|
|
|
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 |
|
Map references:
|
Southeast
Asia |
|
Area:
|
total:
329,750 sq km
water: 1,200 sq km
land: 328,550 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 |
|
Coastline:
|
4,675
km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia
2,607 km) |
|
Maritime claims:
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Land use:
|
arable
land: 5.48%
other: 76.91% (2001)
permanent crops: 17.61% |
|
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
|
|
Population:
|
23,522,482
(July 2004 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14
years: 33.3% (male 4,033,037; female 3,806,451)
15-64 years: 62.1% (male 7,326,068; female
7,289,783)
65 years and over: 4.5% (male 469,499; female
597,644) (2004 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total:
23.8 years
male: 23.2 years
female: 24.4 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
1.83%
(2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
23.37
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
5.08
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
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 (2004 est.) |
|
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 (2004
est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total:
18.35 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.)
male: 21.23 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 71.95 years
male: 69.29 years
female: 74.81 years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
3.1
children born/woman (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.4%
(2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
52,000
(2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
2,000
(2003 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun:
Malaysian(s)
adjective: Malaysian |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Malay
and other indigenous 58%, Chinese 24%, Indian 8%,
others 10% (2000) |
|
Religions:
|
Muslim,
Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh; note - in
addition, Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia |
|
Languages:
|
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 |
|
Literacy:
|
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.7%
male: 92%
female: 85.4% (2002)
|
|
Country name:
|
conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Malaysia
former: Federation of Malaysia |
|
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;
all of the Peninsular Malaysian states have
hereditary rulers except Melaka and Penang; Sabah
and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors
appointed by the Malaysian Government; powers of
state governments are limited by the federal
constitution; under the terms of federation, Sabah
and Sarawak retain certain constitutional
prerogatives (e.g., the right to maintain their own
immigration controls); Sabah - currently holds 20
seats in House of Representatives and will hold 25
seats after the next election; Sarawak holds 28
seats in House of Representatives |
|
Capital:
|
Kuala
Lumpur
note: Putrajaya is referred to as the
administrative capital |
|
Administrative divisions:
|
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; |
|
Independence:
|
31
August 1957 (from UK) |
|
National holiday:
|
Independence
Day/Malaysia 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 |
|
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 NAJIB Tun Razak (since 7 January
2004)
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
election results: Tuanku SYED SIRAJUDDIN ibni
Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail elected
paramount ruler
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime
minister from among the members of Parliament with
consent of the paramount ruler |
|
Legislative branch:
|
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 (219 seats; members elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
election results: House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - BN 64%, PAS 16%, DAP 10%,
other 10%; seats by party - BN 198, DAP 12, PAS 7,
Keadilan 1, independent 1
elections: House of Representatives - last
held 21 March 2004 (next must be held by 2009) |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Federal
Court (judges appointed by the paramount ruler on
the advice of the prime minister) |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
ruling-coalition
National Front (Barisan Nasional) or BN, consisting
of the following 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 [ONG Ka Ting]; Malaysian
Indian Congress (Kongresi India Malaysia) or MIC [S.
Samy VELLU]; Parti Bangsa Dayak Sarawak or PBDS
[leadership in dispute]; 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 [George CHAN
Hong Nam]; United Malays National Organization or
UMNO [ABDULLAH 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
National Party or SNAP [leader NA]; Sarawak
Progressive Democratic Party or SPDP [William MAWANI];
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]; Malaysian People's Party (Parti
Rakyat Malaysia) or PKM [Syed HUSIN Ali]; National
Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Nasional) or Keadilan
[WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismael]; opposition coalition
Alternative Front (Barisan Alternatif) or BA
consists of PAS, PKM, and Keadilan |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
NA |
|
International organization participation:
|
APEC,
ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, 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, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
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 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief
of mission: Charge Robert A. POLLARD
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 |
|
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
|
|
Economy - overview:
|
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. 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. Healthy foreign exchange reserves and a
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. The Malaysian ringgit is pegged to the
dollar, and the Japanese central bank continues to
intervene and prop up the yen against the dollar. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing
power parity - $207.8 billion (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
5.2%
(2003 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing
power parity - $9,000 (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture:
7.3%
industry: 33.5%
services: 59.1% (2003 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed):
|
22.2%
of GDP (2003) |
|
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):
|
1.1%
(2003 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
10.26
million (2003 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture
14.5%, industry 36%, services 49.5% (2000 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
3.6%
(2003 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues:
$22.95 billion
expenditures: $27.75 billion, including
capital expenditures of $9.4 billion (2003 est.) |
|
Public debt:
|
45.5%
of GDP (2003) |
|
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 |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
9.3%
(2003 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
75.33
billion kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil
fuel: 89.5%
hydro: 10.5%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
68.4
billion kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
0 kWh
(2002) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh
(2002) |
|
Oil - production:
|
690,000
bbl/day (2003 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
460,000
bbl/day (2003 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
230,200
bbl/day (2003) |
|
Oil - imports:
|
NA
(2003) |
|
Oil - proved reserves:
|
3.729
billion bbl (1 January 2002) |
|
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 (1 January 2002) |
|
Current account balance:
|
$13.38
billion (2003) |
|
Exports:
|
$98.4
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
electronic
equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood
and wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles,
chemicals |
|
Exports - partners:
|
US
19.5%, Singapore 16.1%, China 10.4%, Japan 9.4%,
Hong Kong 4.3% (2003 est.) |
|
Imports:
|
$74.4
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
electronics,
machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles,
iron and steel products, chemicals |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Singapore
25.3%, Japan 12.5%, US 12.1%, China 6.8%, Taiwan
5.4%, South Korea 5.2%, Thailand 4.3%, Germany 4%
(2003 est.) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
|
$44.58
billion (2003) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$48.84
billion (2003 est.) |
|
Currency:
|
ringgit
(MYR) |
|
Currency code:
|
MYR |
|
Exchange rates:
|
ringgits
per US dollar - 3.8 (2003), 3.8 (2002), 3.8 (2001),
3.8 (2000), 3.8 (1999) |
|
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:
2,418 km (207 km electrified)
standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 2,361 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km
electrified) (2003) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
65,877 km
paved: 49,935 km (including 1,192 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 15,942 km (1999) |
|
Waterways:
|
7,296
km
note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,209 km, Sabah
1,569 km, Sarawak 2,518 km |
|
Pipelines:
|
condensate
279 km; gas 5,047 km; oil 1,841 km; refined products
114 km (2003) |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
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 |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total:
360 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,389,397 GRT/7,539,178
DWT
foreign-owned: China 1, Germany 2, Hong Kong
8, Indonesia 2, Japan 2, South Korea 1, Liberia 1,
Monaco 1, Norway 1, Philippines 2, Singapore 81,
Vietnam 1
registered in other countries: 75 (2003 est.)
by type: bulk 59, cargo 100, chemical tanker
38, container 66, liquefied gas 25, livestock
carrier 1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 56, roll
on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 8 |
|
Airports:
|
117
(2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total:
37
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 7 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total:
80
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 72 (2003 est.) |
|
Heliports:
|
1 (2003
est.)
|
|
Military branches:
|
Malaysian
Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air
Force, Royal Malaysian Marine Police, Sarawak Border
Scouts |
|
Military manpower - military age:
|
21
years of age (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - availability:
|
males
age 15-49: 6,193,587 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military service:
|
males
age 15-49: 3,746,960 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching military age
annually:
|
males:
223,466 (2004 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$1.69
billion (FY00 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
2.03%
(FY00)
|
| Transnational
Issues |
Malaysia |
|
Disputes - international:
|
involved
in complex dispute with China, Philippines, Taiwan,
Vietnam and possibly Brunei over the Spratly
Islands; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct
of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased
tensions but falls short of a legally binding
"code of conduct" desired by several of
the disputants; disputes over deliveries of fresh
water to Singapore, Singapore's land reclamation,
bridge construction, maritime boundaries, and Pedra
Branca Island/Pulau Batu Putih persist - parties
agree to ICJ arbitration on island dispute within
three years; ICJ awarded Ligitan and Sipadan islands
off the coast of Sabah, also claimed by Indonesia
and Philippines, to Malaysia; a 1 kilometer segment
at the mouth of the Golok River remains in dispute
with Thailand; Philippines retains a now dormant
claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo
based on the Sultanate of Sulu's granting the
Philippines Government power of attorney to pursue
the Sultanate's sovereignty claim; in 2003 Brunei
and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in their
offshore and deepwater seabeds until negotiations
progress to an agreement over allocation of disputed
areas; Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around
Limbang is in dispute |
|
Illicit drugs:
|
transit
point for some illicit drugs; drug trafficking
prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
