9781422275542

C H A P T E R

MALAYSIA’S GEOGRAPHY & LANDSCAPE

1

W elcome to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia. The Federation of Malaysia contains thirteen states and three federal territories. They are separated by the South China Sea, which creates the Malaysian Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia. Malaysia is a popular tourist destination and a country with a long, interesting history. Geography Malaysia is located in Southeastern Asia where it borders the lands of Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Brunei, and by the South China Sea. The country is just slightly larger than New Mexico, with 1,073 square miles (2,742 sq. km) of total land. There are another 12,094 miles (4,675 km) of coastline. Malaysia is home to many hills and mountains along with coastal plains. Approximately 23.2 percent of the land is used for agriculture and forests make up 62 percent of the country based on 2011 estimates. What is interesting about the geography of Malaysia is that it has resulted in an uneven distribution of the population. Around 80 percent of the population lives on the Malay Peninsula.

MAlAYSIA’S  GEOGRAPHY & lANDSCAPE 11