Malaysia, federation of 13 states forming a constitutional monarchy in South East Asia, comprising two distinct regions separated by some 650 km (400 mi) of the South China Sea. Malaysia is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The regions are Peninsular Malaysia, formerly known as West Malaysia; and Sarawak and Sabah, formerly known as East Malaysia. Peninsular Malaysia comprises 11 states occupying the southern half of the Malay Peninsula, bordered on the north by Thailand, on the south by Singapore, on the west by the Strait of Malacca, and on the east by the South China Sea. The states of Sabah and Sarawak occupy the northern third of the island of Borneo, and are bordered on the north and west by the South China Sea, on the east by the Sula and Celebes seas, and on the south by the Indonesian province of Kalimantan. The island of Labuan, formerly part of Sabah, was made a federal territory in 1984. The sultanate of Brunei forms a coastal enclave in northern Sarawak.
Population
22,662,365
Population Density
64 people/sq km (167 people/sq mi)
Urban/Rural Breakdown
46% Urban 54% Rural
Largest Cities
Kuala Lumpur 1,145,075
Ipoh 382,633
Johor Baharu 328,646
Ethnic Groups
47% Malay
32% Chinese
9% Indigenous people from Borneo
9% Indian
Languages
Official Language
Bahasa Malaysia
Other Languages
English, Chinese, Tamil, Iban,
Religions
53% Islam
25% Chinese folk religion
7% Hinduism
6% Buddhism
6% Christianity
3% Other |