Malaysia  

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The Federation of Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country that is separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo. Comprising 13 states and 3 federal territories that occupies a total area of 329,847 square kilometres (127,355 sq mi), its population stands at over 27 million.[1] Malaysia, with a GDP per capita standing at US$14,400, is often considered to be a newly industrialized country. Its capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government.

Location of Malaysia. For map with more details, see below.
Map of Malaysia (click on image for larger view)

2.   Malaysia borders Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines. Peninsular Malaysia constitutes about 40% of the country's total area, while East Malaysia constitutes the other 60%. Both East and West Malaysia feature coastal plains rising to often densely forested hills and mountains. Located near the equator, it has a hot and humid climate throughout the year, with an average temperature of 27°C (80°F).[2] Malaysia's climate is characterised by the annual southwest (April - October) and wetter northeast (October - February) monsoons.


3.   Malaysia's population comprises many ethnic groups: [3]

The population distribution is highly uneven, with some 20 million residents concentrated in the peninsula, while East Malaysia is relatively less populated. Malaysia is a multi-religious society, with 60.4% of the population practising Islam, the official religion. Other religions that are practised include Buddhism (19.2%), Christianity (9.1% ), Hinduism (6.3%), and traditional Chinese religions (2.6%).[4] The official language is Malay. English, however, is widely spoken, due to its colonial past under the British.


4.   Numerous kingdoms had existed in Malaya since the 2nd century. In the early 15th century, Parameswara established the Malacca Sultanate. Thriving on entrepot trade, Melaka became the most important port in Southeast Asia during the 15th and early 16th century. In 1786, Britain established its first colony in Penang and during the late-19th century, many Malay states decided to obtain British help in settling their internal conflicts, paving the way for the expansion of British influence in Malaya. On the island of Borneo, Sabah was governed as the crown colony of British North Borneo, while Sarawak was acquired from Brunei as the personal kingdom of the Brooke family who ruled as white Rajahs. Following the Japanese Invasion of Malaya and its occupation during World War II, popular support for independence grew.[5] The Federation of Malaya gained independence from the United Kingdom on 31 August 1957 and on 16 September 1963, formed Malaysia, comprising Malaya (now Peninsular Malaysia), Singapore, Sarawak, and Sabah. In August 1965, Singapore seceded from the federation and became an independent republic. Malaysia's head of state is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, while the Prime Minister is the head of the government. The government is closely modeled after the Westminster parliamentary system [6] and as a former British colony, is therefore a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.[7]


5.   Malaysia is well-endowed with natural resources. Natural rubber, palm oil, timber, cocoa, pepper, pineapple, and tobacco dominate the growth of the agricultural sector. Once the mainstay of the Malaysian economy, rubber, however, has been replaced by oil palm as Malaysia's leading agricultural export. While tin and petroleum are Malaysia's two main mineral resources, petroleum and natural gas replaced tin in 1972 as the mainstay of the mineral extraction sector. Meanwhile, the contribution from tin has declined. During the 1970s, Malaysia followed the footsteps of the original Four Asian Tigers and committed itself to a transition from a reliance on mining and agriculture to manufacturing. With Japan's assistance, heavy industries flourished and in a matter of years, its exports became the country's primary growth engine. Manufacturing grew from 13.9% of GDP in 1970 to 30% in 1999, while agriculture and mining which together had accounted for 42.7% of GDP in 1970, dropped to 9.3% and 7.3% respectively in 1999. Major products include electronic components, as well as electrical goods and appliances. Today, Malaysia's industrial sector accounts for 48.1% of total GDP. The United States remains one of Malaysia's most important trading partner. In 2007, the Malaysian economy was the 29th largest economy in the world by purchasing power parity.[8]

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