Malaysia           Introduction        

Background:         Malaysia was created in 1963 through the merging of Malaya (independent in 1957) and the former British Singapore, both of which formed West Malaysia, and Sabah and Sarawak in north Borneo, which composed East Malaysia. The first three years of independence were marred by hostilities with Indonesia. Singapore separated from the union in 1965.

Malaysia           Geography  

Location:         Southeastern Asia, peninsula and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia 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)