Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782,
Thailand 506 km

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

Maritime claims:

Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation,
specified boundary in the South China Sea;

Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;

Extended economic zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Disputes: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with
China, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; state of Sabah claimed by the
Philippines; Brunei may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides
Brunei into two parts

Climate: tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast
(October to February) monsoons

Terrain: coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Natural resources: tin, crude oil, timber, copper, iron ore,
natural gas, bauxite

Land use: 3% arable land; 10% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and
pastures; 63% forest and woodland; 24% other; includes 1% irrigated

Environment: subject to flooding; air and water pollution

Note: strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern
South China Sea

- People
Population: 17,510,546 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)

Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 30 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 71 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Malaysian(s); adjective--Malaysian

Ethnic divisions: 59% Malay and other indigenous, 32% Chinese, 9% Indian

Religion: Peninsular Malaysia--Malays nearly all Muslim, Chinese
predominantly Buddhists, Indians predominantly Hindu; Sabah--38% Muslim,
17% Christian, 45% other; Sarawak--35% tribal religion, 24% Buddhist and
Confucianist, 20% Muslim, 16% Christian, 5% other

Language: Peninsular Malaysia--Malay (official); English, Chinese
dialects, Tamil; Sabah--English, Malay, numerous tribal dialects, Mandarin and
Hakka dialects predominate among Chinese; Sarawak--English, Malay, Mandarin,
numerous tribal languages

Literacy: 65.0% overall, age 20 and up; Peninsular Malaysia--80%;
Sabah--60%; Sarawak--60%

Labor force: 6,800,000; 30.8% agriculture, 17% manufacturing,
13.6% government, 5.8% construction, 4.3% finance, 3.4% business services,
transport and communications, 0.6% mining, 24.5% other (1989 est.)