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Malaysia vs. Thailand

Geography

MalaysiaThailand
LocationSoutheastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of VietnamSoutheastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Geographic coordinates2 30 N, 112 30 E15 00 N, 100 00 E
Map referencesSoutheast AsiaSoutheast Asia
Areatotal: 329,847 sq km

land: 328,657 sq km

water: 1,190 sq km
total: 513,120 sq km

land: 510,890 sq km

water: 2,230 sq km
Area - comparativeslightly larger than New Mexicoabout three times the size of Florida; slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming
Land boundariestotal: 2,742 km

border countries (3): Brunei 266 km, Indonesia 1881 km, Thailand 595 km
total: 5,673 km

border countries (4): Burma 2416 km, Cambodia 817 km, Laos 1845 km, Malaysia 595 km
Coastline4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km)3,219 km
Maritime claimsterritorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea
territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climatetropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoonstropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid
Terraincoastal plains rising to hills and mountainscentral plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere
Elevation extremeshighest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,095 m

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

mean elevation: 419 m
highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,565 m

lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m

mean elevation: 287 m
Natural resourcestin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxitetin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land
Land useagricultural land: 23.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 2.9% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 19.4% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0.9% (2018 est.)

forest: 62% (2018 est.)

other: 14.8% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: 41.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 30.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 8.8% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 1.6% (2018 est.)

forest: 37.2% (2018 est.)

other: 21.6% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land3,800 sq km (2012)64,150 sq km (2012)
Natural hazardsflooding; landslides; forest firesland subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts
Environment - current issuesair pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires; endangered species; coastal reclamation damaging mangroves and turtle nesting sitesair pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; water scarcity; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting; hazardous waste disposal
Environment - international agreementsparty to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - notestrategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Seacontrols only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore; ideas for the construction of a canal across the Kra Isthmus that would create a bypass to the Strait of Malacca and shorten shipping times around Asia continue to be discussed
Total renewable water resources580 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)438.61 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Population distributiona highly uneven distribution with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsulahighest population density is found in and around Bangkok; significant population clusters found througout large parts of the country, particularly north and northeast of Bangkok and in the extreme southern region of the country

Source: CIA Factbook