|
The population of Malaysia is estimated at 24 385 858
inhabitants (2004), which corresponds to a low
population density (around 72.64 inhab./km 2 ),
given the fact that much of the territory is covered
with forest and presents mountainous relief. It is
estimated that in 2025, the Malaysian population will
reach 32 million inhabitants. The birth and death
rates are respectively 22.86% and 5.05%. Average life
expectancy is 72.5 years. The value of the Human
Development Index (HDI) is 0.790 and the value of the
Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is 0.784
(2001). It is estimated that, in 2025, the population
will be 33 065 000 inhabitants. The main ethnic groups
are Malays (58%), Chinese (25%) and Indians (7%).
The most followed religious confessions in Malaysia are
Muslim (53%), Buddhist (17%) and traditional Chinese
beliefs (12%). The official language is Malay.
History
The ancestors of the Malays are from southern China and
came to the peninsula about 2000 years ago. C. Arab
merchants converted Malaysians to Islam in the 15th
century. The Portuguese (1509) and the Dutch (1641)
successively occupied Malacca, on the southwest
coast. In 1824 the British took over the region and a
century later took over the entire Malaysian Peninsula,
although the territories of East Malaysia did not
formally come under British domination until after World
War II. During the 1920s and 1930s, colonialist
movements arose in the Malaysian Peninsula influenced by
pressures that were felt in India to achieve
independence. During World War II, Malaysia and Borneo
were occupied by Japan. After the war, groups of
communist guerrillas took refuge in the jungle,
launching a campaign, called "emergency", against the
British that lasted between 1948 and 1960, when the
rebels were eventually defeated. The problem was not
only solved by military means; in 1957, the Malaysian
Peninsula became the Federation of Malaysia, but
tensions did not end, leading to the removal of
Singapore and the Federation thus lost its main port and
industrial center. Nine of Malaysia's 13 states have a
hereditary sultan or head of state; the remaining four
have governors appointed by the king. In 1969, racial
conflicts between Chinese and Malaysians led to unrest
and Malaysian parties lost votes in the elections that
followed. Restrictions on individual freedoms continue
to exist, such as the ban on public discussion.
A natural catastrophe shook the country on December
26, 2004. On that day, there was the biggest earthquake
in recent times (8.9 degrees on the Richter scale) with
an epicenter off the Indonesian island of Samatra. This
earthquake originated earthquakes that hit the coast of
several Southeast Asian countries, such as Sri Lanka,
the most affected, followed by Indonesia itself, India,
Thailand, Malaysia, Maldives and Bangladesh, causing
thousands of deaths and displaced people. |
| 1UpTravel.com - Maps of Malaysia |
| Reveals the political and shaded relief maps of
Malaysia, a southeastern Asian peninsula, bordering
Indonesia and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam. |
| http://www.1uptravel.com/worldmaps/malaysia.html |
|
| Malaysia - Maps.com |
| Purchase .gif or vector maps of Malaysia. Includes
details of the entire country, Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan. |
| http://www.maps.com/cgi-bin/magellan/Maps___Asia___Malaysia? |
|
| Malaysia - National Geographic |
| Satellite imaging and political map-making create a
zoomable map of this southeast Asian country, with
cities, rivers and topography. |
| http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/index.html?i |
|
| Malaysia - Relief Map |
| Useful color map of Malaysia's territories includes
cities, water bodies and surrounding nations. |
| http://theodora.com/maps/new4/malaysia.gif |
|
| Malaysia - University of Texas Library |
| Explore Malaysia's territory on the Malay peninsula and
archipelago. Includes political, relief and
administrative division maps. |
| http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/malaysia.html |
|
| Taiping City Map |
| Click through interactive and district maps for the city
of Taiping located in Perak. |
| http://www.ipoh-online.com.my/map/taiping/index.htm |
|
|
|
|
|
|
