Malaysia
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Kuala Lumpur
- Population
- 34,905,275 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 329,847 sq km
- Government
- federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy
- Religions
- Muslim (official) 63.5%, Buddhist 18.7%, Christian 9.1%, Hindu 6.1%, other (Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions) 0.9%, none/unspecified 1.8% (2020 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Bumiputera 63.8% (Malay 52.8% and indigenous peoples, including Orang Asli, Dayak, Anak Negeri, 11%), Chinese 20.6%, Indian 6%, other 0.6%, non-citizens 9% (2023 est.)
- Currency
- ringgits (MYR)
- Life Expectancy
- 76.6 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .my
- Climate
- tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons
- Terrain
- coastal plains rising to hills and mountains
- Natural Resources
- tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite
- Major Exports
- integrated circuits, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, natural gas, palm oil (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
Malaysia’s location has long made it an important cultural, economic, historical, social, and trade link between the islands of Southeast Asia and the mainland.