st updated on 1 January 2002

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Malaysia

Introduction

Malaysia

Background: Malaysia was formed in 1963 through a merging of the former
British colonies of Malaya and Singapore, including the East Malaysian
states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo. 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
in 1965.

Geography Malaysia

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 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: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea exclusive
economic zone: 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% permanent crops: 18% other: 77% (1998 est.)

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

People Malaysia

Population: 22,662,365 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 34.1% (male 3,974,532; female 3,753,407)
15-6