Portal:Malaysia

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Portal:Malaysia/Intro

Map of Malaysia

Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of 13 states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Malaysia. Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia. East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia, as well as a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam. Kuala Lumpur is the national capital, the country's largest city, and the seat of the legislative branch of the federal government. Putrajaya is the administrative centre, which represents the seat of both the executive branch (the Cabinet, federal ministries, and federal agencies) and the judicial branch of the federal government. With a population of over 33 million, the country is the world's 43rd-most populous country. Malaysia is tropical and is one of 17 megadiverse countries; it is home to numerous endemic species. Tanjung Piai in the Malaysian state of Johor is the southernmost point of continental Eurasia.

The country has its origins in the Malay kingdoms, which, from the 18th century on, became subject to the British Empire, along with the British Straits Settlements protectorate. During World War Two, British Malaya, along with other nearby British and American colonies, was occupied by the Empire of Japan. Following three years of occupation, Peninsular Malaysia was unified as the Malayan Union in 1946 and then restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948. The country achieved independence on 31 August 1957. On 16 September 1963, independent Malaya united with the then British crown colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore to become Malaysia. In August 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation and became a separate, independent country.

The country is multiethnic and multicultural, which has a significant effect on its politics. About half the population is ethnically Malay, with minorities of Chinese, Indians, and indigenous peoples. The official language is Malaysian Malay, a standard form of the Malay language. English remains an active second language. While recognising Islam as the official religion, the constitution grants freedom of religion to non-Muslims. The government is modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system, and the legal system is based on common law. The head of state is an elected monarch, chosen from among the nine state sultans every five years. The head of government is the prime minister.

After independence, the gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an average rate of 6.5% per year for almost 50 years. The country's economy has traditionally been driven by its natural resources but is expanding into commerce, tourism, and medical tourism. The country has a newly industrialised market economy, and it ranks very high in the Human Development Index. The country is a founding member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the East Asia Summit (EAS), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and a member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Commonwealth, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). (Full article...)

Johor Bahru (Malaysian: [ˈdʒohor ˈbahru]), colloquially referred to as JB, is the capital city of the state of Johor, Malaysia and the core city of Johor Bahru District, the second largest district in Malaysia by population. It is the second-largest GDP contributor among all major cities in Malaysia, and forms a part of Iskandar Malaysia, the nation's largest special economic zone by investment value. The city has a population of 858,118 people within an area of 391.25 km2.

As the financial centre and logistics hub of southern Peninsular Malaysia, Johor Bahru has been ranked the second-most competitive city in the nation, behind only Kuala Lumpur. Geographically, it is located at the southern end of Peninsular Malaysia, along the north bank of the Straits of Johor, opposite the city-state Singapore. The city serves as one of the two land border connections on the Malaysian side between Singapore and Malaysia, the other being the Second Link at Iskandar Puteri. It is the busiest international border crossing in the world; its direct land link to the city-state through the causeway and the RTS Link is a key economic driver of the border city. Johor Bahru is categorised as Zone A of Iskandar Malaysia and is adjacent to Senai International Airport and the 16th-busiest port in the world, Port of Tanjung Pelepas. (Full article...)
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Tun Abdul Ghafar bin Baba (Jawi: عبدالغفار بن باب; 18 February 1925 – 23 April 2006) was a Malaysian politician who served as 6th Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1986 to 1993. (Full article...)
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Mahmoodiah Royal Mausoleum
Mahmoodiah Royal Mausoleum
Mahmoodiah Royal Mausoleum (Malay: Makam Diraja Mahmoodiah) is a royal mausoleum in Johor Bahru, Johor. Sultan Abu Bakar, the first Sultan of Johor, is buried here.
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  • ... that part of the Malaysian tropical forest reserve Bukit Gasing has been protected from development, while another part has been sold to building contractors?
  • ... that Chinese entrepreneur Frank Tsao co-founded the national shipping lines of both Malaysia and Thailand, and was awarded the nobility title Tan Sri by the king of Malaysia?


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Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru
Credit: ויקיג'אנקי (24 February 2017)
Johor Bahru is a city and the capital of Johor. It is Malaysia's fastest growing city and the financial center of the state.


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