Photo: Malaysia Tourism
Malaysia :Summary

Head of State

Al-Sultan Abdullah, the 16th King
Elected as the 16th King of Malaysia in January 2019 (5-year term)

Location

National Flag

malaysiaflag20121225

Area

Approximately 330,000 km2

Population

32.38 million (2018, Department of Statistics)

GDP:Nominal

1,353 billion RM (2017, Department of Statistics)

Capital

Kuala Lumpur

Language

Malay (official language), Chinese, Tamil, English

Geographic features, climates, peoples and religions

 Located at the center of Southeast Asia, Malaysia consists of two regions, with 11 states and two federal territories on Peninsula Malaysia and the other two states and one federal territory in east Malaysia on the northern part of the Borneo island. Being close to the equator, Malaysia has a tropical rainforest climate. A year is divided into dry season from April to October and rainy or monsoon season from October to February. The temperature is moderated by the presence of the surrounding oceans, and lowers during the rainy season. The climate varies between the east and west coasts of the Malay Peninsula, as well as between the Peninsula and Borneo.

 Malaysia’s multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multilingual society consists of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and many native tribes. Different religions and customs blend together and create a unique culture, increasing the fascination of the country. Approximately 61.3% of the population practice Islam, 19.8% practice Buddhism, 9.2% Christianity, 6.3% Hinduism and 1.3% practice Confucianism, Taoism and the remaining 2.1% practiced other religions.

Symbol

National flower: Bunga raya (hibiscus)