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Malaysia
Anthem: Negaraku (My Country)
Malaysia in       ASEAN
Capital		Kuala Lumpur[a] Putrajaya (administrative centre) 3°08′N 101°42′E / 3.133°N 101.7°E / 3.133; 101.7
Largest city		Kuala Lumpur
Official language(s)		Bahasa Malaysia[b]
Official for some purposes		English[c]
Official script		Malay alphabet
Ethnic groups		50.4% Malay 23.7% Chinese 11.0% Indigenous  7.1% Indian  7.8% Other[1]
Demonym		Malaysian
Government		Federal constitutional elective monarchy and Federal parliamentary democracy
-	Yang di-Pertuan Agong	Mizan Zainal Abidin
-	Prime Minister	Najib Tun Razak
-	Deputy Prime Minister	Muhyiddin Yassin
Independence
-	From the United Kingdom (Malaya only)	31 August 1957[2]
-	Federation (with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore[d])	16 September 1963[3]
Area
-	Total	329,847 km2 (66th) 127,354 sq mi
-	Water (%)	0.3
Population
-	2010[4] census	27,565,821
-	Density	83.57/km2 (114th) 216.45/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2010 estimate
-	Total	$414.428 billion[5]
-	Per capita	$14,669[5]
GDP (nominal)		2010 estimate
-	Total	$237.959 billion[5]
-	Per capita	$8,423[5]
Gini (2002[1])		46.1 (36)
HDI (2010)		0.744[6] (high) (57th)
Currency		Ringgit (RM) (MYR)
Time zone		MST (UTC+8)
-	Summer (DST)	Not observed (UTC+8)
Date formats		dd-mm-yyyy
Drives on the		Left
Internet TLD		.my
Calling code		+60
^ a. Kuala Lumpur is the capital city and is home to the legislative branch of the Federal government. Putrajaya is the primary seat of the federal government where the executive and judicial branches are located. ^ b. The current terminology as per government policy is Bahasa Malaysia (literally Malaysian language)[7] but legislation continues to refer to the official language as Bahasa Melayu (literally Malay language). ^ c. English may continue to be used for some official purposes under the National Language Act 1967. ^ d. Singapore became an independent country on 9 August 1965.[8]

Malaysia is a country that consists of thirteen states and three federal territories in Southeast Asia with a total landmass of 329,847 square kilometres (127,355 sq mi).^[9][1] The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 25 million.^[1] The country is separated into two regions — Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo — by the South China Sea. ^[1] Malaysia borders Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines.^[1] Located near the equator, the weather is characterized by tropical climate.^[1] Malaysia is headed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and politically led by a Prime Minister.^[10][11] The government is closely modeled after the Westminster parliamentary system.^[12]

Malaysia as a unified state did not exist until 1963. Previously, a set of colonies were established by the United Kingdom from the late eighteenth century, and the western half of modern Malaysia was composed of several separate kingdoms. This group of colonies was known as British Malaya until its dissolution in 1946, when it was reorganized as the Federation of Malaya and later recognized as an independent nation in 1957.^[13] Singapore, Sarawak, British North Borneo and the Federation of Malaya joined to form Malaysia on 16 September 1963.^[14] The early years of the new union were marred by an armed conflict with Indonesia and the expulsion of Singapore.^[15][16] The Southeast Asian nation experienced an economic boom and underwent rapid development during the late 20th century. With a GDP per capita standing at USD13,000, it has, from time to time, been considered a newly industrialized country.^[17][18] As one of three countries that control the Strait of Malacca, international trade plays a large role in its economy.^[19] At one time, it was the largest producer of tin, rubber and palm oil in the world.^[20][21] Manufacturing has a large influence in the country's economy.^[22]

The Malays form the majority of the population. Some Malays are of Arab descent and there are sizable Chinese and Indian communities. Islam is the largest as well as the official religion of the federation.^[1][23] The Malay language is the official language, the original script was Jawi and it was based on Arabic script.

Malaysia is the founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and participates in many international organizations such as the United Nations.^[24][25] As a former British colony, it is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.^[26] It is also a member of the Developing 8 Countries.^[27]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7} CIA. The World Fact Book. Malaysia. Retrieved December 9 2006.
2. ↑ The UK Statute Law Database: Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957 (c. 60)
3. ↑ No.10760: Agreement relating to Malaysia (pdf). United Nations Treaty Collection. United Nations (July 1963). Retrieved on 2010-07-29.
4. ↑ Laporan Kiraan Permulaan 2010. Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia. Retrieved on 31 January 2011.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Malaysia. International Monetary Fund. Retrieved on 30 April 2011.
6. ↑ Human Development Report 2010. United Nations (2010). Retrieved on 5 November 2010.
7. ↑ Wong Chun Wai And Audrey Edwards (4 June 2007). Back to Bahasa Malaysia. Thestar.com.my. Retrieved on 26 October 2010.
8. ↑ United Nations Member States
9. ↑ Article 1. Constitution of Malaysia.
10. ↑ Article 33. Constitution of Malaysia.
11. ↑ Article 43. Constitution of Malaysia.
12. ↑ The Federation of International Trade Associations. General Information of Malaysia. Retrieved December 7 2007.
13. ↑ Time Magazine. A New Nation. September 9 1957.
14. ↑ Paragraph 22. Singapore. Road to Independence. Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. Country Studies/Area Handbook Series. U.S. Department of the Army. Retrieved December 9 2006.
15. ↑ Time Magazine. The Art of Dispelling Anxiety. August.
16. ↑ Paragraph 25. Singapore. Road to Independence. Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. Country Studies/Area Handbook Series. U.S. Department of the Army. Retrieved December 9 2006.
17. ↑ Paweł Bożyk (2006). "Newly Industrialized Countries", Globalization and the Transformation of Foreign Economic Policy. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, 164. ISBN 0-75-464638-6. 
18. ↑ N. Gregory Mankiw (4th Edition 2007). Principles of Economics. ISBN 0-32-422472-9. 
19. ↑ The Prime Minister's Office. The Security of the Straits of Malacca and its implications to the Southeast Asia regional security. Retrieved November 26 2007.
20. ↑ American University. Tin Mining in Malaysia. Retrieved November 14 2007.
21. ↑ Malaysian Palm Oil Council. Malaysian Palm Oil. Retrieved November 14 2007.
22. ↑ Bank Negara. BNM National Summary Data Page. Retrieved November 8 2007
23. ↑ Article 3. Constitution of Malaysia.
24. ↑ Overview. Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Retrieved November 8 2007.
25. ↑ List of Member States. United Nations. Retrieved November 8 2007
26. ↑ Members. Commonwealth Secretariat. Retrieved November 8 2007.
27. ↑ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkey. Facts and Figures of the D-8. Retrieved December 12 2007.

References