ruary, 2005

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@Malaysia

Introduction Malaysia

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.

Geography Malaysia

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, Climat