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 coordinate at 2 30 N, 112 30 E, with a total area 329,750 sq km comprising of 328,550 sq km over land and 1,200 sq km over water. The climate mainly tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons. Elevation extremes at lowest point; Indian Ocean 0 m and highest point; Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m. The Population is 24,385,858 (July 2006 est.), with age structure: 0-14 years: 32.6% (male 4,093,859/female 3,862,730) 15-64 years: 62.6% (male 7,660,680/female 7,613,537) 65 years and over: 4.7% (male 509,260/female 645,792) (2006 est.). Ethnic groups: Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, Indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%, others 7.8% (2004 est.) Religions: Muslim, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh; note - in addition, Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia Languages: Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai; note: in East Malaysia there are several indigenous languages; most widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan.
History
The Malay peninsula has been a commercial center since antiquity. Originally Hindu, with an Indian flavor, the region turned to Islam in the 1400s. Europeans arrived, first the Portuguese (1511) and then the Dutch (1641). Britain made its move in 1789 and eventually the Malay states became British protectorates. The British expanded mining (tin) and agriculture (rubber plantations). Because large numbers of Chinese were brought in as laborers, the balance tilted until the economy was dominated by ethnic Chinese. At the same time, Britain was also solidifying it hold on Borneo. In World War II, Japan overran Malaya and, after the war, a federation was set up to eliminate much of the confusion that exited between the Malay states. In the early 1950s period, the communist party mounted a rebellion that bedeviled the country. A home-rule government was granted in 1955 and independence in 1957 as the Federation of Malaya. Six years later, Malaysia was created which brought together Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo (Sabah) and Sarawak (though Singapore went its own way in 1965 and achieved independence then). Since independence, Malaysia has worked hard at becoming an economic center, so it was particularly hard-hit during the Asian financial crisis in 1997-1998. The two tallest buildings in the world were also erected in Kuala Lumpur in the 1980s.
Government Type
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, 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
Places of Interest
Malaysia have it many choices of places of interest, which would be interesting/exiting for those who loves adventures and the wild. If you do visit Malaysia one of these days do browse the many sites that offer information about Malaysia's places of interest before hand.
In 1991, the government declared that it was the objective of the nation to become a developed nation in its own mould by 2020.It visions Malaysia to achieve an industrialized and a fully developed nation status by sustaining growth at 7 per cent per annum and initiating structural changes in the economy as well as within the manufacturing sectors. The key to the attainment of a fully developed nation is overcoming the nine strategic challenges.
1.
Establishing a united Malaysian nation (Bangsa Malaysia) with a sense of common and shared destiny.
Malaysia's Prime Ministers
2.
Creating a psychologically liberated, secure, and developed Malaysian society with faith and confidence in itself. This Malaysian Society must be distinguished by the pursuit of excellence.
3.
Fostering and developing a mature democratic society, practicing a form of consensual, community-oriented Malaysian democracy that can be a model...
4.
Establishing a fully moral and ethical society, whose citizens are strong in religious and spiritual values and imbued with the highest of ethical standards.
5.
Establishing a matured, liberal and tolerant society in which Malaysians of all colours and creeds are free to practice and profess their customs, cultures and religious beliefs and yet feeling that they belong to one nation.
6.
Establishing a scientific and progressive society that is innovative and forward-looking.
7.
Establishing a fully caring society and a caring culture... a social system in which society will come before self.
8.
Ensuring an economically just society, in which there is a fair and equitable distribution of the wealth of the nation.
9.
Establishing a prosperous society with an economy that is fully competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient.
