Country

The Federation of Malaysia comprises Peninsular Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo.


Geographical Location

Located between 2º and 7º north of the Equator, Peninsular Malaysia is separated from the states of Sabah and Sarawak by the South China Sea. To the north of Peninsular Malaysia is Thailand while its southern neighbour is Singapore. Sabah and Sarawak are bounded by Indonesia while Sarawak also shares a border with Brunei.
[ Map of Malaysia ]


Area

329,758 sq km


Population

25 million


Capital

Kuala Lumpur

People

Malays who make up about 57% of the population are the predominant group with Chinese, Indians and other ethnic groups making up the rest.


Language

Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is the national language but English is widely spoken. The ethnic groups also speak various languages and dialects.


Religion

Islam in the official religion but all other religions are freely practised.


Government

Parliamentary democracy with a bicameral legislative system. The Head of State is the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong and the Head of Government is the Prime Minister.


Climate

Tropical climate with warm weather all year round. Temperatures range from 21ºC (70ºF) to 32ºC (90ºF). Annual rainfall varies from 2,000mm to 2,500mm.


Electricity

Electricity in Malaysia is 240Volts, 50Hz


Economic Profile

Manufacturing constitutes the largest single component of Malaysia's economy. Tourism and primary commodities such as petroleum, palm oil, natural rubber and timber are other major contributors to the economy.

Extracted from Tourism Malaysia website (http://www.tourism.gov.my/corp/about/default.asp)