|
Malaysia Travel FAQ
1.1 Physical Geography
1.1.1 The Land
1.1.2 Climate
1.2 Political Geography
1.2.1 Government
1.2.2 Demographics
1.1 Physical Geography
1.1.1 The Land
Malaysia is located in Southeast Asia and covers an area of 329,750 sq km. It is the only country that occupies territory on both the mainland and insular regions of Southeast Asia. The region of Malaysia on the mainland is commonly referred to as either Peninsular Malaysia or West Malaysia. It occupies the southern half of the Malay Peninsula and accounts for 40% of the country's land mass. It is bordered by Thailand on the north and Singapore on the south, the Strait of Malacca on the west and the South China Sea on the east. The insular region is commonly referred to as East Malaysia. It occupies the northwestern part of the island of Borneo. (Kalimantan (Indonesian) Borneo occupies the southeast portion of Borneo.) Approximately 400 miles (650 km) of the South China Sea separates East Malaysia from Peninsular Malaysia.
Peninsular Malaysia is largely mountainous with half of the total area more than 500 feet (150 meters) above sea level. There are several mountain ranges that run north-south with elevations rising to more than 7,000 feet (2,000 m). Heavily populated coastal lowlands (fertile plain) run along the west side and narrow, swampy, and densely forested lowlands run along the east side. The Pahang River is the principal river flowing through Peninsular Malaysia
In East Malaysia the coastal plains rise to a hill and valley region and then rise to a mountainous core with elevations between 4,000 and 7,000 feet (1,200 and 2,000 m). The highest point in the country, Mount Kinabalu (13,455 feet [4,101 m]), is located in the extreme northeast portion of this mountainous core. The two principal rivers in East Malaysia are the Rajang and the Kinabatangan. The Rajang is located in the state of Sarawak and the Kinabatangan is located in Sabah.
Approximately two-thirds of Malaysia is forest with the majority of it being tropical rainforest. Vegetation includes bamboo, camphor, ebony, sandalwood, teak, and mangrove forests among the over 8,000 species of flowing plants which include 2000 tree species, 800 different kinds of orchids and 200 types of palm trees. Wildlife in Malaysia includes elephant, tiger, leopard, wild ox, sun (honey) bear, wild pig, orangutan, gibbon, and some rhinoceros. East Malaysia is known for having one of the largest and most varied bird populations in the world.
1.1.2 Climate
Malaysia is hot and humid year round with a temperature 20° - 30° C, (68° - 86° F), and a humidity level of 90%. Since the temperature fluctuates little throughout the year, travel in Malaysia is a pleasure year round.
The rain forests and other tropical vegetation thrive in the hot and humid climate and are fed by the wet seasons. There are two distinct wet seasons for this country. The West Coast of Malaysia will experience slightly more rain through the months of September to December. The East Coast of Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak experience significantly more rain through the months of October to February. When the rain comes, it typically falls in short hard bursts briefly interrupting the strong sunshine.
1.2 Political Geography
1.2.1 Government and Administration
Malaysia is a federation of states governed by a constitutional monarchy with a two-house legislature consisting of a Senate (Dewan Negara) and a House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat). The head of state is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Supreme Head of the Federation) and is selected by and from nine hereditary sultans, or rulers. Executive power is exercised by the prime minister, who is the leader of the majority party or coalition in the house of representatives and is appointed by the head of state. He governs with the assistance of an appointed ministerial cabinet.
The Federal Court (formerly the Supreme Court) is the highest court. Below the Federal Court are the two High Courts, one serving West Malaysia and the other serving East Malaysia. Each High Court has a chief judge and several other judges. The chief judges from the high court each serve on the Federal Court with the federal court chief justice and seven other judges. Lower courts include the Sessions Courts and the Magistrates' Courts.
On the local level, Malaysia is divided into the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (West Malaysia), Federal Territory of Labuan (East Malaysia) and 13 states: Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pinang, Selangor and Terengganu in West Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia. Each of the 13 states has a titular ruler. Each state has its own written constitution and a unicameral legislative assembly empowered to legislate on matters not reserved for the federal parliament.
The federal government is responsible for foreign affairs, defense, internal security, justice (except where Islamic and native law prevail), federal citizenship, finance, commerce, industry, communications, and transportation. The state governments deal with immigration, civil service, and customs matters.
1.2.2 Demographics
| Area: | 329,750 sq km |
| Population: | 19.7 million; 40% Urban |
| Growth rate: | 2.3%; Age 0 - 15: 37% |
| Life Expectancy: | 69 years for men; 73 years for women. |
| People: | 50% Malay, 33% Chinese, 9% Indian, Sikh, also indigenous tribes such as Orang Asli and Iban |
| Language: | Bahasa Malaysia (official language), English (language of instruction in tertiary education), Chinese dialects (Hokkein, Hakka, Cantonese), Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, indigenous dialects |
| Religion: | 52% Muslim, 17% Buddhist, 12% Taoist, 8% Christian, 8% Hindu, 2% Tribal |
|
