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 About Malaysia
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F A C T
B O X
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| Full country
name |
Malaysia |
| Area |
329,750 sq km |
| Population |
23,522,482 (July
2004 est.) |
| Capital
City |
Kuala Lumpur
note: Putrajaya is referred to as the administrative
capital |
| Climate |
Tropical;
annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to
February) monsoons |
| People |
Malay and other
indigenous 58%, Chinese 24%, Indian 8%, others 10% |
| Religion |
Muslim, Buddhist,
Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh;
note - in addition, Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia |
| Language |
Bahasa Malaysia,
Chinese dialects, English, Tamil, indigenous dialects |
| Government |
Constitutional Monarchy |
| Head of
State |
Yang di-Pertuan
Agong (King) Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail |
| Head of
Government: |
Prime Minister Dato'
Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi |
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| Currency |
Ringgit Malaysia (RM) |
| GDP |
RM789.64 billion (2003 est.)
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| GDP per capita |
RM34,200 (2003 est.) |
| Annual Growth |
5.2% (2003 est.) |
| Inflation |
4% |
| Major Industries |
Industries;
Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing,
light manufacturing industry, electronics, tin mining and smelting,
logging and processing timber; Sabah - logging, petroleum production;
Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining,
logging
Agriculture product;
Peninsular Malaysia - rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice; Sabah -
subsistence crops, rubber, timber, coconuts, rice; Sarawak -
rubber, pepper; timber
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| Major Trading Partners |
Singapore, Japan, USA |
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| Malaysia has fervently
embraced modern technology - it boasts two of the world's tallest
skyscrapers and a huge "cyber" center for computer
businesses. But it still has some of the world's most remote
jungle (in Sabah and Sarawak), one of Southeast Asia's most
vibrant old ports (Georgetown) and an atmospheric colonial hill
station (the Cameron Highlands). Even in Kuala Lumpur, the capital,
which bristles with ambitious new building projects, you can
still find exotic markets and plenty of local color. As a result,
travelers to Malaysia can easily ratchet up or down the levels
of adventure and comfort they want to experience. |
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Geography
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| The South China Sea divides Malaysia
roughly in half. Peninsular Malaysian, the western half, is
home to two-thirds of the country's 18 million inhabitants.
The less developed states of Sabah and Sarawak make up the eastern
half, which occupies the northern third of Borneo. In both areas,
coastal lowlands give way to mountainous interiors. Tropical
vegetation abounds. The rain forests are believed to be the
oldest in the world. The nation includes dozens of small islands.
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