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Geography
Malaysia, located in Southeast Asia, consists of the Malaysian Peninsula and the States of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo. (Borneo is shared with Brunei and Indonesia). The Peninsula is bordered by Thailand in the north; the island of Singapore lies to the south. Singapore is linked to Johor, in Malaysia , by a causeway.
Kuala Lumpur, known as KL, is the capital of Malaysia .
Much of Malaysia is still heavily forested, despite its major timber industry. A mountain range running down the centre of the peninsula divides east from west. The rubber plantations which make Malaysia the world's largest rubber producer cover much of the coastal plains and hills of the west.
The climate is hot and humid, although it is cooler in the highlands.
Environment
The jungles of Malaysia are said to be the oldest in the world. They cover more than two thirds of the country and play a vital role in both its economic life and its climate.
The forests stretch from the mangrove swamps of the west coast, through freshwater swamps to lowland hardwood forests, heath forests and mountain forest. There are believed to be around 8,500 species of flowering plants and ferns and 2,500 species of trees, in Malaysia 's forests.
Around 450 species of birds are native to Malaysia and many migrating species winter there. Among the most famous are the hornbills, native to Sarawak . Other species of birds include egrets, herons, kingfishers, kites, mynahs, and pheasants.
One of the world's most endangered animals is also unique to this part of the world - the orang utan, found only in Sumatra and Borneo, is the only great ape living naturally outside Africa .
Other animal species of Malaysia include bears, crocodiles, elephants, leopards, monkeys, panthers and rhinoceroses. Borneo has over 160 species of snakes, including the venomous cobras, kraits and sea-snakes. All seven known species of turtles, including the giant leatherback, lay their eggs on Malaysia 's beaches.
Malaysia is a major world exporter of timber. In recent years concern has grown about the rate of timber extraction. New forest management policies are being implemented to ensure the preservation of the forests. River pollution has also been the subject of recent control measures.
A system of National Parks has been established to help preserve the country's flora and fauna and their habitats. Gunung Mulu National Park and Kinabalu Park are World Heritage sites. Malaysia 's marine environment is also in need of protection. Coral reefs and other fragile marine ecosystems are protected by the system of designated Marine Parks.
Architecture
The best known traditional architectural style of Malaysia is the long-house, found particularly along the rivers of Sarawak . Families live together (though they have their own private space) in one long building, raised on stilts, sharing the open verandah which runs the whole length of the building.
Also raised on stilts are the wooden houses of the other parts of rural Malaysia . These stilt-houses are around two metres off the ground to protect against floods and wild animals, while providing extra ventilation and also shelter for the family's domestic animals. The style of the houses varies from region to region, the most famous being the saddle-shaped roofs which rise up into what are known as "buffalo horns".
A third style of home common in Malaysia is the Chinese "shop-house" where the ground floor is a shop, with the family living above.
European colonial style buildings can be found in every major town, especially on the west coast. Most are British in origin but some Dutch and Portuguese architecture remains. Malaysia's religious diversity shows in its architecture. Mosques and minarets show the Islamic heritage in one particularly famous mosque, now more than two hundred years old and built in hardwood, without the use of nails, by craftsmen from Java. There are also many Buddhist and Hindu temples, some of them built in Malaysia 's limestone caves.
The increasing wealth of the country is seen in the many modern buildings, in dramatic styles, going up in the major cities. Perhaps the most outstanding are the twin Petronas towers, among the tallest buildings in the world.
Population
The population of Malaysia was estimated at 24,821,286 in 2007.
Languages
The language of Malaysia is Bahasa Melayu. Chinese dialects and Tamil are spoken by the respective ethnic groups. English is the language of business.
Religion
Malaysia 's multicultural society is reflected in its religious communities: Buddhists/Taoists/Confucianists, Hindus, Muslims, a minority of Sikhs and some Christians. The aborigines retain their Animist religion, believing that there is a spirit in everything.
Food
Rice is the staple food in Malaysian cuisine. It is often eaten at breakfast with coconut milk, anchovies and boiled egg. Noodles are also popular.
Malaysian recipes often include coconut, shrimp paste, satay, fish or meat. Nonya food is a combination of Chinese ingredients with Malaysian herbs and spices.
The regional variations of Chinese cooking are available, as well as the food of the other ethnic and religious groups.
In Malaysia a popular way of eating is to buy food from the hawker stalls in the street which offer a wide variety of different foods.
Fresh fruits include durian, mangoes, jack fruit, star fruit, papaya, pineapple and pomelo.
History
Stone age remains provide evidence that Malaysia was inhabited by early man.
The peninsula of Malaysia, like Singapore, was important historically as a meeting place for traders between China and India . Remains of a Hindu-Buddhist civilization in Kedah date back to 300 AD. (It is thought that the founder of Malacca may have been a descendant of Alexander the Great).
Islam was brought to the area by Arab and Indian traders in the thirteenth century.
Europeans came to the area to trade for spices, silks, and silver. The Portuguese were the first to arrive followed by the Dutch then the British.
In 1819 Sir Stamford Raffles established a British post in Singapore and in 1824 the British acquired Malacca from the Dutch. Two years later, Malacca joined with Penang and Singapore to form the Straits Settlements .
During the Second World War, from 1941, the Japanese occupied the area.
Malaya became independent in 1957 and in 1963 the Federation of Malaysia consisting of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak was formed. Singapore left the Federation in 1965.
In 1967, ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) - an economic cooperative - came into existence. Members were Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam and Vietnam .
Economy
Malaysia 's first involvement in the modern world economy came with the establishment of the rubber plantations which made the country the world's largest rubber producer. The oil palm is another introduction which has become an important contributor to the economy.
Malaysia 's forest resources have made the country a major timber exporter. Agriculture remains an important sector of the economy with rice, coconuts, pepper and cocoa among the significant crops.
Before the establishment of the rubber plantations, tin was Malaysia 's most important resource. Copper and iron are also mined in significant amounts. Commercial exploitation of the oil resources began in the early years of this century. Oil and gas resources are controlled by Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas).
Manufacturing has grown in importance. Among goods produced are electronic products and processed food.
1985 saw the creation of Proton, Malaysia's national car company. In 1996 Proton bought Lotus, the British car manufacturer. Proton's market is mainly concentrated in Asia but the UK has become a focus for sales.
Between 1986 and 1996 annual economic growth rates in Malaysia were over eight percent. Foreign investment was made in South Africa and European companies.
During the 1990s substantial investments were made in the transport and communications infrastructure. The railway system now links all the major towns. Two major highways have been completed: the West Coast's North-South Expressway and the East-West highway. There is a good network of internal air flights, while the islands and coastal towns are linked by hydrofoils and ferries.
The government's 2020-plan sees a fully industrialized Malaysia . The need to balance industrialization with the needs of the rainforests and the environment is accepted.
Tourism is an increasingly important contributor to the economy, with over millions of visitors from overseas every year. The rich environment of the rainforest is an attraction for the growing ecotourism market. (2007)
Arts
The arts of Malaysia draw upon the separate traditions of its many peoples.
Chinese and classical Indian dance are among the activities whose origins lie outside Malaysia . The indigenous Malay culture has its own style of dance and theatre, including the makyung, which combines dance, opera and drama.
Woodcarving, silver-smithing and weaving are all important local crafts. Batik, a technique which uses wax patterns on cloth to achieve multiple layers of colour dying is also popular. Kain songket is a special cloth, once made only for Malaysia 's royalty, in which silver and gold threads are interwoven with silk to produce a rich brocade.
Sport
The traditional sports of Malaysia include sepak takraw, a ball game in which a ball made of rattan has to be kept in the air using any part of the body except the hands. Seni Silat, the Malaysian form of martial arts, is another traditional sporting activity.
Football and golf are popular in Malaysia and motor sports also have a large following. With such a long coastline Malaysia offers wonderful facilities for sailing, scuba-diving and other water sports.
Holidays
The religious festivals of Malaysia's many ethnic and religious groups are celebrated: the Chinese New Year; Deepavali - the Festival of Lights; Wesak Day remembering the death and Enlightenment of Buddha; Islamic Holy days and the Christian holidays of Good Friday and Christmas Day
Malaysia's National Day is celebrated on 31st August. In September there is a festival of Malaysian food, arts and culture in Kuala Lumpur.
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