to its rise in the global economy, Penang is a living natural and cultural experience of diverse flora and fauna, ethnic diasporas, and hybridity. It has layers of indigenous history which has produced a cosmopolitan society of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Jawi and Arab Peranakan, Straits Chinese, and expatriates. Penangites who choose to live or run an enterprise in a UNESCO World Heritage City understand this and have developed a peaceful eclectic cultural co-existence with others.