Map of Malaysia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: Malaysia was created in 1963 through the merging of Malaya (independent in 1957) and the former British Singapore both of which formed West Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak in north Borneo which composed East Malaysia. The first three years of independence were marred by hostilities with Indonesia. Singapore seceded from the union in 1965.


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Location: Southeastern Asia, peninsula 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 reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 329,750 km²
Land: 328,550 km²
Water: 1,200 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries
Total: 2,669 km
Border countries: (3) Brunei 381 km; , Indonesia 1,782 km; , Thailand 506 km

Coastline: 4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km)

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; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons

Terrain: coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m

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 est.)

Irrigated land: 2,941 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: flooding, landslides

Geography
Note: strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea


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Population: 21,376,066 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 2.08% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: 15.5% (1989 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Malaysian(s)
Adjective: Malaysian

Ethnic groups: Malay and other indigenous 58%, Chinese 26%, Indian 7%, others 9%

Languages: Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese dialects (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malalalam, Panjabi, Thai; note_in addition, in East Malaysia several indigenous languages are spoken, the largest of which are Iban and Kadazan

Religions: Islam, Buddhism, Daoism, Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism; note_in addition, Shamanism is practiced on East Malaysia

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 35% (male 3,879,012; female 3,680,895)
15-64 years: 61% (male 6,478,910; female 6,482,909)
65 years and over: 4% (male 369,639; female 484,701) (1999 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.08% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 26.05 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.29 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)
Note: does not include illegal immigrants_large numbers from Indonesia and smaller numbers from the Philippines, Bangladesh, Burma, China, and India

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 21.68 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.67 years
Male: 67.62 years
Female: 73.9 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.35 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 83.5%
Male: 89.1%
Female: 78.1% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Malaysia
Former: Malayan Union

Government type: constitutional monarchy
Note: Malaya (what is now Peninsular Malaysia) formed 31 August 1957; Federation of Malaysia (Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore) formed 9 July 1963 (Singapore left the federation on 9 August 1965); nominally headed by the paramount ruler (king) and a bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house; Peninsular Malaysian states_hereditary rulers in all but Melaka, Penang, Sabah, and Sarawak, where governors are appointed by the Malaysian Government; powers of state governments are limited by the federal constitution; under terms of the federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g., the right to maintain their own immigration controls); Sabah_holds 20 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government; Sarawak_holds 27 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government

Capital: Kuala Lumpur

Administrative divisions: 13 states (negeri-negeri, singular_negeri) and 2 federal territories* (wilayah-wilayah persekutuan, singular_wilayah persekutuan); Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Labuan*, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu, Wilayah Persekutuan*
Note: the city of Kuala Lumpur is located within the federal territory of Wilayah Persekutuan; the terms therefore are not interchangeable

Dependent areas

Independence: 31 August 1957 (from UK)

National holiday: National Day, 31 August (1957)

Constitution: 31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963

Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Paramount Ruler TUANKU JA'AFAR ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman (since 26 April 1994) and Deputy Paramount Ruler Sultan TUNKU SALAHUDDIN Abdul Aziz Shah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Hisammuddin Alam Shah (since 26 April 1994)
Head of government: Prime Minister Dr. MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (since 16 July 1981); Deputy Prime Minister ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi (since 8 January 1999)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament with consent of the paramount ruler
Elections: paramount ruler and deputy paramount ruler elected by and from the hereditary rulers of nine of the states for five-year terms; election last held 4 February 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); prime minister designated from among the members of the House of Representatives; following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins a plurality of seats in the House of Representatives becomes prime minister
Election results: TUANKU JA'AFAR ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman elected paramount ruler; Sultan TUNKU SALAHUDDIN Abdul Aziz Shah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Hisammuddin Alam Shah elected deputy paramount ruler

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of nonelected Senate or Dewan Negara (69 seats; 43 appointed by the paramount ruler, 26 appointed by the state legislatures) and the House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (192 seats; members elected by popular vote directly weighted toward the rural Malay population to serve five-year terms)
Elections: House of Representatives_last held 24-25 April 1995 (next to be held by April 2000)
Election results: House of Representatives_percent of vote by party_National Front 63%, other 37%; seats by party_National Front 162, DAP 9, PBS 8, PAS 7, Spirit of '46 6; note_subsequent to the election there was a change in the distribution of seats, the current distribution is_National Front 168, DAP 8, PAS 8, PBS 5, independents 3

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the paramount ruler on the advice of the prime minister

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNOMIL, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Dato' GHAZZALI Sheikh Abdul Khalid
In the us chancery: 2,401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 328-2,700
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 483-7,661
In the us consulates general: Los Angeles and New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador B. Lynn PASCOE
From the us embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50,400 Kuala Lumpur
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box No. 10,035, 50,700 Kuala Lumpur; American Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96,535-8,152
From the us telephone: [60] (3) 248-9,011
From the us FAX: [60] (3) 242-2,207

Flag description: 14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow fourteen-pointed star; the crescent and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based on the flag of the US

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: After a decade of 8% average GDP growth, the Malaysian economy_severely hit by the regional financial crisis_declined 7% in 1998. Malaysia will likely remain in recession for the first half of 1999; official statistics continue to show anemic exports, and some private financial analysts forecast a further drop in GDP of 1% in 1999. Prime Minister MAHATHIR has imposed capital controls to protect the local currency while cutting interest rates to stimulate the economy. Kuala Lumpur also announced an expansionary budget for 1999 to combat rising unemployment. Malaysia continues to seek funding from domestic and international sources to help finance its budget deficit and recapitalize its weakened banking sector.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -7% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 13%
Industry: 46%
Services: 41% (1997 est.)

Agriculture products: Peninsular Malaysia_rubber, palm oil, rice; Sabah_subsistence crops, rubber, timber, coconuts, rice; Sarawak_rubber, pepper; timber

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

Industrial production growth rate: 14.4% (1995)

Labor force: 8.398 million (1996 est.)
By occupation manufacturing: 25%
By occupation agriculture forestry andfisheries: 21%
By occupation localtradeandtourism: 17%
By occupation services: 12%
By occupation government: 11%
By occupation construction: 8% (1996)

Unemployment rate: 2.6% (1996 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 15.5% (1989 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $22.6 billion
Expenditures: $22 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.3 billion (1996 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $74.3 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Commodities: electronic equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, palm oil, wood and wood products, rubber, textiles
Partners: US 21%, Singapore 20%, Japan 12%, Hong Kong 5%, UK 4%, Thailand 4%, Germany 3% (1995)

Imports: $59.3 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, food
Partners: Japan 27%, US 16%, Singapore 12%, Taiwan 5%, Germany 4%, South Korea 4% (1995)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $39.8 billion (1998)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: ringgits (M$) per US$1_3.8000 (January 1999), 3.9244 (1998), 2.8133 (1997), 2.5159 (1996), 2.5044 (1995), 2.6243 (1994)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 48 billion kWh (1996)
By source fossil fuel: 83.33%
By source hydro: 16.67%
By source nuclear: 0%
By source other: 0% (1996)

Electricity consumption: 47.977 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity exports: 174 million kWh (1996)

Electricity imports: 151 million kWh (1996)

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: international service good
Domestic: good intercity service provided on Peninsular Malaysia mainly by microwave radio relay; adequate intercity microwave radio relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; domestic satellite system with 2 earth stations
International: submarine cables to India, Hong Kong and Singapore; satellite earth stations_2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $2.1 billion (1998)
Percent of gdp: 2.1% (1998)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 115 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 32
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 11
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With paved runways under 914 m: 6 (1998 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 83
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 74 (1998 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 32
Over 3047 m: 5
2438 to 3047 m: 4
15-24 to 2437 m: 11
914 to 1523 m: 6
Under 914 m: 6 (1998 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 83
15-24 to 2437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 8
Under 914 m: 74 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 1,307 km; natural gas 379 km

Railways
Total: 1,798 km
Narrow gauge: 1,798 km 1.000-m gauge (148 km electrified) (1998 est.)

Roadways

Waterways: 7,296 km (Peninsular Malaysia 3,209 km, Sabah 1,569 km, Sarawak 2,518 km)

Merchant marine
Total: 378 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,059,272 GRT/7,428,623 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 62, cargo 128, chemical tanker 30, container 58, liquefied gas tanker 19, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 61, passenger 2, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 7 (1998 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; Philippines have not fully revoked claim to Sabah State; two islands in dispute with Singapore; two islands in dispute with Indonesia

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transit point for some illicit drugs going to Western markets; drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties