| Page Views: 52,459 Last Visit to Malaysia: - | Visit Malaysia 2007 ! by dragontml - last update: Jan 9, 2007 |
The Federation of Malaysia comprises of Peninsular Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo. Located 7 degrees north of the equator, Peninsular Malaysia is separated from the states of Sabah and Sarawak by the South China Sea. In the north of the peninsular is Thailand while in its southern neighbour is Singapore.
Tropical climate with warm and humid weather all year round. Annual rainfall varies from 2000mm to 2500mm. The area size is 329,758 square kilometer and has the population of 22 million people. Malays make up about 57% of the population and other groups are the Chinese, Indians and other ethnic groups making up the rest. Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is the national language but English is widely spoken. The ethnic groups also speak various languages and dialects. Islam is the official religion but all other religions are practised freely. The country is eight hours ahead of GMT and sixteen hours ahead of U.S. Pacific Standard Time.
There is a strong interlink between the country's multi-racial and multi-cultural make-up with its history. Besides the local Malays and the native groups, immigrants from China, India, Indonesia and other parts of the world have all contributed to the multiracial composition of its population. The evolution of the country into a cultural melting pot is evident in the unique blend of religions, socio-cultural activities and traditions - the elaborate festivities, dressing, unique arts and crafts, dance forms, languages, architecture and food.
Manufacturing constitutes the largest single component of Malaysia's economy. Tourism and primary commodities such as petroleum, palm oil, natural rubber and timber are major contributors to its economy.
The main gateway to Malaysia is through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at Sepang located approximately 50 km south of Kuala Lumpur. Other major international airports, which serve as an entry point, are Penang, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Langkawi. Entry point by sea to Kuala Lumpur is at Port Klang, about 50km away from Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is also accessible by rail and road from Singapore and Thailand.
Malaysia presents an exotic blend of the old and new. In the cities, the sign of modernity and technological progress is evident in the intelligent skyscrapers, high-speed urban transportation, advance telecommunication systems and information technology revolution. Yet, a short drive away from the city brings one to see the country at its rustic best.
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The Malaysian Flag The Malaysian flag, named Jalur Gemilang with effect from August 31 1997, consist of 14 red and white stripes of equal width, a union of carton of dark blue, a crescent and a star. The red and white stripes stand for the equal status in the Federation of the member states and the Federal government. The union of carton of dark blue in the upper quarter of the flag next to the staff represents the unity of the people of Malaysia. The union contains the crescent which is the symbol of Islam, and the star with its 14 points symbolises the unity of the 13 states of the Federation with the Federal government. The yellow of the crescent and the star is the royal colour of the hereditary Malay Rulers.
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history... Little is known about prehistoric Malaysia, but around 10,000 years the aboriginal Malays - the Orang Asli began to move down from a probable starting point in South Western China. The Malay people were ethnically similar to the people of Sumatra, Java, and even the Philippines, and from time to time various South East Asian empires exerted control over all parts of the Malay Peninsula.
In 1405 the Chinese admiral Cheng Ho arrived in Melaka with greeting from the Son of Heaven (Emperor) and more importantly, the promise of protection from the encroaching Siamese from the north. With this support from China, the power of Melaka extended to include most of the Malay Peninsula. At about the same time, Islam arrived in Melaka and soon spread through Malaya. Melaka's wealth and prosperity soon attracted the European interest which came in search of spices. It was the Portuguese who first took over in 1511, followed by the Dutch in 1641 and the British in 1795.
For years the British were only interested in Malaya for its seaports and to protect their trade routes, but the discovery of tin prompted them to move inland and eventually govern the whole Peninsula. Meanwhile, James Brooke, the ' white raja', and the North Borneo Company made British inroads into Sarawak and Sabah respectively. The British brought in the Chinese to work in the tin mines and the Indians to work in the rubber plantations and to build the railways.
The country achieved independence on August 31, 1957 as the Federation of Malaysia and subsequently with the entry of Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia was formed.
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 Comments for dragontml about Malaysia | | | | |
volopolo Sun Mar 2, 2008 01:56 UTC
I am hungry! (picture). volopolo | luckyzen Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:32 UTC
Mei, Great info and pictures of Malaysia. I enjoyed reading about your country. Thanks so much for sharing. | mvtouring Wed Jul 21, 2004 10:25 UTC
Great page, lovely pics | vigi Wed Apr 21, 2004 09:08 UTC
Yeah... fun! Now I need to stop travelling for a while, my purse dried up after this trip... |
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