tion,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Whaling; signed, but not ratified -
Desertification, Law of the Sea

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

People
------

Population: 19,962,893 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (male 3,684,510; female 3,483,893)
15-64 years: 60% (male 5,996,369; female 6,017,327)
65 years and over: 4% (male 342,742; female 438,052) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.07% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 26.2 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.49 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.01 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.75 years
male: 66.82 years
female: 72.89 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.27 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Malaysian(s)
adjective: Malaysian

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

Religions:
Peninsular Malaysia: Muslim (Malays), Buddhist (Chinese), Hindu
(Indians)
Sabah: Muslim 38%, Christian 17%, other 45%
Sarawak: tribal religion 35%, Buddhist and Confucianist 24%, Muslim
20%, Christian 16%, other 5%

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

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 83.5%
male: 89.1%
female: 78.1%

Government
----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Malaysia
former: Malayan Union

Data code: MY

Type of government: constitutional monarchy
note: Federation of Malaysia formed 9 July 1963; nominally headed by
the paramount ruler (king) and a bicameral Parliament; Peninsular
Malaysian states - hereditary rulers in all but Melaka, where
governors are appointed by Malaysian Pulau Pinang Government; powers
of state governments are limited by federal