Terrain
Coastal plains rising to hills and mountains
Climate
Tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons
People
Nationality: Malaysian(s)
Population: 29,628,392 (July 2013 est.),
Languages: Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai
Religions
Muslim (or Islam—official) 60.4%, Buddhist 19.2%, Christian 9.1%, Hindu 6.3%, Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions 2.6%, other or unknown 1.5%, none 0.8%
COLONIALISM & ISLAM ( :37)
Economy
Malaysia, a middle-income country, has transformed itself since the 1970s from a producer of raw materials into an emerging multi-sector economy. Under current Prime Minister NAJIB, Malaysia is attempting to achieve high-income status by 2020 and to move farther up the value-added production chain by attracting investments in Islamic finance, high technology industries, biotechnology, and services.
STRATEGIC LOCATION & TRADE ( :52)
Living Conditions
Slightly more than 50 percent of Malaysia's population lives in urban areas (cities and towns). Both in the urban and rural areas, the kampung (community group) is the center of Malay life. It is a tightly knit community united by ties of family, marriage, or neighborliness, where agreement, compromise, and traditional values reign supreme. The Malays in the cities own many items such as cars, television sets, VCRs, and refrigerators.
REGIONAL CULTURAL DIFFERENCES ( :53)
Government
Constitutional monarchy
GEOPOLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE ( :27)
ASEAN MEMBER NATION ( :36)
US Military Presence/Support
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S. ( :47)