Destination Malaysia

Geography Malaysia

Location:

Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam

Geographic coordinates:

2 30 N, 112 30 E

Area:

Total: 329,750 sq km
Land: 328,550 sq km
Water: 1,200 sq km

Area comparative:

Slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries:

Total: 2,669 km
Border countries: Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km

Coastline:

4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km)

Maritime claims:

Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea

Climate:

Tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons

Terrain:

Coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Elevation extremes:

Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m

Natural resources:

Tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite

Land use:

Arable land: 5.48%
Permanent crops: 17.61%
Other: 76.91% (2001)

Irrigated land:

3,650 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:

Flooding, landslides, forest fires

Environment current issues:

Air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires

Environment international agreements:

Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

Geography - note:

Strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea