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 except Singapore formed the Federation of Malaya which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore as well as Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's independence were marred by a Communist insurgency Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia Philippine claims to Sabah and Singapore's departure 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 the development of manufacturing services and tourism. Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak (in office since April 2009) has continued these pro-business policies.

Geographic coordinates: 2 30 N 112 30 E

Area
Rank: 67
Comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico

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

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

Terrain: coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Natural resources: tin petroleum timber copper iron ore natural gas bauxite

Irrigated land: 3,650 km² (2003)

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

Population: 29,179,952 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 43
Growth rate: 1.542% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 78
Below poverty line: 3.8% (2009 est.)

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

Languages: Bahasa Malaysia (official) English Chinese (Cantonese Mandarin Hokkien Hakka Hainan Foochow) Tamil Telugu Malayalam Panjabi Thai

Religions: Muslim (or Islam - official) 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)

Population growth rate: 1.542% (2012 est.)
Rank: 78

Birth rate: 20.74 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 83

Death rate: 4.95 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 185

Net migration rate: -0.37 migrant(s)/1000 population
Rank: 135

Environment
Current issues: air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 118

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 112

Total fertility rate: 2.64 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 78

Physicians density: 0.941 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 1.82 beds/1000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.5% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 68
People living with hivaids: 100,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 41
Deaths: 5,800 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 36

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 16.3% (2006)
Rank: 28

Education expenditures: 4.1% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 98

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Administrative divisions: 13 states (negeri-negeri singular - negeri) Johor Kedah Kelantan Melaka Negeri Sembilan Pahang Perak Perlis Pulau Pinang Sabah Sarawak Selangor Terengganu; and 1 federal territory (Wilayah Persekutuan) with three components city of Kuala Lumpur Labuan and Putrajaya

Independence: 31 August 1957 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 31 August (1957) (independence of Malaya); Malaysia Day 16 September (1963) (formation of Malaysia)

Constitution: 31 August 1957; amended many times

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law Islamic law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of Senate or Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 members appointed by the king 26 elected by 13 state legislatures to serve three-year terms with a two term limit) and House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (222 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve up to five-year terms)

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 are appointed by the king 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

International organization participation: ADB APEC ARF ASEAN BIS C CICA (observer) CP D-8 EAS FAO G-15 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MINURSO MONUSCO NAM OIC OPCW PCA PIF (partner) UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNIFIL UNMIL UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

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 flag is often referred to as Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory); the 14 stripes stand for the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the federal government; the 14 points on the star represent the unity between these entities; the crescent is a traditional symbol of Islam; blue symbolizes the unity of the Malay people and yellow is the royal color of Malay rulers

National symbols: tiger

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. Under current Prime Minister NAJIB Malaysia is attempting to achieve high-income status by 2020 and to move farther up the value-added production chain by attracting investments in Islamic finance high technology industries biotechnology and services. The NAJIB administration also is continuing efforts to boost domestic demand and reduce the economy's dependence on exports. Nevertheless exports - particularly of electronics oil and gas palm oil and rubber - 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 combined with strained government finances has forced Kuala Lumpur to begin to reduce government subsidies. The government is also trying to lessen its dependence on state oil producer Petronas. The oil and gas sector supplies more than 40% of government revenue. The central bank maintains healthy foreign exchange reserves and a well-developed regulatory regime has limited Malaysia's exposure to riskier financial instruments and the global financial crisis. Nevertheless Malaysia could be vulnerable to a fall in commodity prices or a general slowdown in global economic activity because exports are a major component of GDP. In order to attract increased investment NAJIB has raised possible revisions to the special economic and social preferences accorded to ethnic Malays under the New Economic Policy of 1970 but he has encountered significant opposition especially from Malay nationalists and other vested interests.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 30

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 73

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 74

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

Industrial production growth rate: 1.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 135

Labor force: 12.84 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 42

Unemployment rate: 3.1% (2011 est.)
Rank: 25

Population below poverty line: 3.8% (2009 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 49.2 (1997)
Rank: 33

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -5.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 161

Taxes and other revenues: 19.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 165

Public debt: 51.8% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 53

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.2% (2011 est.)
Rank: 27

Central bank discount rate: 2.83% (31 December 2010)
Rank: 107

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 4.83% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 159

Stock of narrow money: $81.28 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 36

Stock of broad money: $382.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 24

Stock of domestic credit: $354.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 29

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 23

Current account balance: $32.03 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 16

Exports: $227.5 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 25
Commodities: electronic equipment petroleum and liquefied natural gas wood and wood products palm oil rubber textiles chemicals
Partners: China 13.1% Singapore 12.7% Japan 11.5% US 8.3% Thailand 5.1% Hong Kong 4.5% India 4.1% (2011)

Imports: $178.6 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 27
Commodities: electronics machinery petroleum products plastics vehicles iron and steel products chemicals
Partners: China 13.2% Singapore 12.8% Japan 11.4% US 9.7% Indonesia 6.1% Thailand 6% South Korea 4% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $133.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 19

Debt external: $89.71 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 47

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $112.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 33

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $110.3 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 27

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 112 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 32
Consumption: 95.02 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 33
Exports: 105 million kWh (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 74
Imports: 12 million kWh (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 104
Installed generating capacity: 25.24 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 30
Generation sources fossil fuels: 91.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 73
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 145
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 8.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 117
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 163

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 603,400 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 28
Crude oil exports: 236,400 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 30
Crude oil imports: 199,100 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 34
Crude oil proven reserves: 2.9 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 30

Refined petroleum
Products production: 649,700 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 28
Products consumption: 542,900 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 34
Products exports: 213,800 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 29
Products imports: 178,200 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 29

Natural gas
Production: 66.5 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 14
Consumption: 35.7 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 27
Exports: 31.99 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 12
Imports: 2.94 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 44
Proven reserves: 2.35 trillion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 16

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 181.9 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 30

Telephones
Main lines in use: 4.243 million (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 40
Mobile cellular: 36.661 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 30

Broadcast media: state-owned TV broadcaster operates 2 TV networks with relays throughout the country and the leading private commercial media group operates 4 TV stations with numerous relays throughout the country; satellite TV subscription service is available; state-owned radio broadcaster operates multiple national networks as well as regional and local stations; many private commercial radio broadcasters and some subscription satellite radio services are available; about 400 radio stations overall (2008)

Internet
Country code: .my
Hosts: 422,470 (2012)
Hosts rank: 53
Users: 15.355 million (2009)
Users rank: 26

Military expenditures: 2.03% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 68

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

Airports: 117 (2012)
Rank: 49

Heliports: 3 (2012)

Pipelines: condensate 3 km; gas 1757 km; liquid petroleum gas 155 km; oil 30 km; refined products 114 km (2010)

Railways
Rank: 75

Roadways
Rank: 42

Waterways: 7,200 km (Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km; Sabah 1500 km; Sarawak 2,500 km) (2011)
Rank: 20

Merchant marine
Rank: 31

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

Disputes international: 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 2008 ICJ awarded sovereignty of Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh/Horsburgh Island) to Singapore and Middle Rocks to Malaysia but did not rule on maritime regimes boundaries or disposition of South Ledge; land and maritime negotiations with Indonesia are ongoing and disputed areas include the controversial Tanjung Datu and Camar Wulan border area in Borneo and the maritime boundary in the Ambalat oil block in the Celebes Sea; 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; Per Letters of Exchange signed in 2009 Malaysia in 2010 ceded two hydrocarbon concession blocks to Brunei in exchange for Brunei's sultan dropping claims to the Limbang corridor which divides Brunei; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait

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