Malaysia

Malaysia is a country located in South East Asia and consists of thirteen states and three federal territories. A country of over 25 million people, Malaysia is separated into two separate regions - Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo.

Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines all share borders with Malaysia .

The capital, Kuala Lumpur, is a fast growing metropolis which has led to the founding of a new administrative capital called Putrajava in an attempt to ease the strain on the city. Despite this, Kuala Lumpur remains as the Seat of Parliament and is the commercial and financial capital of the country. Some other major cities are George Town, Johor Bahru, Malacca Town and Alor.

Geography:

Although there are two distinct parts to Malaysia, which are separated by one another by the South China Sea, they both share very similar landscapes. Coastal plains and densely forested hills and mountains grace both East and West Malaysia .

The climate is equatorial and follows the annual monsoons that run from April to October in the South West and from October to February in the North East.

Government:

Malaysia runs under a federal constitutional elective monarchy. The Head of State of Malaysia is Yang di-Pertuan Agong, otherwise known as the King of Malaysia. He or she is elected to a five-year term.

The Parliament is bicameral and consists of the House of Representatives (the lower house), the Dewan Rakyat, and the Senate (the upper house), the Dewan Negara. The House of Representatives has 222 members, all of whom are elected from single member constituencies for a maximum term of five years. The Senate is made up of 70 members, all of whom sit for three year terms.

Each of the thirteen separate states has a unicameral state legislative chamber, the Dewan Undangan Negeri. These state governments are led by Chief Ministers, the Menteri Besar.

Foreign Relations:

The country is a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations and the Developing 8 Countries.

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© Written by E.J.Clarke.