MAP OF MALAYSIA

MALAYSIA

· OFFICIAL NAME: FEDERATION OF MALAYA
· CAPITAL: KUALA LUMPUR (3°08′N, 101°42′E)
· INDEPENDENCE DATE: 31 AUGUST 1857 (FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM)
· TYPE OF THE GOVERNMENT: FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY
. HEAD OF STATE: YANG DI PERTUAN AGONG DULI YANG MAHA MULIA Al WATHIQU BILLAH, AL-SULTAN MIZAN ZAINAL ABIDIN IBNI ALMARHUM AL-SULTAN MAHMUD AL-MUKTAFI BILLAH SHAH AL-HAJ
· HEAD OF GOVERNMENT: DATUK SERI ABDULLAH BIN HAJI AHMAD BADAWI
· SIZE OF THE CONTRY: 329,847 KM 127,355 SQ MI
· POPULATION: 27,122,000 (JUN 2007 ESTIMATE), 24,821.286 (2000 CENSUS), 82/KM 213/SQ MI (DENSITY)
· LANGUAGE: MALAY (OFFICIAL LANGUAGE), CHINEE, TAMIL, ENGLISH. THERE ALSO IBAN & KADAZAN.
· RELIGION: ISLAM (OFFICIAL RELIGION), BUDDHIST, CHRISTIAN, HINDU, CONFUCIANISM, TAOISM & OTHERS
· NATURAL RESOURCES: RUBBER,PALM OIL, COCOA, PEPPER, PINEAPPLE, TOBACCO
· GDP: 2006 ESTIMATE: 8.3% (AGRICULTURE), 48.1% (INDUSTRY), 43.6% (SERVICES)
· GNP: US$ 3.248
· MAJOR EXPORT: PALM OIL, RUBBER, TEXTILES, CHEMICALS, NATURAL GAS, WOOD PRODUCTS, PETROLEUM, ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT, LIQUEFIED
· MAJOR IMPORT: CHEMICALS, VEHICLES, IRON & STEEL PRODUCTS, ELECTRONICS, PETROLEUM, PLASTICS
· MAJOR TRADES COUNTRY (2006): JAPAN 13.3%, US 12.6%, CHINA 12.2%, SINGAPORE 11.7%, THAILAND 5.5%, TAIWAN 5.5%, SOUTH KOREA 5.4%, GERMANY 4.4%
· MEANING OF THE FLAG:

The flag of Malaysia, also known as the Jalur Gemilang, comprises a field of 14 alternating red and white stripes along the fly and a blue canton bearing a crescent and a 14-point star known as the Bintang Persekutuan or Federal Star. The 14 stripes, of equal width, represent the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the federal government, while the 14 points of the star represent the unity between these entities. The crescent represents Islam, the country's official religion; the yellow of the star and crescent is the royal colour of the Malay rulers; the blue canton symbolizes the unity of the Malaysian people. This blue canton was originally chosen to represent a connection between the federation and the Commonwealth but this was gradually downplayed and eventually supplanted by its current interpretation.