Malaysia

Malaysia has fervently embraced modern technology - it boasts two of the world's tallest skyscrapers and a huge "cyber" center for computer businesses. But it still has some of the world's most remote jungle (in Sabah and Sarawak), one of Southeast Asia's most vibrant old ports (Georgetown) and an atmospheric colonial hill station (the Cameron Highlands). Even in Kuala Lumpur, the capital, which bristles with ambitious new building projects, you can still find exotic markets and plenty of local color. As a result, travelers to Malaysia can easily ratchet up or down the levels of adventure and comfort they want to experience.

Geography

The South China Sea divides Malaysia roughly in half. Peninsular Malaysian, the western half, is home to two-thirds of the country's 18 million inhabitants. The less developed states of Sabah and Sarawak make up the eastern half, which occupies the northern third of Borneo. In both areas, coastal lowlands give way to mountainous interiors. Tropical vegetation abounds. The rain forests are believed to be the oldest in the world. The nation includes dozens of small islands.

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Fact Box
Full country name	Malaysia
Area	329,847 sq km
Population	26,888,000 Million (2006 est.)
Capital City	Kuala Lumpur note: Putrajaya is referred to as the administrative capital
Climate	Tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons
People	Malay and other indigenous 58%, Chinese 24%, Indian 8%, others 10%
Religion	Muslim, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh; note - in addition, Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia
Language	Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese dialects, English, Tamil, indigenous dialects
Government	Constitutional Monarchy
Head of State	Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Wathiqu Billah Al-Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Almarhum Al-Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah Al-Haj
Head of Government:	Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Currency	Ringgit Malaysia (RM)
GDP	RM451 billion (2006 est.)
GDP per capita	RM14,200 (2006 est.)
Major Industries	Industries; 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 Agriculture product; Peninsular Malaysia - rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice; Sabah - subsistence crops, rubber, timber, coconuts, rice; Sarawak - rubber, pepper; timber
Major Trading Partners	Singapore, Japan, USA