Legend:
 Definition
 Field
Listing
 Rank
Order
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Background:
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Malaysia was formed in 1963 through a federation of the former British
colonies of Malaya and Singapore, including the East Malaysian states
of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo. The first
several years of the country's history were marred by Indonesian
efforts to control Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and
Singapore's secession from the federation in 1965. |
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Location:
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Southeastern Asia, peninsula and northern one-third of the island of
Borneo, bordering Indonesia and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam
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Geographic coordinates:
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2 30 N, 112 30 E
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Map references:
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Southeast Asia |
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Area:
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total: 329,750 sq km
water: 1,200 sq km
land: 328,550 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than New Mexico |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,669 km
border countries: Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand
506 km |
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Coastline:
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4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km) |
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Maritime claims:
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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 |
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Climate:
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tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October
to February) monsoons
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Terrain:
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coastal plains rising to hills and mountains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m |
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Natural resources:
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tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite |
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Land use:
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arable land: 5.54%
permanent crops: 17.61%
other: 76.85% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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3,650 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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flooding, landslides, forest fires |
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Environment - current issues:
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air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution
from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest
fires |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
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Geography - note:
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strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China
Sea |
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Population:
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23,092,940 (July 2003 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 33.7% (male 4,001,507; female 3,777,896)
15-64 years: 61.9% (male 7,163,252; female 7,131,745)
65 years and over: 4.4% (male 447,230; female 571,310) (2003
est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 23.6 years
male: 23 years
female: 24.3 years (2002) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.86% (2003 est.)
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Birth rate:
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23.7 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.12 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: does not reflect net flow of an unknown number of illegal
immigrants from other countries in the region (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 19 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 21.97 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 71.67 years
male: 69.01 years
female: 74.51 years (2003 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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3.13 children born/woman (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.4% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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42,000 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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2,500 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Malaysian(s)
adjective: Malaysian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Malay and other indigenous 58%, Chinese 24%, Indian 8%, others 10%
(2000) |
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Religions:
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Muslim, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh; note - in addition,
Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia |
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Languages:
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Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese dialects (Cantonese,
Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam,
Panjabi, Thai; note - in addition, in East Malaysia several indigenous
languages are spoken, the largest are Iban and Kadazan |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.9%
male: 92.4%
female: 85.4% (2003 est.)
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Malaysia
former: Federation of Malaysia |
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Government type:
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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 and a bicameral Parliament
consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house;
Peninsular Malaysian states - hereditary rulers in all but Melaka,
George Town (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 28 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign
affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to
federal government |
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Capital:
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Kuala Lumpur
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Administrative divisions:
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13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri) and 3 federal
territories* (wilayah-wilayah persekutuan, singular - wilayah
persekutuan); Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Labuan*, Melaka, Negeri
Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Putrajaya*, Sabah,
Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu, Wilayah Persekutuan*
note: the city of Kuala Lumpur is within the federal territory
of Wilayah Persekutuan; the terms therefore are not interchangeable;
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Independence:
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31 August 1957 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day/Malaysia Day, 31 August (1957) |
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Constitution:
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31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963 |
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Legal system:
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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
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Suffrage:
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21 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Paramount Ruler Tuanku SYED SIRAJUDDIN ibni
Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail, the Raja of Perlis (since 12
December 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi
(since 31 October 2003); Deputy Prime Minister NA (since 31 October
2003)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the
members of Parliament with consent of the paramount ruler
election results: Tuanku SYED SIRAJUDDIN ibni Almarhum Tuanku
Syed Putra Jamalullail elected paramount ruler
elections: paramount ruler elected by and from the hereditary
rulers of nine of the states for five-year terms; election last held
12 December 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); 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 |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of the 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 (193 seats; members elected by popular vote weighted toward the
rural Malay population to serve five-year terms)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - BN 56%, other 44%; seats by party - BN 148, PAS 27, DAP 10,
Keadilan 5, PBS 3
elections: House of Representatives - last held 29 November
1999 (next must be held by November 2004) |
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Judicial branch:
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Federal Court (judges appointed by the paramount ruler on the advice
of the prime minister) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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ruling coalition parties: Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party or PGRM [LIM
Kheng Yaik]; Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal Demokratik -
Sabah) or LDP [CHONG Kah Kiat]; Malaysian Chinese Association
(Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [LING Ong Ka Ting]; Malaysian Indian
Congress (Kongresi India Malaysia) or MIC [S. Samy VELLU]; Parti
Bangsa Dayak Sarawak or PBDS [Leo MOGGIE]; Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS
[Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan]; Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu or PBB
[Patinggi Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud]; Sabah Progressive Party (Parti
Progresif Sabah) or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]; Sarawak United People's
Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak) or SUPP [WONG Soon Kah]; United
Malays National Organization or UMNO [ABDULLAH Ahmad Badawi]; United
Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organization (Pertubuhan Pasko Momogun
Kadazan Dusun Bersatu) or UPKO [leader NA]; opposition parties:
Democratic Action Party (Parti Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP [KERK Kim
Hock]; Islamic Party of Malaysia (Parti Islam se Malaysia) or PAS
[Abdul HADI Awang]; National Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Nasional)
or Keadilan [WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismael]; National Front (Barisan Nasional)
or BN (the ruling coalition dominated by the UMNO and includes MCA,
MIC, PGRM, PBDS, SUPP, PBB, PBS, LDP, SAPP, UPKO) [ABDULLAH Ahmad
Badawi] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN,
UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador GHAZZALI bin Sheikh Abdul Khalid
chancery: 3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 572-9882
telephone: [1] (202) 572-9700 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Marie T. HUHTALA
embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur
mailing address: P. O. Box No. 10035, 50700 Kuala Lumpur;
American Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96535-8152
telephone: [60] (3) 2168-5000
FAX: [60] (3) 2142-2207
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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Malaysia, a middle-income country, transformed itself from 1971
through the late 1990s from a producer of raw materials into an
emerging multi-sector economy. Growth was almost exclusively driven by
exports - particularly of electronics - and, as a result Malaysia was
hard hit by the global economic downturn and the slump in the
Information Technology (IT) sector in 2001. GDP in 2001 grew only 0.5%
due to an estimated 11% contraction in exports, but a substantial
fiscal stimulus package mitigated the worst of the recession and the
economy rebounded in 2002. Healthy foreign exchange reserves and
relatively small external debt make it unlikely that Malaysia will
experience a crisis similar to the one in 1997, but the economy
remains vulnerable to a more protracted slowdown in Japan and the US,
top export destinations and key sources of foreign investment. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $198.4 billion (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4.1% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $8,800 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 12%
industry: 40%
services: 48% (2001) |
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Population below poverty line:
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8% (1998 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 1.7%
highest 10%: 38.4% (1997 est.) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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49.2 (1997)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1.9% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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9.9 million (2001 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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local trade and tourism 28%, manufacturing 27%, agriculture, forestry,
and fisheries 16%, services 10%, government 10%, construction 9% (2000
est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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3.8% (2002 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $20.3 billion
expenditures: $27.2 billion, including capital expenditures of
$9.4 billion (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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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 |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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5% (2002 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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68.34 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 89.5%
hydro: 10.5%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
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Electricity - consumption:
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63.48 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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75 million kWh (2001)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2001)
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Oil - production:
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729,200 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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472,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA (2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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3.729 billion bbl (37257) |
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Natural gas - production:
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53.66 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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31.25 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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22.41 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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2.23 trillion cu m (37257) |
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Agriculture - products:
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Peninsular Malaysia - rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice; Sabah -
subsistence crops, rubber, timber, coconuts, rice; Sarawak - rubber,
pepper; timber |
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Exports:
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$95.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood and
wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles, chemicals (2000) |
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Exports - partners:
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US 21%, Singapore 17.4%, Japan 10.9%, China 6.5%, Hong Kong 5%,
Thailand 4% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$76.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles, iron
and steel products, chemicals (2000) |
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Imports - partners:
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Japan 16.9%, Singapore 15.9%, US 15.5%, China 7.3%, South Korea 5%,
Taiwan 4.7% (2002)
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Debt - external:
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$47.5 billion (2002 est.) |
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Currency:
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ringgit (MYR)
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Currency code:
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MYR |
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Exchange rates:
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ringgits per US dollar - 3.8 (2002), 3.8 (2001), 3.8 (2000), 3.8
(1999), 3.92 (1998) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Railways:
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total: 2,418 km
standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 2,361 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified)
(2002) |
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Highways:
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total: 65,877 km
paved: 49,935 km (including 1,192 km of expressways)
unpaved: 15,942 km (1999) |
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Waterways:
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7,296 km
note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,209 km, Sabah 1,569 km, Sarawak
2,518 km
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Pipelines:
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condensate 279 km; gas 5,047 km; oil 1,841 km; refined products 114 km
(2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Bintulu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuantan, Kuching, Kudat, Labuan, Lahad Datu,
Lumut, Miri, Pasir Gudang, George Town (Penang), Port Dickson, Port
Kelang, Sandakan, Sibu, Tanjung Berhala, Tanjung Kidurong, Tawau |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 366 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,111,476 GRT/7,242,323
DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a
flag of convenience: Australia 1, China 1, Germany 2, Hong Kong 15,
Indonesia 3, Japan 4, Monaco 1, Philippines 2, Singapore 78, South
Korea 2, Vietnam 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 62, cargo 103, chemical tanker 37,
container 69, liquefied gas 23, livestock carrier 1, passenger 2,
petroleum tanker 55, roll on/roll off 5, specialized tanker 1, vehicle
carrier 8 |
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Airports:
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114 (2002) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 35
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 7 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 79
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 72 (2002) |
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Heliports:
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1 (2002)
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Military branches:
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Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Royal
Malaysian Police Field Force, Marine Police, Sarawak Border Scouts
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Military manpower - military age:
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21 years of age (2003 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age 15-49: 6,067,155 (2003 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age 15-49: 3,672,517 (2003 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males: 218,216 (2003 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$1.69 billion (FY00 est.) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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2.03% (FY00) |
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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