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3 definitions found
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Malaysia \Malaysia\ prop. n.
A country in Southeast Asia including the former nation of
Malaya on the Malay Peninsula, and part of Borneo; sometimes
still referred to as {Malaya}.
[WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
Malaysia
n : a constitutional monarchy in southeastern Asia on Borneo and
the Malay Peninsula; achieved independence from the
United Kingdom in 1957 [syn: {Malaya}]
From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:
Malaysia
Introduction Malaysia
---------------------
Background: Malaysia was formed in 1963 through
a merging of the former British
colonies of Malaya and Singapore,
including the East Malaysian states
of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern
coast of Borneo. 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
in 1965.
Geography Malaysia
------------------
Location: Southeastern Asia, peninsula and
northern one-third of the island of
Borneo, bordering Indonesia 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
water: 1,200 sq km
land: 328,550 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: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to
the depth of exploitation; specified
boundary in the South China Sea
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
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%
permanent crops: 17.61%
other: 76.85% (1998 est.)
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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Marine Life Conservation,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: strategic location along Strait of
Malacca and southern South China Sea
People Malaysia
---------------
Population: 22,662,365 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 34.1% (male 3,974,532;
female 3,753,407)
15-64 years: 61.6% (male 6,995,451;
female 6,969,435)
65 years and over: 4.3% (male
424,776; female 544,764) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.91% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 24.22 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 5.16 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: does not reflect net flow of
an unknown number of illegal
immigrants from other countries in
the region (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 19.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.39 years
female: 74.21 years (2002 est.)
male: 68.75 years
Total fertility rate: 3.18 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.42% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 49,000 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,900 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Malaysian(s)
adjective: Malaysian
Ethnic groups: Malay and other indigenous 58%,
Chinese 24%, Indian 8%, others 10%
(2000)
Religions: Muslim, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu,
Christian, Sikh; note - in addition,
Shamanism is practiced in East
Malaysia
Languages: Bahasa Melayu (official), English,
Chinese dialects (Cantonese,
Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan,
Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam,
Panjabi, Thai; note - in addition,
in East Malaysia several indigenous
languages are spoken, the largest of
which are Iban and Kadazan
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 83.5%
male: 89.1%
female: 78.1% (1995 est.)
Government Malaysia
-------------------
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Malaysia
former: Federation of Malaysia
Government type: constitutional monarchy
note: Malaya (what is now Peninsular
Malaysia) formed 31 August 1957;
Federation of Malaysia (Malaya,
Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore)
formed 9 July 1963 (Singapore left
the federation on 9 August 1965);
nominally headed by the paramount
ruler and a bicameral Parliament
consisting of a nonelected upper
house and an elected lower house;
Peninsular Malaysian states -
hereditary rulers in all but Melaka,
Penang, Sabah, and Sarawak, where
governors are appointed by the
Malaysian Government; powers of
state governments are limited by the
federal constitution; under terms of
the federation, Sabah and Sarawak
retain certain constitutional
prerogatives (e.g., the right to
maintain their own immigration
controls); Sabah - holds 20 seats in
House of Representatives, with
foreign affairs, defense, internal
security, and other powers delegated
to federal government; Sarawak -
holds 28 seats in House of
Representatives, with foreign
affairs, defense, internal security,
and other powers delegated to
federal government
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Administrative divisions: 13 states (negeri-negeri, singular -
negeri) and 2 federal territories*
(wilayah-wilayah persekutuan,
singular - wilayah persekutuan);
Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Labuan*,
Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang,
Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah,
Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu,
Wilayah Persekutuan*
note: the city of Kuala Lumpur is
located within the federal territory
of Wilayah Persekutuan; the terms
therefore are not interchangeable;
there is a new federal territory
named Putrajaya, but this change has
not yet been approved by the US
Board on Geographic Names (BGN)
Independence: 31 August 1957 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day/Malaysia Day, 31
August (1957)
Constitution: 31 August 1957, amended 16 September
1963
Legal system: based on English common law;
judicial review of legislative acts
in the Supreme Court at request of
supreme head of the federation; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Paramount Ruler
Tuanku SYED SIRAJUDDIN ibni Almarhum
Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail, the
Raja of Perlis (since 12 December
2001); replaced Paramount Ruler
Sultan TUNKU SALAHUDDIN Abdul Aziz
Shah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan
Hissammuddin Alam Shah who died in
office 21 November 2001
head of government: Prime Minister
MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (since 16 July
1981); Deputy Prime Minister
ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi (since 8
January 1999)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the
prime minister from among the
members of Parliament with consent
of the paramount ruler
election results: Tuanku SYED
SIRAJUDDIN ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed
Putra Jamalullail elected paramount
ruler following the death of TUNKU
SALAHUDDIN Abdul Aziz Shah Ibni Al-
Marhum Sultan Hisammuddin Alam Shah
elections: paramount ruler elected
by and from the hereditary rulers of
nine of the states for five-year
terms; election last held 12
December 2001 (next to be held NA
2006); prime minister designated
from among the members of the House
of Representatives; following
legislative elections, the leader of
the party that wins a plurality of
seats in the House of
Representatives becomes prime
minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlimen
consists of the Senate or Dewan
Negara (69 seats; 43 appointed by
the paramount ruler, 26 appointed by
the state legislatures) and the
House of Representatives or Dewan
Rakyat (193 seats; members elected
by popular vote weighted toward the
rural Malay population to serve
five-year terms)
election results: House of
Representatives - percent of vote by
party - NF 56%, other 44%; seats by
party - NF 148, PAS 27, DAP 10, NJP
5, PBS 3
elections: House of Representatives
- last held 29 November 1999 (next
must be held by 20 December 2004)
Judicial branch: Federal Court (judges appointed by
the paramount ruler on the advice of
the prime minister)
Political parties and leaders: Alternative Coalition or Barisan
Alternatif-BA (includes the
following parties: Party Islam Se-
Malaysia or PAS [FADZIL Mohamad
Noor], National Justice Party or NJP
[WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismail], and
Malaysian People's Party or PRM
[SYED HUSIN]); National Front or NF
(ruling coalition dominated by the
United Malays National Organization
or UMNO [MAHATHIR bin Mohamad],
includes the following parties:
Malaysian Indian Congress or MIC [S.
Samy VELLU], Malaysian Chinese
Association or MCA [LING Liong Sik],
Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia or Gerakan
[LIM Keng Yaik], Parti Pesaka
Bumiputra Bersatu or PBB [Patinggi
Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud], Parti
Angkatan Keadilan Rakyat Bersatu or
Akar [PANDIKAR Amin Mulia], Parti
Bangsa Dayak Sarawak or PBDS [Leo
MOGGIE], Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS
[Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan], Sabah
United People's Party or SUPP
[Jeffrey KITINGAN], Liberal
Democratic Party or LDP [CHONG Kah
Kiat], Sabah Progressive Party or
SAPP [YONG Teck Lee], People's
Progressive Party or PPP [M.
KAYVEAS], Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah
or PBRS [Joseph KURUP], Sarawak
National Party or SNAP [Amar James
WONG], Parti Demokratik Sabah or PDS
[leader NA], and United Pasok
Momogun Kadazan Organization or UPKO
(state level only) [Bernard
DOMPOK]); Parti Bersekutu [HARRIS
Salleh]; State Reform Party of
Sarawak or STAR [PATAU Rubis];
Democratic Action Party or DAP [LIM
Kit Siang]
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CCC,
participation: CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU,
MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN,
UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK,
UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
GHAZZALI bin Sheikh Abdul Khalid
chancery: 2401 Massachusetts Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 483-7661
telephone: [1] (202) 328-2700
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Marie
US: T. HUHTALA
embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400
Kuala Lumpur
mailing address: P. O. Box No.
10035, 50700 Kuala Lumpur; American
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 fourteen-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,
transformed itself from 1971 through
the late 1990s from a producer of
raw materials into an emerging
multi-sector economy. Growth is
almost exclusively driven by exports
- particularly of electronics - and,
as a result Malaysia was hard hit by
the global economic downturn and the
slump in the Information Technology
(IT) sector in 2001. GDP in 2001
grew only 0.3% due to an estimated
11% contraction in exports, but a
substantial fiscal stimulus package
has mitigated the worst of the
recession and the economy is
expected to grow by 2% to 3% in 2002
as the world economy rebounds. Kuala
Lumpur's healthy foreign exchange
reserves and relatively small
external debt make it unlikely that
Malaysia will experience a crisis
similar to the crisis of 1997, but
the economy remains vulnerable to a
more protracted downturn in the US
and Japan, top export destinations
and key sources of foreign
investment.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $200
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0.3% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $9,000
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12%
industry: 40%
services: 48% (2001)
Population below poverty line: 8% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 1.7%
percentage share: highest 10%: 38.4% (1997 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini 49.2 (1997)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 9.9 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: local trade and tourism 28%,
manufacturing 27%, agriculture,
forestry, and fisheries 16%,
services 10%, government 10%,
construction 9% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: 3.7% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $20.3 billion
expenditures: $27.2 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$9.4 billion (2001 est.)
Industries: Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil
palm processing and manufacturing,
light manufacturing industry,
electronics, tin mining and
smelting, logging and processing
timber; Sabah - logging, petroleum
production; Sarawak - agriculture
processing, petroleum production and
refining, logging
Industrial production growth rate: -4% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 63.069 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 87.96%
hydro: 12.04%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 58.59 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 75 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 11 million kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: Peninsular Malaysia - rubber, palm
oil, cocoa, rice; Sabah -
subsistence crops, rubber, timber,
coconuts, rice; Sarawak - rubber,
pepper; timber
Exports: $94.4 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: electronic equipment, petroleum and
liquefied natural gas, wood and wood
products, palm oil, rubber,
textiles, chemicals
Exports - partners: US 20%, Singapore 17%, Japan 14%,
Hong Kong 4.5%, Netherlands 4.5%,
China 4%, Thailand 4% (2001 est.)
Imports: $76.9 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: electronics, machinery, petroleum
products, plastics, vehicles, iron
and steel and iron and steel
products, chemicals
Imports - partners: Japan 20%, US 17%, Singapore 13%,
Taiwan 5%, China 4%, Germany 4%,
Thailand 4% (2001 est.)
Debt - external: $44.7 billion (2001 est.)
Currency: ringgit (MYR)
Currency code: MYR
Exchange rates: ringgits per US dollar - 3.8000
(January 2002), 3.8000 (2001),
3.8000 (2000), 3.8000 (1999), 3.9244
(1998), 2.8133 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Malaysia
-----------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 4.6 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 5 million (2000)
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
international: submarine cables to
India, Hong Kong, and Singapore;
satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1
Pacific Ocean) (2001)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 35, FM 391, shortwave 15 (2001)
Radios: 10.9 million (1999)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus 15 high-power repeaters)
(2001)
Televisions: 10.8 million (1999)
Internet country code: .my
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 7 (2000)
Internet users: 4.1 million (2001)
Transportation Malaysia
-----------------------
Railways: total: 1,801 km
narrow gauge: 1,801 km 1.000-m gauge
(148 km electrified) (2001)
Highways: total: 64,672 km
paved: 48,707 km (including 1,192 km
of expressways)
note: in addition to these national
and main regional roads, Malaysia
has thousands of kilometers of local
roads that are maintained by local
jurisdictions (1999)
unpaved: 15,965 km
Waterways: 7,296 km
note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,209 km,
Sabah 1,569 km, Sarawak 2,518 km
Pipelines: crude oil 1,307 km; natural gas 379
km
Ports and harbors: Bintulu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuantan,
Kuching, Kudat, Labuan, Lahad Datu,
Lumut, Miri, Pasir Gudang, Penang,
Port Dickson, Port Kelang, Sandakan,
Sibu, Tanjung Berhala, Tanjung
Kidurong, Tawau
Merchant marine: total: 363 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 4,952,119 GRT/7,229,299 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned
ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Australia 1, China 1,
Germany 2, Hong Kong 15, Indonesia
3, Japan 4, Monaco 1, Philippines 2,
Singapore 78, South Korea 2, Vietnam
1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 57, cargo 114,
chemical tanker 35, container 62,
liquefied gas 20, livestock carrier
1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 60,
roll on/roll off 5, specialized
tanker 1, vehicle carrier 6
Airports: 116 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 34
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 7 (2001)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 82
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 73 (2001)
Heliports: 1 (2001)
Military Malaysia
-----------------
Military branches: Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian
Navy, Royal Malaysian Air Force,
Royal Malaysian Police Field Force,
Marine Police, Sarawak Border Scouts
Military manpower - military age: 21 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 5,933,296 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 3,592,997 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching males: 196,042 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $1.69 billion (FY00 est.)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 2.03% (FY00)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Malaysia
-----------------------------
Disputes - international: Malaysia involved in a complex
dispute over the Spratly Islands
with China, Philippines, Taiwan,
Vietnam, and possibly Brunei;
Malaysia and Singapore are
considering taking the dispute over
Pulau Batu Putih (Pedra Branca
Island) to ICJ; Malaysia concerned
over Singapore's land reclamation
works on Johor, which affect the
maritime boundary, shipping lanes,
and water ecology in the Tebrau
Reach; since 1998, ICJ has been
considering Malaysia's longstanding
Sipadan and Ligitan islands dispute
with Indonesia; ICJ rejected the
Philippines' application to
intervene in this case in October
2001; Sultanate of Sulu granted the
Philippine Government power of
attorney to pursue his sovereignty
claim over Malaysia's state of
Sabah, over which the Philippines
have not fully revoked their claim;
a one km stretch of Malaysia-
Thailand territory at the mouth of
the Kolok river remains in dispute,
despite overall success in boundary
redemarcation
Illicit drugs: transit point for some illicit
drugs; drug trafficking prosecuted
vigorously and carries severe
penalties
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