Malaysia - Introduction

In 1963, Malaysia was created through the merger of former British colonies and protectorates.Malaya ( which gained independent in 1957) and the former British Singapore, both of which formed West Malaysia, with Sabah and Sarawak in North Borneo which comprise East Malaysia. Singapore separated from the union in 1965.

Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials, to expansion in manufacturing, services, and tourism in the 80s and the 90s.

Malaysia - Geography

Location

Southeastern Asia. A peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam.

Geographic Coordinates

2 30 N, 112 30 E

Map References

Southeast Asia

Area

Total: 329, 750 sq km
Land: 328, 550 sq km
water: 1,200 sq km

Land boundaries

Total : 2,669km

Border countries :Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km

Coastline

4, 675 km( Peninsular Malaysia 2,068km,

East Malaysia 2,607km )

Maritime claims

Continental shelf : 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea
Exclusive Economic Zone : 200 NM
Territorial Sea : 12 NM

Climate

Tropical(Equatorial )

Annual monsoons: southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February)

Terrain

Coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Elevation extremes

Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Highest point : Gunung Kinabalu 4,100m

Natural resources

Tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite

Land use

Arable land: 3%
Permanent crops: 12%
Permanent pastures : 0%
Forests and woodland: 68%
other: 17% (1993.)

Irrigated land

3,650 sq km (12003.)

Natural hazards

Flooding, landslides forest-fires

Environment - current issues

air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires.

Environment - international agreements

Party to: Biodiversity, climate change, desertification, endangered species, hazardous wastes, law of the sea, marine life conservation, nuclear test ban, ozone layer protection, ship pollution, tropical timber 83, tropical timber 94, wetlands.
Signed but not ratified: Climate change - Kyoto Protocol

Biodiversity

One of the 12 megacity centers in the world

Administrative capital

Putra Jaya

Largest city

Kuala Lumpur

Geographic note

Strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea.