Perak is one of the 14 states in Malaysia. It is one of the largest states in Peninsular Malaysia. Perak also means silver in Malay language. The name comes most probably from the silvery colour of tin, the main output of Perak a long time ago.

Its current Sultan is Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Yussuf Izzuddin Shah Ghafarullahu-Lah, who was the 9th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia and formerly the Chief Judge of Malaysia's Federal Court.

The capital city of Perak is Ipoh.

Perak has 9 district or "daerah" in the Malay language. The districts are:

  1. Hulu Perak
  2. Kerian
  3. Larut, Matang dan Selama
  4. Hilir Perak
  5. Kinta
  6. Perak Tengah
  7. Batang Padang
  8. Manjung
  9. Kuala Kangsar

Perak's population is now approximately 2 million. Once Malaysia's most populous state, the decline in the tin mining industry caused an economic slowdown from which it has yet to recover, leading to a massive drain in manpower to higher growth states such as Penang, Selangor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.