Malaysia

[Country map of Malaysia]

Map ©1996 NGS Cartographic Division. Developed in association with GeoSystems Global Corp. World Map

Geography

Location: Southeastern Asia, peninsula and northern one-third of the island of Borneo bordering the Java Sea and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam

Map references: Southeast Asia

Area:
total area: 329,750 sq km
land area: 328,550 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries: total 2,669 km, Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km

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 hillsand mountains

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

Land use:
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 10%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 63%
other: 24%

Irrigated land: 3,420 sq km (1989 est.)


People

Population: 19,723,587 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 37% (female 3,559,434; male 3,690,310)
15-64 years: 59% (female 5,871,131; male 5,844,568)
65 years and over: 4% (female 423,539; male 334,605) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.24% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 27.95 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 5.56 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.48 years
male: 66.55 years
female: 72.56 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.47 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Malaysian(s)
adjective: Malaysian

Ethnic divisions: Malay and other indigenous 59%, Chinese 32%, Indian 9%

Religions:
Peninsular Malaysia: Muslim (Malays), Buddhist (Chinese), Hindu (Indians)
Sabah: Muslim 38%, Christian 17%, other 45%
Sarawak: tribal religion 35%, Buddhist and Confucianist 24%, Muslim 20%, Christian 16%, other 5%

Languages:
Peninsular Malaysia: Malay (official), English, Chinese dialects, Tamil
Sabah: English, Malay, numerous tribal dialects, Chinese (Mandarin and Hakka dialects predominate)
Sarawak: English, Malay, Mandarin, numerous tribal languages *** No data for this item ***

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population: 78%
male: 86%
female: 70%

Labor force: 7.627 million (1993)


Government

Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Malaysia
former: Malayan Union

Digraph: MY

Type: constitutional monarchy
note: Federation of Malaysia formed 9 July 1963; nominally headed by the paramount ruler (king) and a bicameral Parliament; Peninsular Malaysian states - hereditary rulers in all but Melaka, where governors are appointed by Malaysian Pulau Pinang Government; powers of state governments are limited by federal Constitution; Sabah - self-governing state, holds 20 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government; Sarawak - self-governing state, 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*

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

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal


Economy

Overview: The Malaysian economy, a mixture of private enterprise and a soundly managed public sector, has posted a remarkable record of 9% average annual growth in 1988-94. The official growth target for 1995 is 8.5%. This growth has resulted in a substantial reduction in poverty and a marked rise in real wages. Manufactured goods exports expanded rapidly, and foreign investors continued to commit large sums in the economy. The government is aware of the inflationary potential of this rapid development and is closely monitoring fiscal and monetary policies.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $166.8 billion (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: 8.7% (1994)

National product per capita: $8,650 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.7% (1994)

Unemployment rate: 2.9% (1994)

Budget:
revenues: $18.7 billion
expenditures: $19.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $4.8 billion (1994)

Exports: $56.6 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: electronic equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, palm oil, wood and wood products, rubber, textiles
partners: Singapore 22%, US 20%, Japan 13%, UK 4%, Germany 4%, Thailand 4% (1993)

Imports: $55.2 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, food, petroleum products
partners: Japan 27%, US 17%, Singapore 15%, Taiwan 5%, Germany 4%, UK 3%, South Korea 3% (1993)

External debt: $35.5 billion (1994 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 12% (1994); accounts for 38% of GDP (1993 est.)

Electricity:
capacity: 6,700,000 kW
production: 31 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 1,528 kWh (1993)

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: accounts for 16% of GDP (1993 est.)
Peninsular Malaysia: natural rubber, palm oil, rice
Sabah: mainly subsistence, but also rubber, timber, coconut, rice
Sarawak: rubber, timber, pepper; deficit of rice in all areas

Currency: 1 ringgit (M$) = 100 sen

Fiscal year: calendar year


Transportation

Railroads:
total: 1,801 km (Peninsular Malaysia 1,665 km; Sabah 136 km; Sarawak 0 km)
narrow gauge: 1,801 km 1.000-m gauge (Peninsular Malaysia 1,665 km; Sabah 136 km)

Highways:
total: 29,028 km (Peninsular Malaysia 23,602 km, Sabah 3,782 km, Sarawak 1,644 km)
paved: NA (Peninsular Malaysia 19,354 km mostly bituminous treated)
unpaved: NA (Peninsular Malaysia 4,248 km)

Inland waterways:
Peninsular Malaysia: 3,209 km
Sabah: 1,569 km
Sarawak: 2,518 km

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

Ports: Kota Kinabalu, Kuantan, Kuching, Kudat, Lahad Datu, Labuan, Lumut, Miri, Pasir Gudang, Penang, Port Dickson, Port Kelang, Sandakan, Sibu, Tanjong Berhala, Tanjong Kidurong, Tawau

Merchant marine:
total: 213 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,410,823 GRT/3,635,966 DWT
ships by type: bulk 34, cargo 73, chemical tanker 11, container 27, liquefied gas tanker 9, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 50, roll-on/roll-off cargo 4, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 3

Airports:
total: 115
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 3
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 6
with paved runways under 914 m: 82
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 7


Flag by Dream Maker Software, Inc.
Information obtained from CIA, The World Factbook 1995