Malaysia

Malaysia مليسيا
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu"[1] "Unity Is Strength"
Anthem: Negaraku My Country
Capital	Putrajaya (administrative) 2°56′35″N 101°41′58″E / 2.9430952°N 101.699373°E / 2.9430952; 101.699373 Kuala Lumpur (legislative) 3°8′N 101°41′E / 3.133°N 101.683°E / 3.133; 101.683
Largest city	Kuala Lumpur 3°8′N 101°41′E / 3.133°N 101.683°E / 3.133; 101.683
Official languages	Malay (also in national language)
Recognized languages	English Arabic Chinese dialects (Hokkien, Teochew, Mandarin, Cantonese) Tamil Telugu others
Official script	Malay alphabet
Ethnic groups ([2])	61.8% Malays 21.4% Chinese 6.4% Indian 0.9% Others
Religion	63.5% Islam (official) 18.7% Buddhism 9.1% Christianity 6.1% Hinduism 1.3% Chinese Folk Religion 0.7% Others
Demonym(s)	Malaysian
Government	Unitary dominant-party parliamentary constitutional republic
• Head of state	Ibrahim Iskandar
• Prime Minister	Anwar Ibrahim
• Deputy Prime Minister	Ahmad Zahid Hamidi Fadillah Yusof
• Chief Justice	Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat
Legislature	Parliament of Malaysia
• Upper house	Dewan Negara
• Lower house	Dewan Rakyat
Formation
• Srivijaya Kingdom	c. 680
• Sultanate of Malacca	c. 1400
• Annexation by British	18 August 1880
• Independence from the British	31 August 1957
• Current constitution	3 January 1954
Area
• Total	330,803 km2 (127,724 sq mi) (54)
• Water (%)	4
Population
• 2024 estimate	34.5 million
GDP (PPP)	2021 estimate
• Total	29,340
HDI (2019)	0.810 very high
ISO 3166 code	MY

Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Malaysia. Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia. East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia and a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam. Kuala Lumpur is the national capital, largest city and the seat of the legislative branch of the federal government. The nearby planned capital of Putrajaya was the administrative capital; which represents the seat of both the executive branch (Cabinet, federal ministries and agencies) and the judicial branch of the federal government. With a population of over 34 million, Malaysia is the world's 43rd-most populous country. The southernmost point of continental Eurasia is in Tanjung Piai. In the tropics, Malaysia is one of 17 megadiverse countries, home to a number of endemic species.

The country is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, with most people being Malay, but there are also Chinese and Indians. Its official language is Malay written in the Latin alphabet. English is a recognised language and also the official language in Sarawak state along with Malay. Tamil and Chinese is also often used. There are over 130 other languages spoken in Malaysia, with 94 in Malaysian Borneo and 40 on the peninsula. Islam is the official religion, but non-Malay citizens have the freedom to practice other religions.

1. ↑ "Malaysian Flag and Coat of Arms". Malaysian Government. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
2. ↑ Cite error: The named reference CIA Fact Book was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).