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INTRODUCTION
Background: Malaysia was created in 1963
through the merging of Malaya (independent in 1957) and the former
British Singapore, both of which formed West Malaysia, and Sabah
and Sarawak in north Borneo, which composed East Malaysia. The first
three years of independence were marred by hostilities with Indonesia.
Singapore separated from the union in 1965.
GEOGRAPHY
Location: South-eastern 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
Area: total: 329,750 sq km
land: 328,550 sq km
water: 1,200 sq km
Land boundaries: total: 2,669 km
Climate: tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast
(October to February) monsoons.
Terrain: coastal plains rising to hills and mountains
Natural resources: tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural
gas, bauxite
note: strategic location along Strait of
Malacca and southern South China Sea.
PEOPLE
Population: 22,229,040 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 34.5% (male 3 943 324; female 3 724 634)
15-64 years: 61.35% (male 6 828 670; female 6 808 623)
65 years and over: 4.15% (male 404 042; female 519 747) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.96% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 24.75 births/1000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 5.2 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate: 20.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.11 years
male: 68.48 years
female: 73.92 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.24 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Ethnic groups: Malay and other indigenous 58%, Chinese 27%, Indian
8%, others 7% (2000)
Religions: Islam, Buddhism, Daoism, Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism;
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
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 non-elected upper house and
an elected lower house; Peninsular Malaysian states - hereditary
rulers in all but Malacca, 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, defence, 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 may be a new federal territory named Putrajaya
Independence: 31 August 1957 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day/Malaysia Day, 31 August (1957)
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.
Executive branch:
chief of state: Paramount Ruler Sultan TUNKU SALAHUDDIN Abdul Aziz
Shah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Hisammuddin Alam Shah (since 26 April).
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.
Elections: paramount ruler elected by and
from the hereditary rulers of nine of the states for five-year terms;
election last held 27 February 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); 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 .
election results: Sultan TUNKU SALAHUDDIN Abdul
Aziz Shah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Hisammuddin Alam Shah elected paramount
ruler.
ECONOMY
Economy-overview: GDP grew at 8.6% in 2000, mainly
on the strength of double-digit export growth and continued government
fiscal stimulus. As an oil exporter, Malaysia also benefited from
higher petroleum prices. Higher export revenues allowed the country
to register a current account surplus, but foreign exchange reserves
have been declining - from a peak of $34.5 billion in April 2000
to $29.7 billion by December - as foreign investors pulled money
out of the country. Despite this development, Kuala Lumpur is unlikely
to abandon its currency peg soon. An economic slowdown in key Western
markets, especially the United States, and lower world demand for
electronics products will slow GDP growth to 3%-6% in 2001, according
to private forecasters. Over the longer term, Malaysia's failure
to make substantial progress on key reforms of the corporate and
financial sectors clouds prospects for sustained growth and the
return of critical foreign investment.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $223.7 billion (2000
est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 8.6% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,300 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 14%
industry: 44%
services: 42% (2000)
Population below poverty line:
6.8% (1997 est.)
Household income or Consumption
By percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.4%
highest 10%: 20.4% (1997 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.7% (2000)
Labour force: 9.6 million (2000 est.)
Labour 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: 2.8% (2000 est.)
Budget: revenues: $16.4 billion
expenditures: $17.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $43
billion (2000 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: 12.1% (2000 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Peninsular Malaysia - rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice; Sabah - subsistence
crops, rubber, timber, coconuts, rice; Sarawak - rubber, pepper;
timber.
Exports: $97.9 billion (2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied
natural gas, chemicals, palm oil, wood and wood products, rubber,
textiles.
Exports - partners: US 21%, Singapore 18%, Japan 13%, Hong Kong
5%, Netherlands 4%, Taiwan 4%, Thailand 3% (2000 est.)
Imports: $82.6 billion (2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals,
food, fuel
and lubricants.
Imports - partners: Japan 21%, US 17%, Singapore 14%, Taiwan 6%,
South Korea 5%, Thailand 4%, China 4% (2000 est.)
Debt - external: $41.8 billion (2000 est.)
Currency: ringgit (MYR)
Currency code: MYR
Exchange rates: ringgit per US dollar
- 3.8000 (January 2001)
Fiscal year: calendar
year.
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