Kuala Terengganu (Jawi: كوالا ترڠڬانو; Tamil: ; colloquially abbreviated as KT) is the largest city as well as the state and royal capital of Terengganu state, Malaysia. On 1 January 2008, Kuala Terengganu was awarded city status. The city has a population of 286,317 and is also the seat of a district of the same name. Kuala Terengganu is located about 500 kilometers northeast of Kuala Lumpur on a promontory surrounded on three sides by the South China Sea. The name means the "Terengganu Harbour", referring to the broad expanse of the Terengganu River estuary which empties into the ocean at this point. Kuala Terengganu is also the name of the parliamentary constituency in which the city is situated. The inhabitants of the city speak a distinct Terengganese dialect of Malay.