Malaysia

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Malaysia's Information


Capital	Kuala Lumpur
Languages	Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai
Ethnic Groups	Malay 50.1%, Chinese 22.6%, indigenous 11.8%, Indian 6.7%, other 0.7%, non-citizens 8.2% (2010 est.)
Religion	Muslim (official) 61.3%, Buddhist 19.8%, Christian 9.2%, Hindu 6.3%, Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions 1.3%, other 0.4%, none 0.8%, unspecified 1% (2010 est.)
Government	Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Independance	31 August 1957 (from the UK)
Area	329,847.00 km²
Water Area	1,190.00 km²
Land Area	328,657.00 km²
Population	30,949,962.00 A highly uneven distribution with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsula
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
No. Bordering Countries	3
Bordering Countries	Brunei 266 km, Indonesia 1,881 km, Thailand 595 km
GDP(PPP)	$863,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$27,200.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Singapore, China, and Japan.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are semiconductors, electronic equipment, and palm oil.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are China, Singapore, and the United States.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include electronics, machinery, petroleum products, and plastics.
Climate	Tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons
Terrain	Coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Where is Malaysia?

Located in Southeastern Asia, Malaysia has a 2,742.00 km border with Brunei (266 km), Indonesia (1,881 km) and Thailand (595 km). It has a 4,675.00 km coastline. The 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea has eased tensions over the Spratly Islands, although it is not legally binding.

Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia. It is the largest and most populated Malaysian city. It is a metropolitan city endowed with numerous monuments and parks. The only global city in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur greatly contributes to the general economic system of the country. The city also boasts diverse cultures from neighboring countries such as India and China.

Geography

Malaysia has a mean elevation of 419 m above sea level.

It has a tropical climate with monsoons in the northeast from November to March and in the southwest from June to August. Its terrain consists of coastal plains rising to hills and mountains.

Population

Malaysia has a population of 30,949,962 making it the 41st largest in the world. 80% of the population can be found on the Malay Peninsula.

Bahasa Malaysia is the official language of the country; English and Chinese dialects are also widely spoken. The major ethnic groups reported are Malay, Chinese, and Indigenous. The majority of the population is Muslim, with large Buddhist, Christian, and Hindu minorities.

The language spoken in Malaysian is the Malay language. It is spoken by over 20 million Malaysians. It is not only the official language in Malaysia but also in Brunei, Indonesia, and Singapore. In Malaysia, the Malay language is referred to as Bahasa Malaysia while in Singapore and Brunei, it is known as Bahasa Melayu. Indonesians identify the language as Bahasa Indonesia.

Government

Malaysia is an independent country. It gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. Its constitution was last ratified in 1957.

Malaysia is a federal government which was formed in 1963. The country comprises of 13 states. Like any other democratic state, Malaysia comprises of 3 arms of government. It has a bicameral parliament which is made up of senators and members of parliament who are elected democratically.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Malaysia's GDP is $863,000,000,000.00 (USD) with $27,200.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 28th largest economy and its citizens the 67th richest in the world. The currency of Malaysia is the Ringgit (MYR).

Its major export partners are Singapore, China, and Japan. Its main exports are semiconductors, electronic equipment, and palm oil. Its major import partners are China, Singapore, and the United States. Its major imports include electronics, machinery, petroleum products, and plastics.

Flag

The Malaysian flag was officially adopted on May 26, 1950. At the time of adoption, the flag featured an 11-point star with a crescent and 14 stripes. On September 16, 1963 the current flag with a 14-point star and 14 stripes was adopted. The flag was designed by an architect by the name of Mohamad Hamzah. The 14 stripes represent equality among the 13 member states and the Federal government. The crescent is a representation of Islam which is the national religion. The yellow color symbolizes royalty while the blue canton represents the harmony of the people of Malaysia.