Malaysia

Malaysia Background

During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's history were marred by Indonesian efforts to control Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession from the Federation in 1965.

Malaysia Information

• Population: 23,522,482 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Malaysian(s) adjective: Malaysian
• Location:: Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam
• Religions:: Muslim, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh; note - in addition, Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia
• Ethnic Groups:: Malay and other indigenous 58%, Chinese 24%, Indian 8%, others 10% (2000)
• Land Boundaries:: total: 2,669 km border countries: Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km
• Area: total: 329,750 sq km water: 1,200 sq km land: 328,550 sq km
• Coast Line: 4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km)
• Climate: tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons
• Terrain: coastal plains rising to hills and mountains
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea
• Land Use: arable land: 5.48% other: 76.91% (2001) permanent crops: 17.61%
• Environmental Issues: air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires
• Natural Resources: tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite
• Highways: total: 65,877 km paved: 49,935 km (including 1,192 km of expressways) unpaved: 15,942 km (1999)
• Railways: total: 2,418 km (207 km electrified) standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified) narrow gauge: 2,361 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Bintulu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuantan, Kuching, Kudat, Labuan, Lahad Datu, Lumut, Miri, Pasir Gudang, George Town (Penang), Port Dickson, Port Kelang, Sandakan, Sibu, Tanjung Berhala, Tanjung Kidurong, Tawau
• Airports: 117 (2003 est.)