Travel

The population of Malaysia is about 20 million. They are a uniquely diverse group of people. The earliest inhabitants are the "orange Azalea" in the Peninsula. There are similar tribes in Sabah and Sarawak who still pursue a nomadic way of life. The next immigrants were the Proto-Malays and the Deutero-Malays. Other indigenous peoples of Malaysia are collectively called "Bumiputra", or "sons of the soil". They make up 59% of the population. Later, the Chinese and Indian migrated from China and India respectively. Today, the population of Chinese is 32% while the Indians make up 9% of the population of Malaysia.

Malaysia's history has been one of continual interaction with foreign powers and influences because of its strategic position between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Its location has made it the meeting place for both traders and travelers alike. Hindu-Buddhist influence was strong in the northwest before the coming of Islam. Archaeological findings in Kedah provide evidence of a Hindu-Buddhist civilization that dated back to 300AD. It flourished as an important center of trade and commerce until the 13th Century when Malacca, abundant in spices, attracted colonial powers. By 1511, Malacca fell to the Portuguese, then in 1641 the Dutch took over, and finally the British in 1815. The British consolidated their hold on the Malay states following Francis Light's arrival in Penang in 1786. Across the seas, on the island of Borneo, Sarawak was ruled by a British adventurer, James Brooke, and his descendants since 1841 to 1888. Sarawak and North Borneo (Sabah) thus became the British protectorates. In the 1930's, the first stirring of Malayan nationalism were felt. Following the end of World War II, there was a resurface of the nationalism movement culminating in the independence for the Federation of Malaya on August 31, 1957. In 1963, Malaysia was formed. Today, Malaysia is a prominent member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Malaysia's economy was once exclusively based on agricultural commodities. It is still one of the world's largest producers of rubber, tin, palm oil, timber, and pepper. However, the current government had aspired to shift the economy to manufacturing and service based. Today, manufacturing forms the largest single component of Malaysia's economy. Revenue from oil and natural gas reserves together with increasing foreign investments have helped the economy diversify into car production and the manufacturing of computers. Tourism is also emerging as a major source of revenue. Malaysia has become one of the greatest economic success stories of Asia.

Malaysia declared independence on the August 31, 1957 from the United Kingdom. The capital of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia comprises 13 states and two federal territories - Kuala Lumpur and Labuan (an island off the coast of Sabah). Nine of the states have a hereditary ruler from which the Supreme Head of State, the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (King), is elected every five years. The government is based on parliamentary democracy. The head of the government, the Prime Minister, heads the cabinet of Ministers.

Malaysia is a tropical country situated 7 degrees north of the Equator in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is divided into West Malaysia and East Malaysia. West Malaysia is the Peninsular, which comprises of 11 states. East Malaysia comprises the two states of Sabah and Sarawak, which are situated on the Island of Borneo. The capital and the largest city, Kuala Lumpur, is on the Peninsula. Malaysia has a tropical climate, which is warm and humid throughout the year with cooler temperatures in the hill resorts. Temperatures range from 21 degree Celsius to 32 degree Celsius. It is a beautiful country with coastal plains rising to hills and mountains. Malaysia is 8 hours ahead of GMT and 16 hours ahead of the U.S. Pacific Standard Times.