World Country Malaysia

About the world country Malaysia, its location, size, population, and who is in power.

NATIONS OF THE WORLD

MALAYSIA

Location: The southern end of the Malay Peninsula and neighboring islands make up the 11 states of peninsular Malaysia, while the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak follow most of the northern coast of the island of Borneo (Kalimantan). Size: 127,316 sq. mi. (329,749 sq. km.). Population: 14,513,000 (83% Peninsular, 17% East Malaysia; 50% Malay, 35% ethnic Chinese, 10% East Indian, 5% indigenous tribes and others).

Who Really Rules: Malaysia has the only open parliamentary democracy in Southeast Asia. It is ruled by the interracial National Front, which is dominated by the United Malays National Organization. The government encourages some environmental and consumer activist groups, but it also imprisons some political opponents and strictly controls the labor movement. Though older political leaders are British-trained, U.S.-educated technocrats are gradually taking over the bureaucracy. Since the end of the Indochina War, the U.S. has joined the U.K. and Australia as a major source of military hardware and training.

Though the government, led by Malay Muslims, is dedicated to increasing the Malay role in the economy, ethnic Chinese and investors from the U.S. and England control most of industry, mining, and export oriented agriculture.