Map of Malaysia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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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 a Communist insurgency Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia Philippine claims to Sabah and Singapore's secession from the Federation in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (1981-2003) Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to expansion in manufacturing services and tourism.


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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

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
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

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: 5.46%
Permanent crops: 17.54%
Other: 77% (2005)

Irrigated land: 3,650 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 580 km³ (1999)

Natural hazards: flooding landslides forest fires

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


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Population: 25,274,132 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 1.742% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Malaysian
Adjective: Malaysian

Ethnic groups: Malay 50.4% Chinese 23.7% indigenous 11% Indian 7.1% others 7.8% (2004 est.)

Languages
Note: in East Malaysia there are several indigenous languages; most widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan

Religions: Muslim 60.4% Buddhist 19.2% Christian 9.1% Hindu 6.3% Confucianism Taoism other traditional Chinese religions 2.6% other or unknown 1.5% none 0.8% (2000 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 31.8% (male 4,135,013/female 3,898,761)
15-64 years: 63.3% (male 8,026,755/female 7,965,332)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 548,970/female 699,302) (2008 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 24.6 years
Male: 24 years
Female: 25.3 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.742% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 22.44 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 5.02 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate
Note: does not reflect net flow of an unknown number of illegal immigrants from other countries in the region (2008 est.)

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female (2008 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 16.39 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 18.92 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 13.68 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.03 years
Male: 70.32 years
Female: 75.94 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.98 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 52,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 2000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
Note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 6.2% of GDP (2004)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 88.7%
Male: 92%
Female: 85.4% (2000 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 13 years (2005)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Malaysia
Local long form: none
Local short form: Malaysia
Former: Federation of Malaya

Government type
Note: nominally headed by paramount ruler and a bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house; all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers except Melaka and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by government; powers of state governments are limited by federal constitution; under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their own immigration controls); Sabah holds 25 seats in House of Representatives; Sarawak has 31 seats

Capital
Name: Kuala Lumpur
Geographic coordinates: 3 10 N, 101 42 E
Time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Note: Putrajaya is referred to as administrative center not capital; Parliament meets in Kuala Lumpur

Administrative divisions: 13 states (negeri-negeri singular - negeri) Johor Kedah Kelantan Melaka Negeri Sembilan Pahang Perak Perlis Pulau Pinang Sabah Sarawak Selangor and Terengganu; and one federal territory (wilayah persekutuan) with three components city of Kuala Lumpur Labuan and Putrajaya

Dependent areas

Independence: 31 August 1957 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day/Malaysia Day 31 August (1957)

Constitution: 31 August 1957 (amended many times latest in 2007)

Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; Islamic law is applied to Muslims in matters of family law and religion; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Paramount Ruler Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin (since 13 December 2006)
Head of government: Prime Minister ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi (since 31 October 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak (since 7 January 2004)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament with consent of the paramount ruler
Elections: paramount ruler elected by and from the hereditary rulers of nine of the states for five-year terms; election last held on 3 November 2006 (next to be held in 2011); 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: Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin elected paramount ruler
Note: position of paramount ruler is primarily ceremonial; in practice, selection is based on principle of rotation among rulers of states

Legislative branch
Elections: House of Representatives - last held on 8 March 2008 (next to be held by March 2013)
Election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - BN coalition 50.3%, opposition parties 46.8%, others 2.9%; seats - BN coalition 140, opposition parties 82

Judicial branch: Civil Courts include Federal Court Court of Appeal High Court of Malaya on peninsula Malaysia and High Court of Sabah and Sarawak in states of Borneo (judges appointed by the paramount ruler on the advice of the prime minister); Sharia Courts include Sharia Appeal Court Sharia High Court and Sharia Subordinate Courts at state-level and deal with religious and family matters such as custody divorce and inheritance only for Muslims; decisions of Sharia courts cannot be appealed to civil courts

Political parties and leaders: national front barisan nasional or bn ruling coalition consists of the following parties: Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party or PGRM [KOH Tsu Koon - acting]; Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal Demokratik - Sabah) or LDP [LIEW Vui Keong]; Malaysian Chinese Association (Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [ONG Ka Ting]; Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongres India Malaysia) or MIC [S. Samy VELLU]; Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah or PBRS [Joseph KURUP]; Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS [Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan]; Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu or PBB [Abdul TAIB Mahmud]; Parti Rakyat Sarawak or PRS [James MASING]; Sabah Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Sabah) or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]; Sarawak United People's Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak) or SUPP [George CHAN Hong Nam]; United Malays National Organization or UMNO [ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi]; United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organization (Pertubuhan Pasko Momogun Kadazan Dusun Bersatu) or UPKO [Bernard DOMPOK]; People's Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Penduduk Malaysia) or PPP [M.Kayveas]; Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party or SPDP [William MAWAN]); people's alliance pakatan rakyat or pr opposition coalition consists of the following parties: Democratic Action Party (Parti Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP [KARPAL Singh]; Islamic Party of Malaysia (Parti Islam se Malaysia) or PAS [Abdul HADI Awang]; People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) or PKR [WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismael]; Sarawak National Party or SNAP [Edwin DUNDANG]

International organization participation: ADB APEC APT ARF ASEAN BIS C CP EAS FAO G-15 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA MINURSO MONUC NAM OIC OPCW PCA PIF (partner) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNIFIL UNMIL UNMIS UNMIT UNWTO UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ilango KARUPPANNAN
In the us chancery: 3,516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 572-9,700
In the us fax: [1] (202) 572-9,882
In the us consulates general: Los Angeles, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador James R. KEITH
From the us embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50,400 Kuala Lumpur
From the us mailing address: US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96,535-8,152
From the us telephone: [60] (3) 2,168-5,000
From the us fax: [60] (3) 2,142-2,207

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 14-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: Malaysia a middle-income country has transformed itself since the 1970s from a producer of raw materials into an emerging multi-sector economy. Since coming to office in 2003 Prime Minister ABDULLAH has tried to move the economy farther up the value-added production chain by attracting investments in high technology industries medical technology and pharmaceuticals. The Government of Malaysia is continuing efforts to boost domestic demand to wean the economy off of its dependence on exports. Nevertheless exports - particularly of electronics - remain a significant driver of the economy. As an oil and gas exporter Malaysia has profited from higher world energy prices although the rising cost of domestic gasoline and diesel fuel forced Kuala Lumpur to reduce government subsidies. Malaysia 'unpegged' the ringgit from the US dollar in 2005 and the currency appreciated 6% per year against the dollar in 2006-07. Although this has helped to hold down the price of imports inflationary pressures began to build in 2007. Healthy foreign exchange reserves and a small external debt greatly reduce the risk that Malaysia will experience a financial crisis over the near term similar to the one in 1997. The government presented its five-year national development agenda in April 2006 through the Ninth Malaysia Plan a comprehensive blueprint for the allocation of the national budget from 2006-10. With national elections expected within the year ABDULLAH has unveiled a series of ambitious development schemes for several regions that have had trouble attracting business investment. Real GDP growth has averaged about 6% per year under ABDULLAH but regions outside of Kuala Lumpur and the manufacturing hub Penang have not fared as well.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $361.2 billion (2007 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 6.3% (2007 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $14,500 (2007 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 9.9%
Industry: 45.3%
Services: 44.8% (2007 est.)

Agriculture products: Peninsular Malaysia - rubber palm oil cocoa rice; Sabah - subsistence crops rubber timber coconuts rice; Sarawak - rubber pepper timber

Industries: Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing light manufacturing electronics tin mining and smelting logging timber processing; Sabah - logging petroleum production; Sarawak - agriculture processing petroleum production and refining logging

Industrial production growth rate: 3.3% (2007 est.)

Labor force: 10.94 million (2007 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 13%
By occupation industry: 36%
By occupation services: 51% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate: 3.2% (2007 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.4%
Highest 10: 39.2% (2003 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 46.1 (2002)

Budget
Revenues: $40.69 billion
Expenditures: $46.7 billion (2007 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 41.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices
Note: approximately 30% of goods are price-controlled (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6.41% (31 December 2007)

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $220 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $235.4 billion (2006)

Current account balance: $28.93 billion (2007 est.)

Exports: $176.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: electronic equipment petroleum and liquefied natural gas wood and wood products palm oil rubber textiles chemicals
Partners: US 15.6% Singapore 14.6% Japan 9.1% China 8.8% Thailand 5% Hong Kong 4.6% (2007)

Imports: $139.1 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: electronics machinery petroleum products plastics vehicles iron and steel products chemicals
Partners: Japan 13% China 12.9% Singapore 11.5% US 10.8% Taiwan 5.7% Thailand 5.3% South Korea 4.9% Germany 4.6% Indonesia 4.2% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $101.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt external: $53.09 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $86.16 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $42.55 billion (2007 est.)

Exchange rates: ringgits (MYR) per US dollar - 3.46 (2007) 3.6683 (2006) 3.8 (2005) 3.8 (2004) 3.8 (2003)


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Electricity
Production: 102.9 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption: 95.98 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 2.524 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2007 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 64.5 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Consumption: 32.9 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Exports: 31.6 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Proven reserves: 2.35 trillion m³ (1 January 2008 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 4.35 million (2007)
Mobile cellular: 23.347 million (2007)

Telephone system
General assessment: modern system; international service excellent
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; combined fixed-line and mobile cellular teledensity exceeds 110 per 100 persons
International: country code - 60; landing point for several major international submarine cable networks that provide connectivity to Asia, Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2007)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .my
Hosts: 377,716 (2008)
Users: 15.868 million (2007)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 2.03% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 116 (2007)
With paved runways total: 36
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 8
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With paved runways under 914 m: 6 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 80
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 72 (2007)

Heliports: 2 (2007)

Pipelines: condensate 282 km; gas 5,273 km; oil 1750 km; oil/gas/water 19 km; refined products 114 km (2007)

Railways
Total: 1,890 km
Standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 1,833 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways
Total: 98,721 km
Paved: 80,280 km (includes 1,821 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 18,441 km (2004)

Waterways
Note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km; Sabah 1,500 km; Sarawak 2,500 km (2005)

Merchant marine
Total: 306
By type: bulk carrier 12, cargo 97, carrier 1, chemical tanker 34, container 46, liquefied gas 33, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 71, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 4
Foreign owned: 40 (Germany 1, Hong Kong 14, Japan 4, Russia 2, Singapore 16, Sweden 3)
Registered in other countries: 68 (Bahamas 13, Marshall Islands 3, Norway 1, Panama 12, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Singapore 27, Thailand 3, Tuvalu 1, US 2, unknown 4) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Bintulu Johor Bahru Kuantan Labuan George Town (Penang) Port Kelang Tanjung Pelepas


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Disputes international: Malaysia has asserted sovereignty over the Spratly Islands together with China Philippines Taiwan Vietnam and possibly Brunei; while the 2002 'Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea' has eased tensions over the Spratly Islands it is not the legally binding 'code of conduct' sought by some parties; Malaysia was not party to the March 2005 joint accord among the national oil companies of China the Philippines and Vietnam on conducting marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; disputes continue over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore Singapore's land reclamation bridge construction and maritime boundaries in the Johor and Singapore Straits; in November 2007 the ICJ will hold public hearings in response to the Memorials and Countermemorials filed by the parties in 2003 and 2005 over sovereignty of Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Puteh Middle Rocks and South Ledge; ICJ awarded Ligitan and Sipadan islands also claimed by Indonesia and Philippines to Malaysia but left maritime boundary and sovereignty of Unarang rock in the hydrocarbon-rich Celebes Sea in dispute; separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim southern provinces prompts measures to close and monitor border with Malaysia to stem terrorist activities; Philippines retains a dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo; Brunei and Malaysia agreed in September 2008 to resolve their offshore and deepwater seabed dispute resume hydrocarbon exploration and renounce any territorial claims on land; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 15,174 (Indonesia); 21,544 (Burma) (2007)

Illicit drugs: drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties; heroin still primary drug of abuse but synthetic drug demand remains strong; continued ecstasy and methamphetamine producer for domestic users and to a lesser extent the regional drug market