MalaysiaGeography

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 Map references: Southeast Asia 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 More about Malaysia: Introduction People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues