The Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) campus is situated in Sintok, 48 km to the north of Alor Star and 10 km to the east of Changlun, a small town situated along the North-South Highway. The 1,061 hectare campus, which was originally a tin mining area, is surrounded by beautiful scenery, lush tropical forests and mountains. In addition, two rivers flow inside the campus, the Sintok and Badak rivers, creating a most pleasant and serene environment. UUM has one of the most beautiful and modern campuses in the northern region. The RM580 million campus started its operations on 15 September 1990 and officially declared open by His Royal Highness the Royal Chancellor of UUM on 17 February 2004. The main buildings, the Sultanah Bahiyah Library, the Sultan Badlishah Mosque, the Muadzam Shah Hall, the Tan Sri Othman Hall, the Sports Complex, the University Mall, the Students Residential Halls and the University Inn. UUM ensures accommodation for all its students. To cater to the housing needs of its ever growing student population, UUM has 15 student residential halls that can accommodate approximately 20,000 students.