Travelling Club - Malaysia

Fact Sheet: 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
• Area: total: 329,750 sq km
• Climate: tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons
• Terrain: coastal plains rising to hills and mountains
• Natural hazards: flooding, landslides, forest fires
• Population: 24,385,858 (July 2006 est.)
• Ethnic groups: Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, Indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%, others 7.8% (2004 est.)
• Religions: Muslim, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh; note - in addition, Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia
• Languages: Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai
• Government type: constitutional monarchy
• Capital: name: Kuala Lumpur
• Currency code: ringgit (MYR)
• Exchange rates: ringgits per US dollar - 3.8 (2005), 3.8 (2004), 3.8 (2003), 3.8 (2002), 3.8 (2001)
• Internet country code: .my
• Airports: 117 (2006)