Country Name: Malaysia

Capital: Kuala Lumpur

Government Type: federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy

• note: all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers (commonly referred to as sultans) except Melaka (Malacca) and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by government; powers of state governments are limited by the federal constitution; under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their own immigration controls)

Background: Malaysia’s location has long made it an important cultural, economic, historical, social, and trade link between the islands of Southeast Asia and the mainland. Through the Strait of Malacca, which separates the Malay Peninsula from the archipelago, flowed maritime trade and with it influences from China, India, the Middle East, and the east coast of Africa. Prior to the 14th century, several powerful maritime empires existed in what is modern-day Malaysia, including the Srivijayan, which controlled much of the southern part of the peninsula between the 7th and 13th centuries, and the Majapahit Empire, which took control over most of the peninsula and the Malay Archipelago between the 13th and 14th centuries. The adoption of Islam between the 13th and 17th centuries also saw the rise of a number of powerful maritime states and sultanates on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo, such as the port city of Malacca (Melaka), which at its height in the 15th century had a navy and hosted thousands of Chinese, Arab, Persian, and Indian merchants.

The Portuguese in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century were the first European colonial powers to establish themselves on the Malay Peninsula and Southeast Asia. However, it was the British who ultimately secured their hegemony across the territory and during the late 18th and 19th centuries established colonies and protectorates in the area that is now Malaysia. These holdings were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula (except Singapore) formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore, as well as Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo, joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's independence were marred by a communist insurgency, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's expulsion in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to the development of manufacturing, services, and tourism.

Continent: Asia

Population: 34,219,975 (2023 est.)

Ethnic Groups: Bumiputera 63.8% (Malay 52.8% and indigenous peoples, including Orang Asli, Dayak, Anak Negeri, 11%), Chinese 20.6%, Indian 6%, other 0.6%, non-citizens 9% (2023 est.)

Languages: Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai; note - Malaysia has 134 living languages - 112 indigenous languages and 22 non-indigenous languages; in East Malaysia, there are several indigenous languages; the most widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan

Religions: Muslim (official) 63.5%, Buddhist 18.7%, Christian 9.1%, Hindu 6.1%, other (Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions) 0.9, none/unspecified 1.8% (2020 est.)

Economic Overview: upper middle-income Southeast Asian economy; implementing key anticorruption policies; major electronics, oil, and chemicals exporter; trade sector employs over 40% of jobs; key economic equity initiative; high labor productivity

Currency: Malaysian Ringgit (MYR)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange & Gold: $114.659 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $963.29 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars

Real GDP Growth Rate: 8.65% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per Capita: $28,400 (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars

Exports: 

• $312.857 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

• Comparison Ranking: 32

Export Commodities: integrated circuits, refined petroleum, palm oil, rubber apparel, natural gas, semiconductors (2021)

Export Partners: Singapore 15%, China 14%, US 13%, Hong Kong 6%, Japan 6% (2021)

Imports: 

• $283.601 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

• Comparison Ranking: 29

Import Commodities: integrated circuits, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, coal, gold, semiconductors (2021)

Import Partners: China 29%, Singapore 11%, Japan 6%, US 6%, Taiwan 6% (2021)

Natural Resources: tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite

Agricultural Products: oil palm fruit, rice, poultry, eggs, vegetables, rubber, coconuts, bananas, pineapples, pork

Industries: Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, petroleum and natural gas, light manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, electronics and semiconductors, timber processing; Sabah - logging, petroleum and natural gas production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum and natural gas production, logging

Industrial Production Growth Rate: 

• 6.46% (2022 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

• Comparison Ranking: 48

Labor Force: 17.129 million (2022 est.)

Unemployment Rate: 3.63% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Natural Hazards: flooding; landslides; forest fires

Geography:

• Total: 329,847 sq km

• Land: 328,657 sq km

• Water: 1,190 sq km

(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)

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