which composed East Malaysia. The first three years of
independence were marred by hostilities with Indonesia. Singapore
separated from the union in 1965.

Malaysia Geography

Location: Southeastern Asia, peninsula and northern one-third of the
island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia 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

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

Coastline: 4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia
2,607 km)

Maritime claims: 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

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: 3%

permanent crops: 12%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 68%

other: 17% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 2,941 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: flooding, landslides

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, 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

Geography - note: strategic location along Strait of Malacca and
southern South China Sea

Malaysia People

Population: 22,229,040 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 34.5% (male 3,943,324; female 3,724,634)

15-64 years: 61.35% (male 6,828,670; female 6,808,623)

65 years and over: 4.15% (male 404,042; female 519,747) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.96% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 24.75 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)