| Introduction | Malaysia |
| Background: | During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. 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 from the Federation in 1965. |
| Geography | Malaysia |
| 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 |
| Geographic coordinates: | 2 30 N, 112 30 E |
| Map references: | Southeast Asia |
| Area: | total: 329,750 sq km land: 328,550 sq km water: 1,200 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: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea |
| 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: 5.48% permanent crops: 17.61% other: 76.91% (2001) |
| 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, 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 |
| Geography - note: | strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea |
