Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, divided by the South China Sea into two regions, Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia on Borneo. In addition, it is a multi-ethnic country.
The Peninsular Malaysia is dominated by Malays, Chinese and Indians, Sarawak is dominated by Dayaks, Malays and Chinese. While Sabah is dominated by Kadazan, Chinese and Malays. The origin of the three ethnic groups id not considered a native ethnic group, but gradually migrated to the Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak with the long history. It shares land and sea borders with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia. On the East side it shares land and sea borders with Brunei and Indonesia, and maritime borders with the Philippines and Vietnam. While Kuala Lumpur is the nation’s capital, largest city and seat of the federal government’s legislature.
The States
Peninsular Malaysia comprises 11 states, namely, Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Selangor and Terengganu. Together with Sabah and Sarawak (located in East Malaysia), they make up the 13 states of Malaysia. There are three Federal Territories namely, Kuala Lumpur – the capital of Malaysia; Putrajaya – the Federal Government Administrative Centre; and Labuan – a ‘tax-free’ island located off the coast of Sabah.
Location and Climate
Malaysia is located in south-east Asia, 7 degrees north of the equator, GMT +8. Its neighbors are Thailand, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia. It is located in a zone that does not experience drastic weather changes or serious natural calamities such as earthquakes and tornados.
It has a pleasant tropical climate and is generally hot and humid throughout the year. Temperatures are around 30-33°C during the day and 25°C at night in the lowland areas and between 21°C and 28°C in the highlands. Light cotton, cool and casual clothing is recommended all year round. Most of the facilities on campuses are air-conditioned so students like you can study in comfort.
The north-east monsoon blows from the months of November to April and bring heavy rains to the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia as well as to Sabah and Sarawak. The south-west monsoon season from May to October is a drier period although the tropical climate means that rain and thunderstorms can be expected from time to time.
The Economy
When the nation first gained independence in 1957, the economy was completely dependent on commodities like rubber, tin and palm oil. Since the 1970s, the country has been able to transform its economy to become a dynamic, vibrant and industrialized nation that has resulted in the industrial and services sectors contributing to almost 90% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Famous
