Name of "Johor" is actually originated from the Arabic word Jauhar, 'gem/precious stone' . Before the name of Johor was used, the area south of the Muar River to Singapore island was known as Ujung Tanah or 'land's end' in Malay, due to its location at the end of the Malay Peninsula. Coincidentally, Johor is the most southerly point of the Asian continental mainland.

The Modern of Johor history is began in the early 16th century with the foundation of the Sultanate of Johor by the son of Sultan Mahmud Shah, the last Sultan of Malacca, who fled from the invading Portuguese in Malacca. Johor sultanate is one of the two successor states of the Melaka empire. Upon Malacca's defeat to the Portuguese in 1511, the son of the last Sultan of Malacca, Sultan Mahmud Shah, had established a monarchy in Johor and had posed a constant threat to the Portuguese. The Sultanate of Perak was the other successor state of Malacca and was established by the son of Sultan Mahmud Shah, Sultan Muzaffar Shah. Johor is the only state, apart from Melaka, that has grown into an empire. During its peak, the whole of Pahang and the present day Indonesian territories of Riau archipelago and part of Sumatra Island was under Johor's rule.

The sultanate grew in economic and political importance due to its position as an East-West trading hub and eventually evolved into the Johor Empire, covering Johor, the Riau Archipelago and parts of eastern Sumatra. However, the Johor Empire failed to reconquer Malacca; in turn Johor harassed and attacked the Portuguese during the 130-year Portuguese rule in Malacca and was a constant thorn to Portuguese dominance in the Straits of Malacca.

Johor or in english spelling is Johore is a state of Malaysia. It's position is in between 1¡ã20"N and 2¡ã35"N. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The capital city and royal seat of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly Tanjung Puteri (English: Princess' Cliff). The old state capital is Johor Lama. The Arabic honorific of the state is Darul Ta'zim ("Abode of Dignity'). It is surrounded by Pahang to the north, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the northwest, and the Straits of Johor to the south which is divided by the international border between Malaysia and the Republic of Singapore. Tanjung Piai, in the district of Pontian, is the most southerly point of mainland Asia.

Johoreans often use the word JB to refer to the city of Johor Bahru.

The flag and the coat of arms of Johor are state symbols of Johor, Malaysia. Like other states of Malaysia with Malay royalties, the state symbols of Johor are influenced by Johor's royalties, as well as Islam and the political and natural features of the state.

Johor's state flag bears a canton pattern, a predominantly navy blue design with a bright red field on the upper left canton (quarter), which contains a white crescent and a white five-pointed star.Running slightly less than half the length of the flag, the field unconventionally occupies roughly three fifths of the flag's hoist. In addition, the crescent is not aligned upright, tilting to the right towards the lower fly end and wrapping slightly around the star, which is positioned towards the lower right corner of the field.

The flag in general attempts to illustrate an Johor in a nutshell. The navy blue, which occupies roughly three quarters of the flag, represents the universe, or the state government. The red represents the warriors that defend the state, while the white crescent and white star denote Islam and Johor's sovereign ruler, respectively.

Johor's coat of arms (Malay: Jata Johor) derives its layout heavily from Western heraldry, consisting of a central shield topped by a helm, sided by two supporters, and includes a compartment and motto at the bottom. Details of the arms' elements are as followed:

• Helm
  The helm represents Johor's royalty, and is symbolised by a blue and yellow coronet adorned with motives of a five-pointed star and a crescent.

• Escutcheon
  The arms' escutcheon consists of a white shield of an "English" outline with a central five-pointed star and crescent, and four smaller five-pointed stars at each corner of the shield; both the stars and the crescent are coloured in yellow. The larger star and crescent symbolise the Islamic faith, while the four stars represent the four original territories of modern Johor: Johor Bahru, Muar, Batu Pahat and Endau.

• Supporters
  The arms features two supporters depicted by rampant tigers, as a sign of recognition to the ferocious animals that once roamed the state of Johor.

• Compartment and motto
  The area below the shield include of a group of yellow, mirrored flora (compartment) hanging a blue scroll (motto). The compartment represents gambir and black pepper, crops cultivated by Johor's traditional agricultural industry. The scroll, with text written in Jawi, reads Kepada Allah Berserah (Submit to Allah).

Major tourist attractions

Among the popular tourist destinations in Johor are:

1. Desaru - beaches & golf courses along the South China Sea
2. Johor Bahru - shopping, night market, colonial/royal district
3. Endau Rompin National Park - pristine jungle
4. Kota Tinggi 34 meter waterfall.
5. Kukup - a fishing village with seafood restaurants built over water.
6. Muar - picturesque riverside town
7. Seribuat Archipelago - islands with beautiful beaches, coral reefs.
8. Tanjung Piai - the southernmost tip of mainland Asia.
9. Danga Bay - The new waterfront city.
10. Pekan Air Panas - hot springs,waterfall,local fruits available.
11. Bandar Nusajaya - new admistration of Johor Government.
12. Pulau Dayang - major diving attraction, snorkling, fishing.

Culture in Johor is influenced by visitors and traders throughout history. The biggest influence would be the Bugis - who first set foot in Malaysia in Johor before continuing on to Melaka and Selangor - Javanese and the Arabs. They had a powerful influence on the politics of Johor and Selangor. The strong Arab influence is apparent in art performances like Zapin and Hamdolok, musical instruments like gambus. Other visible legacies in Johor Bahru are the Arabic names of places such as Wadi Hana and Wadi Hassan in areas populated by the Arab community from Hadhramaut in the southeast of Yemen. Wadi means valley in Arabic.

1. Johor Chief Minister Office Official Website
2. Johor Chief Minister Office Official Website, Media and Communication Unit(MedKom)
3. History of the Johor Empire
4. Johor Bahru Community Online

1. ^ a b c d Various authors (2006-10-14). "Johore (Malaysia)". Flags of the World. Retrieved on 2008-08-07.
2. ^ a b "Jata Johor (Malay)". Laman Web Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Johor Darul Ta'zim (Official Johor state government website). Retrieved on 2008-08-07.
3. ^ a b c d "Jata Johor (Malay)". Laman Web Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Johor Darul Ta'zim (Official Johor state government website). Retrieved on 2008-08-07.