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: 5.46%
permanent crops: 17.54%
other: 77% (2005)
Irrigated land:
3,650 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
580 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 9.02 cu km/yr (17%/21%/62%)
per capita: 356 cu m/yr (2000)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China
Sea
People ::Malaysia
Population:
25,715,819 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Age structure:
0-14 years: 31.4% (male 4,153,621/female 3,914,962)
15-64 years: 63.6% (male 8,210,373/female 8,143,043)
65 years and over: 5% (male 569,245/female 724,575) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 24.9 years
male: 24.3 years
female: 25.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.723% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
Birth rate:
22.24 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
Death rate:
5.02 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
Net migration rate:
NA
note: does not reflect net flow of an unknown number of illegal
immigrants from other countries in the region (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 70% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.87 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 124
male: 18.32 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.29 years
country comparison to the world: 108
male: 70.56 years
female: 76.21 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.95 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.5% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
80,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
3,900 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in
this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases
possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Malaysian(s)
adjective: Malaysian
Ethnic groups:
Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%, others 7.8%
(2004 est.)
Religions:
Muslim 60.4%, Buddhist 19.2%, Christian 9.1%, Hindu 6.3%,
Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions 2.6%,
other or unknown 1.5%, none 0.8% (2000 census)
Languages:
Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin,
Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi,
Thai
note: in East Malaysia there are several indigenous languages; most
widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 88.7%
male: 92%
female: 85.4% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 12 years
female: 13 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
6.2% of GDP (2004)
country comparison to the world: 37
Government ::Malaysia
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Malaysia
local long form: none
local short form: Malaysia
former: Federation of Malaya
Government type:
constitutional monarchy
note: nominally headed by paramount ruler (commonly referred to as
the King) and a bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected
upper house and an elected lower house; all Peninsular Malaysian
states have hereditary rulers (commonly referred to as sultans)
except Melaka and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with
Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by
government; powers of state governments are limited by federal
constitution; under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain
certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their
own immigration controls)
Capital:
name: Kuala Lumpur
geographic coordinates: 3 10 N, 101 42 E
time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: Putrajaya is referred to as administrative center not capital;
Parliament meets in Kuala Lumpur
Administrative divisions:
13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri) Johor, Kedah, Kelantan,
Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah,
Sarawak, Selangor, and Terengganu; and 1 federal territory (wilayah
persekutuan) with three components, city of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan,
and Putrajaya
Independence:
31 August 1957 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day/Malaysia Day, 31 August (1957)
Constitution:
31 August 1957; amended many times, the latest in 2007
Legal system:
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation;
Islamic law is applied to Muslims in matters of family law and
religion; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King - Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin (since 13 December
2006); (the position of the king is primarily ceremonial)
head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak
(since 3 April 2009); Deputy Prime Minister MUHYIDDIN bin Mohamed
Yassin (since 9 April 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the
members of Parliament with consent of the king
elections: kings are elected by and from the hereditary rulers of
nine of the states for five-year terms; election last held on 3
November 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister designated
from among the members of the House of Representatives; following
legislative elections, the leader who commands the support of the
majority of members in the House becomes prime minister (since
independence this has been the leader of the UMNO party)
election results: Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin elected king; in
practice, selection is based on principle of rotation among rulers
of states
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of Senate or Dewan Negara
(70 seats; 44 appointed by the king, 26 elected by 13 state
legislatures; serve three-year terms with limit of two terms) and
House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (222 seats; members elected
by popular vote; serve up to five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held on 8 March 2008
(next to be held by June 2013)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - BN
coalition 50.3%, opposition parties 46.8%, others 2.9%; seats - BN
coalition 140, opposition parties 82
Judicial branch:
Civil Courts include Federal Court, Court of Appeal, High Court of
Malaya on peninsula Malaysia, and High Court of Sabah and Sarawak in
states of Borneo (judges are appointed by the king on the advice of
the prime minister); Sharia Courts include Sharia Appeal Court,
Sharia High Court, and Sharia Subordinate Courts at state-level and
deal with religious and family matters such as custody, divorce, and
inheritance only for Muslims; decisions of Sharia courts cannot be
appealed to civil courts
Political parties and leaders:
National Front (Barisan Nasional) or BN (ruling coalition) consists
of the following parties: Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party or PGRM [KOH
Tsu Koon]; Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal Demokratik -
Sabah) or LDP [LIEW Vui Keong]; Malaysian Chinese Association
(Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [ONG Tee Keat]; Malaysian Indian
Congress (Kongres India Malaysia) or MIC [S. Samy VELLU]; Parti
Bersatu Rakyat Sabah or PBRS [Joseph KURUP]; Parti Bersatu Sabah or
PBS [Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan]; Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu or PBB
[Abdul TAIB Mahmud]; Parti Rakyat Sarawak or PRS [James MASING];
Sarawak United People's Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak) or SUPP
[George CHAN Hong Nam]; United Malays National Organization or UMNO
[NAJIB bin Abdul Razak]; United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut
Organization (Pertubuhan Pasko Momogun Kadazan Dusun Bersatu) or
UPKO [Bernard DOMPOK]; People's Progressive Party (Parti Progresif
Penduduk Malaysia) or PPP [M.Kayveas]; Sarawak Progressive
Democratic Party or SPDP [William MAWAN])
People's Alliance (Pakatan Rakyat) or PR (opposition coalition)
consists of the following parties: Democratic Action Party (Parti
Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP [KARPAL Singh]; Islamic Party of
Malaysia (Parti Islam se Malaysia) or PAS [Abdul HADI Awang];
People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) or PKR [WAN AZIZAH
Wan Ismail]; Sarawak National Party or SNAP [Edwin DUNDANG]
independent party: Sabah Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Saban)
or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Bar Council BERSIH (electoral reform coalition); PEMBELA (Muslim NGO
coalition)
other: religious groups; women's groups; youth groups
International organization participation:
ADB, APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, EAS, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO,
MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador JAMALUDDIN Jarjis
chancery: 3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 572-9700
FAX: [1] (202) 572-9882
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James R. KEITH
embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur
mailing address: US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96535-8152
telephone: [60] (3) 2168-5000
FAX: [60] (3) 2142-2207
Flag description:
14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white
(bottom); there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow 14-pointed star; the crescent
and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based
on the flag of the US
Economy ::Malaysia
Economy - overview:
Malaysia, a middle-income country, has transformed itself since the
1970s from a producer of raw materials into an emerging multi-sector
economy. After coming to office in 2003, former Prime Minister
ABDULLAH tried to move the economy farther up the value-added
production chain by attracting investments in high technology
industries, medical technology, and pharmaceuticals. The Government
of Malaysia is continuing efforts to boost domestic demand to wean
the economy off of its dependence on exports. Nevertheless, exports
- particularly of electronics - remain a significant driver of the
economy. As an oil and gas exporter, Malaysia has profited from
higher world energy prices, although the rising cost of domestic
gasoline and diesel fuel forced Kuala Lumpur to reduce government
subsidies. Malaysia "unpegged" the ringgit from the US dollar in
2005 and the currency appreciated 6% per year against the dollar in
2006-08. Although this has helped to hold down the price of imports,
inflationary pressures began to build in 2007 - in 2008 inflation
stood at nearly 6%, year-over-year. The government presented its
five-year national development agenda in April 2006 through the
Ninth Malaysia Plan, a comprehensive blueprint for the allocation of
the national budget from 2006-10. ABDULLAH unveiled a series of
ambitious development schemes for several regions that have had
trouble attracting business investment. Real GDP growth averaged
about 6% per year under ABDULLAH, but regions outside of Kuala
Lumpur and the manufacturing hub Penang did not fare as well. The
central bank maintains healthy foreign exchange reserves and the
regulatory regime has limited Malaysia's exposure to riskier
financial instruments and the global financial crisis. Decreasing
worldwide demand for consumer goods is expected to hurt economic
growth in 2009 and beyond, however.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$385.2 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
$368.3 billion (2007 est.)
$346.8 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$221.6 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.6% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
6.2% (2007 est.)
5.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$15,200 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
$14,800 (2007 est.)
$14,200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10.1%
industry: 43.7%
services: 46.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
11.09 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 13%
industry: 36%
services: 51% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3.3% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
3.2% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
5.1% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 28.5% (2004 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
46.1 (2002)
country comparison to the world: 38
49.2 (1997)
Investment (gross fixed):
19.7% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
Budget:
revenues: $48.49 billion
expenditures: $58.85 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
40% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
45.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.4% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
2% (2007 est.)
note: approximately 30% of goods are price-controlled
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
6.08% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 127
6.41% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$51.51 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 22
$49.41 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$200.9 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 14
$187.6 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$246.7 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 28
$220 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$187.1 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 29
$325.7 billion (31 December 2007)
$235.4 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
Peninsular Malaysia - rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice; Sabah -
subsistence crops, rubber, timber, coconuts, rice; Sarawak - rubber,
pepper, timber
Industries:
Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and
manufacturing, light manufacturing, electronics, tin mining and
smelting, logging, timber processing; Sabah - logging, petroleum
production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum production
and refining, logging
Industrial production growth rate:
1% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
Electricity - production:
103.2 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
Electricity - consumption:
99.25 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
Electricity - exports:
2.268 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
727,200 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
Oil - consumption:
547,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
Oil - exports:
511,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
Oil - imports:
314,600 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
Oil - proved reserves:
4 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
Natural gas - production:
57.3 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
Natural gas - consumption:
26.27 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
Natural gas - exports:
31.03 billion cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 9
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.35 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
Current account balance:
$33.76 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
$28.93 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$198.7 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
$176.4 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood and
wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles, chemicals
Exports - partners:
Singapore 14.7%, US 12.5%, Japan 10.8%, China 9.5%, Thailand 4.8%,
Hong Kong 4.3% (2008)
Imports:
$154.7 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
$139.1 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles, iron
and steel products, chemicals
Imports - partners:
China 12.8%, Japan 12.5%, Singapore 11%, US 10.8%, Thailand 5.6%,
South Korea 4.6%, Indonesia 4.6%, Germany 4.3% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$91.21 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
$101.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$75.33 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 42
$62.33 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$83.35 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
$76.75 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$71.2 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
$58.18 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
ringgits (MYR) per US dollar - 3.33 (2008 est.), 3.46 (2007), 3.6683
(2006), 3.8 (2005), 3.8 (2004)
Communications ::Malaysia
Telephones - main lines in use:
4.292 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 36
Telephones - mobile cellular:
27.125 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 31
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system; international service excellent
domestic: good intercity service provided on Peninsular Malaysia
mainly by microwave radio relay; adequate intercity microwave radio
relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; domestic
satellite system with 2 earth stations; combined fixed-line and
mobile cellular teledensity 125 per 100 persons
international: country code - 60; landing point for several major
international submarine cable networks that provide connectivity to
Asia, Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 35, FM 391, shortwave 15 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
88 (mainland Malaysia 51, Sabah 16, and Sarawak 21) (2006)
Internet country code:
.my
Internet hosts:
362,968 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 53
Internet users:
16.903 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 22
Transportation ::Malaysia
Airports:
118 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 51
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 38
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 7 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 80
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 73 (2009)
Heliports:
2 (2009)
Pipelines:
condensate 3 km; gas 1,965 km; oil 31 km; refined products 114 km
(2008)
Railways:
total: 1,849 km
country comparison to the world: 75
standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,792 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 98,721 km
country comparison to the world: 42
paved: 80,280 km (includes 1,821 km of expressways)
unpaved: 18,441 km (2004)
Waterways:
7,200 km
country comparison to the world: 20
note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km; Sabah 1,500 km; Sarawak 2,500 km
(2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 306
country comparison to the world: 30
by type: bulk carrier 12, cargo 97, carrier 1, chemical tanker 34,
container 46, liquefied gas 33, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker
71, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 4
foreign-owned: 40 (Germany 1, Hong Kong 14, Japan 4, Russia 2,
Singapore 16, Sweden 3)
registered in other countries: 68 (Bahamas 13, Marshall Islands 3,
Norway 1, Panama 12, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1,
Singapore 27, Thailand 3, Tuvalu 1, US 2, unknown 4) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Bintulu, Johor Bahru, Kuantan, Labuan, George Town (Penang), Port
Kelang, Tanjung Pelepas
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and
offshore waters in the Strait of Malacca and South China Sea as high
risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial
vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while
underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to
ports in East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast adrift;
increased naval patrols in 2009 resulted in significantly reduced
numbers of incidents
Military ::Malaysia
Military branches:
Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, ATM): Malaysian
Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia), Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut
Diraja Malaysia, TLDM), Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara
Diraja Malaysia, TUDM) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,440,338
females age 16-49: 6,280,826 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,493,946
females age 16-49: 5,409,524 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 266,267
female: 252,543 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.03% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
Transnational Issues ::Malaysia
Disputes - international: