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MALAYSIA |
| AREA | 329,749 sq km (127,317 sq mi) |
| POPULATION | 19,944,000 |
| CAPITAL | Kuala Lumpur, pop. 1,145,100 |
| RELIGION | Muslim, Buddhist |
| LANGUAGE | Malay, English, many other languages |
| LITERACY | 84% |
| LIFE EXPECTANCY | 71 years |
| ECONOMY | Industry: tin mining, electronics, textiles, chemicals, transportation equipment, petroleum. Export crops: rubber, palm oil, timber, cacao. Food crops: rice, cassava, fish, corn, sweet potatoes |
| PCI | $3,160 |
| Malaysia
comprises of Peninsula Malaysia where the capital city of Kuala Lumpur
and the tropical island resorts of Penang and Langkawi are located; and
the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak. Malaysia is a diverse tropical
country, always enjoying warm and sunny weather; and is a land of many
fascinations. Tiny kampongs, fine hotels, jungle filled tropical valleys
and cool mountain tea plantations, quiet white sandy beaches and busy cities
with some of the finest shopping in Asia, all these are part of Malaysia
magic.
The people of Malaysia is just as diverse, with Islamic and Buddhist influences as well as English, Portuguese and Dutch. Modern road and air systems makes the entire country easily accessible. Hill resorts in Genting Highlands, Cameron Highlands and Fraser's Hill are also popular holiday destinations for both the locals and overseas tourists. In the mid-19th century the United Kingdom began importing Chinese to work the tin mines of Muslim sultanates on the Malay Peninsula; by the turn of the century new rubber plantations employed transported Indian laborers. In 1957 the Federation of Malaya gained independence from the U.K. Six years later the colonies of Sarawak and Sabah, on the island of Borneo, and Singapore joined Malaya to form the Federation of Malaysia; Singapore withdrew in 1965. Thanks to a skilled workforce and modern telecommunications, Malaysia is booming. Cheap labor has created a center for the assembly of foreign-produced semiconductors. Six national parks and recent restrictions on logging help conserve rain forests exploited by foreign companies. |
