General information about Malaysia

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03/02/2011 General information about Malaysia

Country name:

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Malaysia

local long form: none

local short form: Malaysia

former: Federation of Malaya

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: 329,847 sq km

country comparison to the world: 66

land: 328,657 sq km

water: 1,190 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)

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: 5.46% permanent crops: 17.54% other: 77% (2005)

Irrigated land: 3,650 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 580 cu km (1999)

Natural hazards: flooding; landslides; forest fires

Government type: constitutional monarchy note: nominally headed by paramount ruler (commonly referred to as the King) and a bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house; all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers (commonly referred to as sultans) except Melaka and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by government; powers of state governments are limited by federal constitution; under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their own immigration controls)

Capital: name: Kuala Lumpur

geographic coordinates: 3 10 N, 101 42 E

time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri) Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, and Terengganu; and 1 federal territory (Wilayah Persekutuan) with three components, city of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya

Independence: 31 August 1957 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day/Malaysia Day, 31 August (1957)

Constitution: 31 August 1957; amended many times the latest in 2007

Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; Islamic law is applied to Muslims in matters of family law and religion; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Population: 28,274,729 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 43

Age structure: 0-14 years: 31.4% (male 4,153,621/female 3,914,962) 15-64 years: 63.6% (male 8,210,373/female 8,143,043) 65 years and over: 5% (male 569,245/female 724,575) (2010 est.)

Median age: total: 26.5 years male: 26.4 years female: 26.7 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.609% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 76

Airports: 118 (2010) country comparison to the world: 51

Airports - with paved runways: total: 38 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 7 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 80 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 73 (2010)

Heliports: 3 (2010)

Pipelines: condensate 3 km; gas 1,965 km; oil 31 km; refined products 114 km (2009)

Railways: total: 1,849 km country comparison to the world: 75 standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,792 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2008)

Roadways: total: 98,721 km country comparison to the world: 44 paved: 80,280 km (includes 1,821 km of expressways) unpaved: 18,441 km (2004)

Waterways: 7,200 km country comparison to the world: 20

Merchant marine: total: 321 country comparison to the world: 30 by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 97, carrier 2, chemical tanker 45, container 44, liquefied gas 35, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 79, roll on/roll off 2, vehicle carrier 4 foreign-owned: 35 (Denmark 1, Hong Kong 8, Japan 4, Nigeria 1, Russia 2, Singapore 19) registered in other countries: 79 (Bahamas 13, India 1, Indonesia 1, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 11, Panama 12, Papua New Guinea 1, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 27, Thailand 3, Tuvalu 1, US 2, unknown 3) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Bintulu, Johor Bahru, George Town (Penang), Port Kelang (Port Klang), Tanjung Pelepas.

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Malaysia tightens rules for foreigners stay

Malaysian authorities are tightening the rules for entry and short stays in the country, said on Friday broadcaster Channel News Asia.

Now, foreigners arriving in Malaysia, should be required to be in possession of a return ticket and a sum of money sufficient to stay in the country for the stated period, the TV channel with reference to the Deputy Minister of the Interior Bath Junaid.

According to the newspaper, these measures are aimed at combating illegal migrants. The government estimates the country, now in Malaysia, about 2.5 million illegal immigrants, fully deal with this problem are planning 2020.

According to him, most of the illegals come to Malaysia on an airplane. Affect whether the restriction of foreigners entering the country by bus, train or ship, is not explained.