Malaysia Geography Profile 2008

Location

Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam

Geographic coordinates

2 30 N, 112 30 E

Map references

Southeast Asia

Area

total: 329,750 sq km
land: 328,550 sq km
water: 1,200 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries

total: 2,669 km
border countries: Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km

Coastline

4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km)

Maritime claims

territorial 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

Climate

tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons

Terrain

coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m

Natural resources

tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite

Land use

arable land: 5.46%
permanent crops: 17.54%
other: 77% (2005)

Irrigated land

3,650 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

580 cu km (1999)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 9.02 cu km/yr (17%/21%/62%)
per capita: 356 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards

flooding, landslides, forest fires

Environment - current issues

air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

Geography - note

strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea