Source: Wikipedia
Flag of Malaysia
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
2°30′N 112°30′E
Largest city: Kuala Lumpur
Official language: Malay

Government: Federal constitutional monarchy
Paramount Ruler: Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail
Prime Minister: Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

Independence :
- from the UK ( Malaya only) August 31, 1957
- Federation (with Sabah , Sarawak and Singapore ) September 16, 1963

Area :
- Total 329,847 km² (67th) 127,355 sq mi
- Water (%) 0.3

Population :
- 2006 estimate 26,857,600 (45th)
- 2000 census 23,953,136
- Density 77/km² (115th) 199/sq mi

GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate :
- Total $290.7 billion (33rd)
- Per capita $11,201 (61st)

HDI (2006): 0.805 (high) (61st)

Currency: Ringgit (RM) (MYR)

Time zone: MST (UTC+8)
- Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+8)

Internet TLD: .my

Calling code: +60

Malaysia is a federation of thirteen states in southeast Asia. The name " Malaysia " was adopted in 1963 when the Federation of Malaya (Malay: Persekutuan Tanah Melayu) Singapore , Sabah and Sarawak formed a 14-state federation. Singapore withdrew from Malaysia in 1965 to become an independent country.

The country consists of two geographical regions divided by the South China Sea :

* Peninsular Malaysia (or West Malaysia) on the Malay Peninsula shares a land border on the north with Thailand and is connected by the Johor-Singapore Causeway and the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link to the south with Singapore. It consists of nine sultanates (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor and Terengganu), two states headed by governors (Malacca and Penang ), and two federal territories (Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur ).

* Malaysian Borneo (or East Malaysia ) occupies the northern part of the island of Borneo , bordering Indonesia and surrounding the Sultanate of Brunei. It consists of the states of Sabah and Sarawak and the federal territory of Labuan .

Although politically dominated by the Malays, modern Malaysian society is heterogeneous, with substantial Chinese and Indian minorities. Malaysian politics have been noted for their allegedly communal nature; the three major component parties of the Barisan Nasional each restrict membership to those of one ethnic group. The only major violence the country has seen since independence was the May 13 racial riots in the wake of an election campaign based on racial issues. Nonetheless, Malaysia is considered to be a model of racial harmony.