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 withdrawal 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 and has introduced some civil reforms.

Geographic coordinates: 2 30 N 112 30 E

Area
Rank: 67
Land: 328,657 km²
Water: 1190 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries
Border countries: (3) Brunei 381 km; Indonesia 1782 km; Thailand 506 km

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

Maritime claims
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 highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m

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

Land use
Permanent crops: 17.49%
Other: 77.07% (2011)

Irrigated land: 3,800 km² (2009)

Total renewable water resources: 580 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: flooding; landslides; forest fires

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

Population: 29,628,392 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 44
Growth rate: 1.51% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 80
Below poverty line: 3.8% (2009 est.)

Nationality
Adjective: Malaysian

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)

Age structure
15-24 years: 17% (male 2,552,709/female 2,487,366)
25-54 years: 41.3% (male 6,195,754/female 6,027,160)
55-64 years: 7.4% (male 1,112,529/female 1,069,036)
65 years and over: 5.3% (male 739,696/female 823,596) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 38.1 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.8 %
Potential support ratio: 12.8 (2013)

Median age
Male: 27.2 years
Female: 27.6 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.51% (2013 est.)
Rank: 80

Birth rate: 20.41 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 84

Death rate: 4.97 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 186

Net migration rate: -0.35 migrant(s)/1000 population
Rank: 130

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 2.49% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: KUALA LUMPUR (capital) 1.493 million; Klang 1.071 million; Johor Bahru 958,000 (2009)

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

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 118
Male: 16.32 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 11.77 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 112
Male: 71.51 years
Female: 77.24 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.61 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 78

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 49% (2004)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 1.2 physicians/1000 population (2010)

Hospital bed density: 1.8 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.5% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 65
People living with hivaids: 100,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 41
Deaths: 5,800 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 34

Major infectious diseases
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever
Water contact disease: leptospirosis

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 14% (2008)
Rank: 123

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 12.9% (2006)
Rank: 58

Education expenditures: 5.1% of GDP (2010)
Rank: 70

Literacy
Total population: 93.1%
Male: 95.4%
Female: 90.7% (2010 est.)

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

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

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 3 10 N 101 42 E
Time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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 3 components 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: previous 1948; latest drafted 21 February 1957 effective 27 August 1957; amended many times last in 2007 (2010)

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

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Najib Razak (since 3 April 2009); Deputy Prime Minister MUHYIDDIN bin Mohamed Yassin (since 9 April 2009)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament with consent of the king
Elections: kings are elected by and from the hereditary rulers of nine of the states for five-year terms; selection is based on the principle of rotation among rulers of states; elections were last held on 14 October 2011 (next to be held in 2016); prime ministers are designated from among the members of the House of Representatives; following legislative elections the leader who commands the support of the majority of members in the House becomes prime minister (since independence this has been the leader of the UMNO party)
Election results: Tuanku Abdul HALIM Mu'adzam Shah elected king by fellow hereditary rulers of nine states; Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Najib Razak was sworn in as prime minister after former Prime Minister ABDULLAH Ahmad Badawi stepped down; ABDULLAH also stepped down as UMNO president; there was no party election for the post of president; the party passed the reins to NAJIB who was the deputy president

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 in 222 constituencies in a first-pass-the-post system to serve up to five-year terms)
Elections: House of Representatives - last held on 5 May 2013 (next to be held by May 2018)
Election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - BN coalition 59.9% opposition parties 40% others 0.1%; seats - BN coalition 133 opposition parties 89

Judicial branch: note - Malaysia has a dual judicial hierarchy of civil and religious (sharia) courts
Judge selection and term of office: Federal Court justices appointed by the monarch on advice of the prime minister; judges serve till age 65
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; High Court; Sessions Court; Magistrates' Court

Political parties and leaders:

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

Diplomatic representation
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 consulate general: Los Angeles New York
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 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

National anthem
Lyrics and music: collective led by Tunku ABDUL RAHMAN/Pierre Jean DE BERANGER

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. NAJIB's Economic Transformation Program (ETP) is a series of projects and policy measures intended to accelerate the country's economic growth. The government has also taken steps to liberalize some services sub-sectors. 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 about 35% of government revenue in 2011. Bank Negera Malaysia (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: 53

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 79

Gross national saving:
Rank: 19

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 13.5%
Investment in fixed capital: 25.7%
Investment in inventories: 0.1%
Exports of goods and services: 87.1%
Imports of goods and services: -75.3%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 40.2%
Services: 48.3% (2012 est.)

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

Industries: Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing petroleum and natural gas light manufacturing pharmaceuticals medical technology electronics and semi-conductors timber processing; Sabah - logging petroleum and natural gas production; Sarawak - agriculture processing petroleum and natural gas production logging

Industrial production growth rate: 3.8% (2012 est.)
Rank: 75

Labor force: 12.9 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 41
By occupation industry: 36%
By occupation services: 53.5% (2012 est.)

Unemployment rate: 3.1% (2011 est.)
Rank: 23

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 34.7% (2009 est.)

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

Budget
Expenditures: $80.89 billion (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -4.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 157

Taxes and other revenues: 22.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 150

Public debt: 51.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 54

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.2% (2011 est.)
Rank: 32

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

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 4.83% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 160

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: 23

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

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 23

Current account balance: $33.51 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 19

Exports: $228.6 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 25
Commodities: semiconductors and electronic equipment palm oil petroleum and liquefied natural gas wood and wood products palm oil rubber textiles chemicals solar panels
Partners: Singapore 13.6% China 12.6% Japan 11.8% US 8.7% Thailand 5.4% Hong Kong 4.3% India 4.2% Australia 4.1% (2012)

Imports: $179.1 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 27
Commodities: electronics machinery petroleum products plastics vehicles iron and steel products chemicals
Partners: China 15.1% Singapore 13.3% Japan 10.3% US 8.1% Thailand 6% Indonesia 5.1% South Korea 4.1% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $133.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 20

Debt external: $94.47 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 49

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $114.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 35

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $106.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 27

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 118 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 31
Consumption: 112 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 29
Exports: 151 million kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 71
Imports: 33 million kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 98
Installed generating capacity: 25.39 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 33
Generation sources fossil fuels: 91.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 71
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 144
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 8.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 118
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 206

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 642,700 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 29
Crude oil exports: 269,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 28
Crude oil imports: 160,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 37
Crude oil proven reserves: 4 billion bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 28

Refined petroleum
Products production: 568,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 31
Products consumption: 542,900 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 33
Products exports: 176,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 35
Products imports: 175,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 31

Natural gas
Production: 61.73 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 14
Consumption: 32.62 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 28
Exports: 33.1 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 14
Imports: 1.99 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 50
Proven reserves: 2.35 trillion m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 15

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 191.4 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 31

Telephones
Main lines in use: 4.589 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 34
Mobile cellular: 41.325 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 30

Telephone system
Domestic: domestic satellite system with 2 earth stations; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 140 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) (2011)

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 55 radio stations overall (2012)

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: 65

Military service age and obligation: 17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent and proof of age); mandatory retirement age 60; women serve in the Malaysian Armed Forces; no conscription (2013)

Airports: 114 (2013)
Rank: 51
With paved runways over 3047 m: 8
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 8
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 7
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With paved runways under 914 m: 8 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With unpaved runways: 69 (2013)

Heliports: 4 (2013)

Pipelines: condensate 354 km; gas 6,439 km; liquid petroleum gas 155 km; oil 1937 km; oil/gas/water 43 km; refined products 114 km; water 26 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 75
Standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 1792 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2010)

Roadways
Rank: 33
Paved: 116,169 km (includes 1821 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 28,234 km (2010)

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

Merchant marine
Rank: 31
By type: bulk carrier 11 cargo 83 carrier 2 chemical tanker 47 container 41 liquefied gas 34 passenger/cargo 4 petroleum tanker 86 roll on/roll off 2 vehicle carrier 5
Foreign owned: 26 (Denmark 1 Hong Kong 8 Japan 2 Russia 2 Singapore 13)
Registered in other countries: 82 (Bahamas 13 India 1 Indonesia 1 Isle of Man 6 Malta 1 Marshall Islands 11 Panama 12 Papua New Guinea 1 Philippines 1 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1 Singapore 27 Thailand 3 US 2 unknown 2) (2010)

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 40,001 (2012); note - Malaysia's stateless population consists of Rohingya refugees from Burma ethnic Indians and the children of Filipino and Indonesian illegal migrants; Burma stripped the Rohingya of their nationality in 1982; Filipino and Indonesian children who have not have been registered for birth certificates by their parents or who received birth certificates stamped 'foreigner' are not eligible to go to government schools; these children are vulnerable to statelessness should they not be able to apply to their parents' country of origin for a passport

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