Malaysia

Malaysia forms part of the continent of Asia, where it has a coastal position and is bordered by Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, the Celebes Sea, Gulf of Thailand, Singapore Strait, South China Sea, Strait of Malacca and Sulu Sea. There are seven continents in the world: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Antarctica, Australia (Oceania). Asia is the world's largest continent, occupying a total area of 43,820,000 km2. Asia has 48 countries, with some countries belonging to both Asia and Europe, and forms 29.5% of the world's landmass. Malaysia is a coastal country that stretches over a total area of approximately 330,803 km2. It is of average area size when compared to other Asian countries. Malaysia is only slightly smaller than Vietnam.

The following details provide a guide to Malaysia's approximate border lengths:
Coastline 4,675 km, Brunei 266 km, Indonesia 1,881 km, Thailand 595 km.

Malaysia has an equatorial, tropical climate that is characterized by hot and humid conditions. Monsoons occur in the southwest from April to October, and the northeast from October to February. The geography of Malaysia is characterized by moutainous regions, coastal plains and hilly areas. The lowest point of Malaysia is the Indian Ocean at 0m, and the highest point of elevation is Gunung Kinabalu at 4,095m.

The official language of Malaysia is Bahasa Malaysia. Other languages that are spoken in this country include English, Chinese languages, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Thai and Panjabi.

The primary religion of Malaysia is Muslim at approximately 61% of the population. People belonging to the Islamic religion worship Allah. In the English language, the word Allah refers to God in Islam. Those belonging to the religion of Islam believe in one god. Most of Malaysia’s population are Muslim and follow the practices of Islam. Around 19% are Buddhist, 9% Christian and 6% Hindu. The remaining population either belongs to other religions or no religion at all.

Natural resources can be described as materials and substances found naturally occurring on Earth. Natural resources are very important across the world, and can be exploited for economic gain. The level of resources that occur naturally in an individual country are influenced by varying factors such as the geography, climate and location of that country. Some countries are very rich in natural resources, where as others have limited to none. Countries that have particularly rich resources include Russia, The United States, Saudi Arabia and Canada. Three of the primary uses of natural resources are food, transport and construction. The following examples provide information on the everyday uses of natural resources: Fish occurs naturally in many bodies of water and can be caught for food consumption. Crude oils can be refined into various fuels in order to power vehicles/cars. Wood/timber can be extracted from forests and used to construct houses and furniture. The natural resources of Malaysia include tin, petroleum, timber, iron ore, copper, natural gas and bauxite.

Each country across the world has its own unique culture, history and identity. Flags, emblems, symbols, colors, mottos, anthems and songs are used to symbolize the pride and individuality of a nation. These national symbols are forged through a nation's unique history and can represent both hardship and prosperity, embodying freedom, strength and unity. Flags, emblems, colors, songs and mottos reflect the past, present and future aspirations of a country, and create an important image to the rest of the world. National symbols can include a mixture of things that are symbolic to a country such as animals, birds, flowers, trees, geographical features, tools of agriculture, crops, and tools of war. Here are some important facts on the symbols, songs and colors of Malaysia: