|
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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 formed the Federation of Malaya, which
became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963
when the former British colonies of Singapore and the
East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the
northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. 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. |
|
Location:
|
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 coordinates:
|
2 30 N,
112 30 E |
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Map references:
|
Southeast
Asia |
|
Area:
|
total:
329,750 sq km
land: 328,550 sq km
water: 1,200 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly
larger than New Mexico |
|
Land boundaries:
|
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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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea
|
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Climate:
|
tropical;
annual southwest (April to October) and northeast
(October to February) monsoons |
|
Terrain:
|
coastal
plains rising to hills and mountains |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest
point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
tin,
petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas,
bauxite |
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Land use:
|
arable
land: 5.48%
permanent crops: 17.61%
other: 76.91% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
|
3,650 sq
km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
flooding,
landslides, forest fires |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
air
pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water
pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze
from Indonesian forest fires |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands |
|
Geography - note:
|
strategic
location along Strait of Malacca and southern South
China Sea |
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Population:
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23,953,136 (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
|
0-14
years: 33% (male 4,067,006/female 3,837,758)
15-64 years: 62.4% (male 7,488,367/female
7,447,047)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 490,334/female
622,624) (2005 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total:
23.92 years
male: 23.32 years
female: 24.54 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
|
1.8%
(2005 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
23.07
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
5.06
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
|
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 (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
|
at
birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
|
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
17.7 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 20.49 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 72.24 years
male: 69.56 years
female: 75.11 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.07
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.4%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
52,000
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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2,000
(2003 est.) |
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Major infectious diseases:
|
degree
of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
are high risks in some locations (2004) |
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Nationality:
|
noun:
Malaysian(s)
adjective: Malaysian |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Malay
50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, Indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%,
others 7.8% (2004 est.) |
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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:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.7%
male: 92%
female: 85.4% (2002) |
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Country name:
|
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Malaysia
former: Federation of Malaysia |
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Government type:
|
constitutional monarchy
note: nominally headed by paramount ruler and a
bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper
house and an elected lower house; all Peninsular
Malaysian states have hereditary rulers except Melaka
and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with
Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors
appointed by government; powers of state governments are
limited by federal constitution; under terms of
federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain
constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain
their own immigration controls); Sabah - holds 20 seats
in House of Representatives and will hold 25 seats after
the next election; Sarawak holds 28 seats in House of
Representatives |
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Capital:
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Kuala
Lumpur
note: Putrajaya is referred to as administrative
center not capital; Parliament meets in Kuala Lumpur
|
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Administrative divisions:
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13 states
(negeri-negeri, singular - negeri) Johor, Kedah,
Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis,
Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, and Terengganu;
and one federal territory (wilayah persekutuan) with
three components, city of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and
Putrajaya |
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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:
|
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 Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak (since 7 January
2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
from among the members of Parliament with consent of the
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 in 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
election results: Tuanku SYED SIRAJUDDIN ibni
Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail elected paramount
ruler |
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Legislative branch:
|
bicameral
Parliament or Parlimen consists of the Senate or Dewan
Negara (70 seats; 44 appointed by the paramount ruler,
26 appointed by the state legislatures) and the House of
Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (219 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held
21 March 2004 (next must be held by 2009)
election results: House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - BN 91%, DAP 5%, PAS 3%, other
1%; seats by party - BN 199, DAP 12, PAS 6, PKR 1,
independent 1 |
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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 National Front (Barisan Nasional) or
BN, consisting of the following parties: Gerakan Rakyat
Malaysia Party or PGRM [LIM Keng Yaik]; Liberal
Democratic Party (Parti Liberal Demokratik - Sabah) or
LDP [CHONG Kah Kiat]; Malaysian Chinese Association
(Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [ONG Ka Ting];
Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongresi India Malaysia) or
MIC [S. Samy VELLU]; Parti Bersatu Pakyat Sabah or PBRS
[Joseph KURUP]; Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS [Joseph
PAIRIN Kitingan]; Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu or PBB
[Patinggi Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud]; Parti Rakyat Sarawak
or PRS [James MASING]; Sabah Progressive Party (Parti
Progresif Sabah) or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]; Sarawak United
People's Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak) or SUPP
[George CHAN Hong Nam]; United Malays National
Organization or UMNO [ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi]; United
Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organization (Pertubuhan
Pasko Momogun Kadazan Dusun Bersatu) or UPKO [Bernard
DOMPOK]; People's Progressive Party (Parti Progresif
Penduduk Malaysia) or PPP [M.Keyveas]; Sarawak
Progressive Democratic Party or SPDP [William MAWANI];
opposition parties: Democratic Action Party (Parti
Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP [KARPAL Singh]; Islamic
Party of Malaysia (Parti Islam se Malaysia) or PAS
[Abdul HADI Awang]; People's Justice Party (Parti
Keadilan Rakyat) or PKR [WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismael]; Sarawak
National Party or SNAP [Edwin DANDUNG]; opposition
coalition Alternative Front (Barisan Alternatif) or BA
consists of PAS and PKR |
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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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ABEDA,
APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, FAO, G-15,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW,
PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK,
UNMIL, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO |
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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
telephone: [1] (202) 572-9700
FAX: [1] (202) 572-9882
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Christopher J. LAFLEUR
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:
|
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 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:
|
Malaysia,
a middle-income country, transformed itself from 1971
through the late 1990's from a producer of raw materials
into an emerging multi-sector economy. Growth was almost
exclusively driven by exports - particularly of
electronics. As a result, Malaysia was hard hit by the
global economic downturn and the slump in the
information technology (IT) sector in 2001 and 2002. GDP
in 2001 grew only 0.5% due to an estimated 11%
contraction in exports, but a substantial fiscal
stimulus package equal to US $1.9 billion mitigated the
worst of the recession and the economy rebounded in 2002
with a 4.1% increase. The economy grew 4.9% in 2003,
notwithstanding a difficult first half, when external
pressures from SARS and the Iraq War led to caution in
the business community. Growth topped 7% in 2004.
Healthy foreign exchange reserves, low inflation, and a
small external debt are all strengths that make it
unlikely that Malaysia will experience a financial
crisis similar to the one in 1997. The economy remains
dependent on continued growth in the US, China, and
Japan, top export destinations and key sources of
foreign investment. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity):
|
$229.3
billion (2004 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
7.1%
(2004 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $9,700 (2004 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 7.2%
industry: 33.6%
services: 59.1% (2004 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
10.49
million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture 14.5%, industry 36%, services 49.5% (2000
est.) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
3% (2004
est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
|
8% (1998
est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest
10%: 1.4%
highest 10%: 39.2% (2003 est.) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
49.2
(1997) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
1.3%
(2004 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed):
|
21.7% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $25.33 billion
expenditures: $29.33 billion, including capital
expenditures of $9.4 billion (2004 est.) |
|
Public debt:
|
45.4% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
Peninsular Malaysia - rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice;
Sabah - subsistence crops, rubber, timber, coconuts,
rice; Sarawak - rubber, pepper, timber |
|
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 |
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Industrial production growth rate:
|
10.2%
(2004 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
75.33
billion kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil
fuel: 89.5%
hydro: 10.5%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
68.4
billion kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
70
million kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh
(2002) |
|
Oil - production:
|
785,000
bbl/day (2004 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
460,000
bbl/day (2003 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
230,200
bbl/day (2003) |
|
Oil - imports:
|
NA |
|
Oil - proved reserves:
|
3.2
billion bbl (2004 est.) |
|
Natural gas - production:
|
53.66
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
31.25
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports:
|
22.41
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports:
|
0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves:
|
2.23
trillion cu m (2004) |
|
Current account balance:
|
$11.81
billion (2004 est.) |
|
Exports:
|
$123.5
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural
gas, wood and wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles,
chemicals |
|
Exports - partners:
|
US 18.8%,
Singapore 15%, Japan 10.1%, China 6.7%, Hong Kong 6%,
Thailand 4.8% (2004) |
|
Imports:
|
$99.3
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics,
vehicles, iron and steel products, chemicals |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Japan
16.1%, US 14.6%, Singapore 11.2%, China 9.9%, Thailand
5.6%, Taiwan 5.5%, South Korea 5%, Germany 4.5%,
Indonesia 4% (2004) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|
$55.27
billion (2004 est.) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$53.36
billion (2004 est.) |
|
Currency (code):
|
ringgit
(MYR) |
|
Currency code:
|
MYR |
|
Exchange rates:
|
ringgits
per US dollar - 3.8 (2004), 3.8 (2003), 3.8 (2002), 3.8
(2001), 3.8 (2000) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar
year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
4,571,600
(2003) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
11,124,100 (2003) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general assessment: modern system; international
service excellent
domestic: good intercity service provided on
Peninsular Malaysia mainly by microwave radio relay;
adequate intercity microwave radio relay network between
Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; domestic satellite system
with 2 earth stations
international: country code - 60; submarine
cables to India, Hong Kong, and Singapore; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1
Pacific Ocean) (2001) |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 35, FM
391, shortwave 15 (2001) |
|
Radios:
|
10.9
million (1999) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
1 (plus
15 high-power repeaters) (2001) |
|
Televisions:
|
10.8
million (1999) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.my |
|
Internet hosts:
|
107,971
(2003) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
|
7 (2000)
|
|
Internet users:
|
8,692,100
(2003) |
|
Railways:
|
total:
1,890 km (207 km electrified)
standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,833 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km
electrified) (2004) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
65,877 km
paved: 51,318 km
unpaved: 14,559 km (2001) |
|
Waterways:
|
7,200 km
note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km, Sabah 1,500
km, Sarawak 2,500 km (2004) |
|
Pipelines:
|
condensate 279 km; gas 5,047 km; oil 1,841 km; refined
products 114 km (2004) |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Bintulu,
Johor, Labuan, Lahad Datu, Lumut, Miri, George Town
(Penang), Port Kelang, Tanjung Pelepas |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total:
346 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,389,397 GRT/7,539,178
DWT
by type: bulk carrier 45, cargo 109, chemical
tanker 38, container 47, liquefied gas 26, livestock
carrier 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum
tanker 62, roll on/roll off 6, vehicle carrier 5
foreign-owned: 77 (China 1, Hong Kong 12, Japan
3, Singapore 61)
registered in other countries: 59 (2005) |
|
Airports:
|
117 (2004
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total:
38
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total:
79
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 72 (2004 est.) |
|
Heliports:
|
1 (2004
est.) |
|
Military branches:
|
Malaysian
Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia), Royal Malaysian Navy
(Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia, TLDM), Royal Malaysian
Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia, TUDM) (2005)
|
|
Military service age and obligation:
|
18 years
of age for voluntary military service (2005) |
|
Manpower available for military service:
|
males
age 18-49: 5,584,231 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service:
|
males
age 18-49: 4,574,854 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
|
males:
244,418 (2005 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$1.69
billion (FY00 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
2.03%
(FY00) |
|
Disputes - international:
|
Malaysia
has asserted sovereignty over the Spratly Islands
together with China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and
possibly Brunei; 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, maritime
boundaries, and Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Putih -
but parties agree to ICJ arbitration on island dispute
within three years; ICJ awarded Ligitan and Sipadan
islands, also claimed by Indonesia and Philippines, to
Malaysia but left maritime boundary in the
hydrocarbon-rich Celebes Sea in dispute, culminating in
hostile confrontations in March 2005 over concessions to
the Ambalat oil block; 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 now dormant
claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo; in
2003, Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration
in their disputed offshore and deepwater seabeds and
negotiations have stalemated prompting consideration of
international adjudication; Malaysia's land boundary
with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute; piracy remains
a problem in the Malacca Strait |
|
Illicit drugs:
|
transit
point for some illicit drugs; drug trafficking
prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties |
|
This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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