|
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. |
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Location:
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Southeastern Asia,
peninsula and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering
Indonesia and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam |
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Geographic coordinates:
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2 30 N, 112 30 E |
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Map references:
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Southeast Asia |
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Area:
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total: 329,750
sq km
water: 1,200 sq km
land: 328,550 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
|
slightly larger than
New Mexico |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,669 km
border countries: Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand
506 km |
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Coastline:
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4,675 km (Peninsular
Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km) |
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Maritime claims:
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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 |
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Climate:
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tropical; annual
southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February)
monsoons |
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Terrain:
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coastal plains rising
to hills and mountains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m |
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Natural resources:
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tin, petroleum, timber,
copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite |
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Land use:
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arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 18%
other: 77% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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3,650 sq km (1998 est.)
|
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Natural hazards:
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flooding, landslides,
forest fires |
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Environment - current issues:
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air pollution from
industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage;
deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate 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 |
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Geography - note:
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strategic location
along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea |
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Population:
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22,662,365 (July 2002
est.) |
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Age structure:
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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.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.91% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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24.22 births/1,000
population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.16 deaths/1,000
population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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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.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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19.66 deaths/1,000 live
births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
71.39 years
female: 74.21 years (2002 est.)
male: 68.75 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.18 children
born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.42% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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49,000 (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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1,900 (1999 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Malaysian(s)
adjective: Malaysian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Malay and other
indigenous 58%, Chinese 24%, Indian 8%, others 10% (2000) |
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Religions:
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Muslim, Buddhist,
Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh; note - in addition, Shamanism is
practiced in East Malaysia |
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Languages:
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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 |
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Literacy:
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definition: age
15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.5%
male: 89.1%
female: 78.1% (1995 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long
form: none
conventional short form: Malaysia
former: Federation of Malaysia |
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Government type:
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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 |
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Capital:
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Kuala Lumpur |
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Administrative divisions:
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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) |
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Independence:
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31 August 1957 (from
UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence
Day/Malaysia Day, 31 August (1957) |
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Constitution:
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31 August 1957, amended
16 September 1963 |
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Legal system:
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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 |
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Suffrage:
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21 years of age;
universal |
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Executive branch:
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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 |
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Legislative branch:
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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) |
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Judicial branch:
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Federal Court (judges
appointed by the paramount ruler on the advice of the prime minister)
|
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Political parties and leaders:
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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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN,
BIS, C, CCC, 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 |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission:
Ambassador Marie 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 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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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. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity
- $200 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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0.3% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity
- $9,000 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 12%
industry: 40%
services: 48% (2001) |
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Population below poverty line:
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8% (1998 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 1.7%
highest 10%: 38.4% (1997 est.) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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49.2 (1997) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1.5% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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9.9 million (2001 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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local trade and tourism
28%, manufacturing 27%, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries 16%,
services 10%, government 10%, construction 9% (2000 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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3.7% (2001 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $20.3
billion
expenditures: $27.2 billion, including capital expenditures of
$9.4 billion (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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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 |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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-4% (2001 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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63.069 billion kWh
(2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
87.96%
hydro: 12.04%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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58.59 billion kWh
(2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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75 million kWh (2000)
|
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Electricity - imports:
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11 million kWh (2000)
|
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Agriculture - products:
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Peninsular Malaysia -
rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice; Sabah - subsistence crops, rubber,
timber, coconuts, rice; Sarawak - rubber, pepper; timber |
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Exports:
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$94.4 billion (f.o.b.,
2001 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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electronic equipment,
petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood and wood products, palm oil,
rubber, textiles, chemicals |
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Exports - partners:
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US 20%, Singapore 17%,
Japan 14%, Hong Kong 4.5%, Netherlands 4.5%, China 4%, Thailand 4%
(2001 est.) |
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Imports:
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$76.9 billion (f.o.b.,
2001 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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electronics, machinery,
petroleum products, plastics, vehicles, iron and steel and iron and
steel products, chemicals |
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Imports - partners:
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Japan 20%, US 17%,
Singapore 13%, Taiwan 5%, China 4%, Germany 4%, Thailand 4% (2001
est.) |
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Debt - external:
|
$44.7 billion (2001
est.) |
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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) |
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Fiscal year:
|
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
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4.6 million (2000) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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5 million (2000) |
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Telephone system:
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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) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 35, FM 391,
shortwave 15 (2001) |
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Radios:
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10.9 million (1999)
|
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (plus 15 high-power
repeaters) (2001) |
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Televisions:
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10.8 million (1999)
|
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Internet country code:
|
.my |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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7 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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4.1 million (2001) |
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Railways:
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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 |
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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 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 service:
|
males age 15-49:
3,592,997 (2002 est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
|
males: 196,042
(2002 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$1.69 billion (FY00
est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
2.03% (FY00) |
|
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 |
|
