 | |
| Continent | Asia |
|---|---|
| Region | Southeast Asia |
| Coordinates | 2°30'N 112°30'E |
| Area | Ranked 67th |
| • Total | 330,803 km2 (127,724 sq mi) |
| • Land | 99.63% |
| • Water | 0.37% |
| Coastline | 4,675 km (2,905 mi) |
| Borders | Total land borders 2,669 km (1,658 mi) Thailand: 506 km (314 mi) Indonesia: 1,782 km (1,107 mi) Brunei: 281 km (175 mi) |
| Highest point | Mount Kinabalu (4,095.2 m) |
| Lowest point | Indian Ocean (0 m) |
| Longest river | Rajang River |
| Largest lake | Kenyir Lake (manmade) Bera Lake (natural) |
| Exclusive economic zone | 334,671 km2 (129,217 sq mi) |
Thegeography of Malaysia includes both thephysical and thehuman geography ofMalaysia, aSoutheast Asian country made up of two major landmasses separated by water—Peninsular Malaysia to the west andEast Malaysia to the east—and numerous smaller islands that surround those landmasses. Peninsular Malaysia is on the southernmost part of theMalay Peninsula, south ofThailand, north ofSingapore and east of theIndonesian island ofSumatra; East Malaysia comprises most of the northern part ofBorneo, and shares land borders withBrunei to the north andIndonesian Borneo to the south.
Located near theequator, Malaysia's climate is categorised asequatorial, being hot and humid throughout the year. The average rainfall is 250 centimetres (98 in) a year[1] and the average temperature is 25.4 °C (77.7 °F).[2] The climates of Peninsular Malaysia and the East Malaysia differ, as the climate on the peninsula is directly affected by wind from the mainland, as opposed to the more maritime weather of East Malaysia. Malaysia is exposed to theEl Niño effect, which reduces rainfall in the dry season.Climate change is likely to have a significant effect on Malaysia, increasingsea levels and rainfall, increasing flooding risks and leading to large droughts.[3]
Malaysia faces twomonsoon winds seasons, thesouthwest monsoon from late May to September, and thenortheast monsoon from October to March. The northeast monsoon brings in more rainfall compared to the southwest monsoon,[4] originating inChina and theNorth Pacific. The southwest monsoon originates from the deserts ofAustralia. March and October form transitions between the two monsoons.[3]
Local climates are affected by the presence of mountain ranges throughout Malaysia, and climate can be divided into that of the highlands, the lowlands, and coastal regions. The coasts have a sunny climate, with temperatures ranging between 23 and 32 °C (73.4 and 89.6 °F), and rainfall ranging from 10 to 30 centimetres (4 to 12 in) a month. The lowlands have a similar temperature, but follow a more distinctive rainfall pattern and show very high humidity levels. The highlands are cooler and wetter, and display a greater temperature variation. A large amount of cloud cover is present over the highlands, which have humidity levels that do not fall below 75%.[3]
The highest temperature was recorded atChuping,Perlis on 9 April 1998 at 40.1 °C (104.2 °F). The lowest temperature in Peninsula Malaysia was recorded atCameron Highlands on 1 February 1978 at 7.8 °C (46.0 °F). The lowest temperature in East Malaysia was recorded onMount Kinabalu at −4 °C (25 °F). The highest snowfall was recorded in a year was 1 cm (0.4 in) atMount Kinabalu,Sabah in 1975, 1993, and 2022. The highest rainfall recorded in a day was 608 mm (23.9 in) inKota Bharu,Kelantan on 6 January 1967. The highest rainfall recorded in a year was 5,687 mm (223.9 in) atSandakan,Sabah in 2006. Meanwhile, the lowest rainfall recorded in a year was 1,151 mm (45.3 in) atTawau,Sabah in 1997.[5] The wettest place in Malaysia isKuching,Sarawak with an average rainfall of 4,159 mm (163.7 in) with 279 days of rain a year. The driest place in Malaysia is inSitiawan,Perak with average rainfall of 1,787 mm (70.4 in) a year.[5]
| Climate data for Kuala Lumpur (Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport) (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1963–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 38.0 (100.4) | 36.7 (98.1) | 37.9 (100.2) | 37.2 (99.0) | 38.5 (101.3) | 36.6 (97.9) | 36.3 (97.3) | 38.0 (100.4) | 35.9 (96.6) | 37.0 (98.6) | 36.0 (96.8) | 35.5 (95.9) | 38.5 (101.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.6 (90.7) | 33.3 (91.9) | 33.7 (92.7) | 33.7 (92.7) | 33.6 (92.5) | 33.3 (91.9) | 32.8 (91.0) | 32.8 (91.0) | 32.7 (90.9) | 32.6 (90.7) | 32.3 (90.1) | 32.0 (89.6) | 32.9 (91.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.8 (82.0) | 28.1 (82.6) | 28.1 (82.6) | 28.5 (83.3) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.0 (82.4) | 28.0 (82.4) | 27.7 (81.9) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.1 (80.8) | 27.1 (80.8) | 27.8 (82.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23.8 (74.8) | 24.0 (75.2) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.7 (76.5) | 25.0 (77.0) | 24.8 (76.6) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.2 (75.6) | 24.2 (75.6) | 24.1 (75.4) | 24.0 (75.2) | 24.4 (75.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 17.8 (64.0) | 18.0 (64.4) | 18.9 (66.0) | 20.6 (69.1) | 20.5 (68.9) | 19.1 (66.4) | 20.1 (68.2) | 20.0 (68.0) | 21.0 (69.8) | 20.0 (68.0) | 20.7 (69.3) | 19.0 (66.2) | 17.8 (64.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 226.7 (8.93) | 192.8 (7.59) | 270.4 (10.65) | 301.5 (11.87) | 229.9 (9.05) | 145.8 (5.74) | 165.2 (6.50) | 174.3 (6.86) | 220.3 (8.67) | 283.8 (11.17) | 355.8 (14.01) | 280.6 (11.05) | 2,847.1 (112.09) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 13.6 | 11.9 | 15.0 | 16.8 | 13.2 | 9.6 | 10.6 | 10.9 | 13.3 | 16.3 | 19.7 | 16.3 | 167.2 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 80 | 80 | 80 | 82 | 81 | 80 | 79 | 79 | 81 | 82 | 84 | 83 | 81 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 185.0 | 192.4 | 207.9 | 198.8 | 206.8 | 194.4 | 200.2 | 189.0 | 163.8 | 169.1 | 152.3 | 162.6 | 2,222.3 |
| Source 1:World Meteorological Organization[6] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Pogodaiklimat.ru[7] NOAA (sunshine hours, 1961–1990)[8] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Klang | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.0 (87.8) | 31.7 (89.1) | 32.3 (90.1) | 32.0 (89.6) | 31.9 (89.4) | 31.8 (89.2) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.3 (88.3) | 31.2 (88.2) | 31.1 (88.0) | 30.8 (87.4) | 30.7 (87.3) | 31.4 (88.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.3 (79.3) | 26.7 (80.1) | 27.2 (81.0) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.3 (81.1) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.3 (79.3) | 26.8 (80.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.6 (70.9) | 21.7 (71.1) | 22.1 (71.8) | 22.7 (72.9) | 23.0 (73.4) | 22.8 (73.0) | 22.3 (72.1) | 22.2 (72.0) | 22.4 (72.3) | 22.4 (72.3) | 22.3 (72.1) | 22.0 (71.6) | 22.3 (72.1) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 179 (7.0) | 139 (5.5) | 207 (8.1) | 222 (8.7) | 173 (6.8) | 108 (4.3) | 107 (4.2) | 150 (5.9) | 179 (7.0) | 246 (9.7) | 265 (10.4) | 233 (9.2) | 2,208 (86.8) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org[9] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Kuching (1991–2020 normals), extremes 1876–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 34.6 (94.3) | 34.7 (94.5) | 35.2 (95.4) | 36.1 (97.0) | 36.0 (96.8) | 35.6 (96.1) | 36.1 (97.0) | 36.4 (97.5) | 37.1 (98.8) | 36.5 (97.7) | 34.8 (94.6) | 34.7 (94.5) | 37.1 (98.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.0 (86.0) | 30.2 (86.4) | 31.4 (88.5) | 32.4 (90.3) | 32.7 (90.9) | 32.6 (90.7) | 32.5 (90.5) | 32.6 (90.7) | 32.1 (89.8) | 32.0 (89.6) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.0 (87.8) | 31.8 (89.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.9 (78.6) | 26.0 (78.8) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.8 (80.2) | 27.1 (80.8) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.0 (80.6) | 26.9 (80.4) | 26.6 (79.9) | 26.3 (79.3) | 26.2 (79.2) | 26.0 (78.8) | 26.5 (79.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.6 (74.5) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.5 (74.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 17.8 (64.0) | 18.9 (66.0) | 18.3 (64.9) | 20.0 (68.0) | 20.6 (69.1) | 18.9 (66.0) | 19.4 (66.9) | 19.4 (66.9) | 19.3 (66.7) | 20.5 (68.9) | 20.0 (68.0) | 18.9 (66.0) | 17.8 (64.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 672.3 (26.47) | 501.4 (19.74) | 340.2 (13.39) | 303.2 (11.94) | 267.8 (10.54) | 255.4 (10.06) | 200.9 (7.91) | 263.7 (10.38) | 245.3 (9.66) | 343.1 (13.51) | 341.5 (13.44) | 498.1 (19.61) | 4,232.7 (166.64) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 21.4 | 17.0 | 17.6 | 17.4 | 15.9 | 14.5 | 13.1 | 14.7 | 15.8 | 19.1 | 21.2 | 22.8 | 210.5 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 89 | 88 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 84 | 83 | 83 | 85 | 86 | 88 | 89 | 86 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 126 | 137 | 149 | 154 | 156 | 159 | 165 | 163 | 158 | 152 | 149 | 136 | 1,804 |
| Source 1:World Meteorological Organization[10] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Ogimet[11] Meteo Climat (record highs and lows),[12]Deutscher Wetterdienst (humidity, 1975–1985)[13] | |||||||||||||
Climate change is having a considerable impact inMalaysia. Increasing temperatures are likely to greatly increase the number ofheatwaves occurring annually. Variations inprecipitation may increase the frequency ofdroughts andfloods in various local areas.Sea level rise may inundate some coastal areas. These impacts are expected to have numerous environmental and socioeconomic effects, exacerbating existingenvironmental issues and reinforcinginequality.
Malaysia itself contributes emissions given its significant use ofcoal andnatural gas. However, the use ofhydropower has expanded in the 21st century, and other potential energy sources such assolar power andbiomass are being explored. Thegovernment anticipates the need to adapt in areas such as health and coastal defences, and has ratified theParis Agreement.
Malaysia is located on theSunda Shelf, and is tectonically inactive. The oldest rocks in the country date from 540 million years ago, and are mostlysedimentary. The most common kind of rock islimestone that formed during thePaleozoic Era. Limestone that had accreted in East Malaysia during theTertiary period later eroded, forming basins of sedimentary rocks that are rich in oil and natural gas. The mountain ranges in Malaysia were formed throughorogenesis beginning in theMesozoic Era.[3]
The total land area of Malaysia is 330,803 square kilometres (127,720 sq mi), the 66thlargest country in the world in terms of area.[14] It is the only country to contain land on both mainlandAsia and theMalay Archipelago.[3] Peninsular Malaysia makes up 132,090 square kilometres (51,000 sq mi),[1] or almost 40% of the country's land area, while East Malaysia covers 198,847 square kilometres (76,780 sq mi), or 60%. From the total land area, 1,200 square kilometres (460 sq mi) or 0.37% is made up of water such as lakes, rivers, or other internal waters. Malaysia has a total coastline of 4,675 kilometres (2,905 mi), and Peninsular Malaysia has 2,068 kilometres (1,285 mi), while East Malaysia has 2,607 kilometres (1,620 mi) of coastline.[15]
Malaysia has the 29thlongest coastline in the world. The two distinct parts of Malaysia, separated from each other by theSouth China Sea, share a largely similar landscape in that bothPeninsular Malaysia andEast Malaysia feature coastal plains rising to hills and mountains.[15]
Peninsular Malaysia covers the southern half of theMalay Peninsula,[3] and extends 740 kilometres (460 mi) from north to south, and its maximum width is 322 kilometres (200 mi).[1] It is mountainous, with more than half of it over 150 metres (492 ft) abovesea level.[3] About half of Peninsular Malaysia is covered bygranite and otherigneous rocks, a third more is covered by stratified rocks older than the granite, and the remainder is covered byalluvium.[16]
Harbours are only available on the peninsula's western side,[1] and the most fertile land occurs when river valleys flow out to the sea. The coastal plains bordering theStrait of Malacca are the most densely populated areas of Malaysia, and contains Malaysia's capital,Kuala Lumpur.[3]
East Malaysia, on the island ofBorneo, has a coastline of 2,607 kilometres (1,620 mi).[15] It is divided between coastal regions, hills and valleys, and a mountainous interior. There are only two major cities,Kuching andKota Kinabalu. Much of southern Sarawak is coastal lowlands, which shifts to a series of plateaus going north, ending in the mountainous regions of Sabah.[3]
The highest mountain range in Malaysia is theCrocker Range in Sabah, which divides the state in half. This range includesMount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in the country,[17] as well asMount Sinsing, the third highest in the country. Mount Kinabalu, is 4,095.2 metres (13,436 ft), and is protected as it is withinKinabalu Park, a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site and national park.[18] Mount Kinabalu is 55% (by 1,453.2 metres (4,768 ft) margin) taller thanMount Trusmadi, Malaysia's second tallest mountain.[citation needed]
Mountain ranges in East Malaysia tend to follow north–south or northeast–southwest paths, and the highest ranges form the border between Malaysia and Indonesia. The mountains contain many jagged limestone peaks.[3] TheTrus Madi Range, also in Sabah, houses Mount Trus Madi.Bombalai Hill in Sabah is the only activevolcano in Malaysia.[19]
Peninsular Malaysia contains numerous mountain ranges running parallel from north to south along the peninsula.[3] The main mountain range is theTitiwangsa Mountains, which divides the peninsula between its east and west coasts.[20] It housesMount Korbu, the second highest peak in Peninsular Malaysia. These mountains are heavily forested, and mainly composed ofgranite. The range is the origin of some of Peninsular Malaysia's river systems.[21] To the east of this range is theBintang Range.[1] The highest peak in Peninsular Malaysia isMount Tahan, located on theTahan Range.[citation needed]
Numerous caves run through the country due to thekarst landscape caused by water eroding limestone. TheMulu Caves in East Malaysia are the largest caves in the world. They are located between thePenambo range andBrunei, and are a major tourist attraction. At 700 metres (2,297 ft) long and 70 metres (230 ft) high theSarawak Chamber is the largest cave chamber in the world. Other famous caves are the 1.6 kilometres (1 mi)Deer Cave and Lang's Cave.[3]
Malaysia containsnumerous islands, the largest of which fully within Malaysia isBanggi Island inSabah, which has an area of 440.7 square kilometres (170 sq mi).[22] It is followed byBruit Island in Sarawak,Langkawi in Kedah, andPenang Island in Penang. The largest island shared with another country isBorneo, followed bySebatik Island. In addition, Malaysia lies within the world'scoral reef distribution.[23] The reefs can be usually found around islands such asSipadan Island,Swallow Reef, andRedang Island.[24] Sipadan, anunderwater mountain, is Malaysia's only oceanic island.[25]
A recent global remote sensing analysis suggests that there were 1,713 km2 of tidal flats in Malaysia, making it the 19th ranked country in terms of how much tidal flat occurs there.[26]
Malaysian forests can be categorised astropical rainforests. Approximately 58.2% of Malaysia's land is covered by forest. A large amount of lowland forest is present below an altitude of 760 metres (2,493 ft).[1] East Malaysia, like most of Borneo, was formerly covered by theBorneo lowland rain forests[27] with over 2000 tree species.[3] However, much of it has been cleared,[27] due to the increase in logging since the 1960s and the increase of shifting cultivation. Over 80% of Sarawak's forests have been felled, and the logging throughout East Malaysia has polluted waterways, increased erosion, and damaged agriculture.[3] Some state governments have now taken measures to halt the degradation of the rainforest.[27]
Malaysia's rainforests are made of a variety of types, mainlydipterocarp,swamps, andmangroves. The majority of the forest isdipterocarp forests.[27] Dipterocarps species are centred in Malaysia.[28] There are over 1,425 square kilometres (550 sq mi) of mangroves in Malaysia.[1] Some areas are designated as forest reserves, state parks, or national parks. The management of these reserves is done by the Department of Wildlife and National Park, the Forest Department of Sarawak, the Sabah Forestry Department, the Sabah Foundation, andSabah Parks. As of 2000, there are twoWorld Heritage Sites under the natural category –Kinabalu Park andGunung Mulu National Park.[29]
Malaysia is divided into several tropical forest ecoregions.
Peninsular Malaysia is home to thePeninsular Malaysian rain forests,Peninsular Malaysian montane rain forests,Peninsular Malaysian peat swamp forests, andTenasserim-South Thailand semi-evergreen rain forests.
Eastern Malaysia is home to theBorneo lowland rain forests,Borneo montane rain forests,Borneo peat swamp forests,Southwest Borneo freshwater swamp forests, andSundaland heath forests.[30]
Peninsular Malaysia's west coast is home to theMyanmar Coast mangroves. TheIndochina mangroves fringe Peninsular Malaysia's east coast. TheSunda Shelf mangroves line Borneo's coast.
The southernmost point of Malaysia is located in the district ofSerian in Sarawak.Tanjung Piai on the southern tip ofJohor is the southernmost point of theMalay Peninsula, and thus of the whole of continentalEurasia.[31][32] The easternmost point is found on the tip ofDent Peninsula inLahad Datu district in Sabah. The northernmost point is found on the northern tip of Banggi Island. The westernmost point isPerak Island, a sandstone rock which is part ofKedah state that rises at the center of the Strait of Malacca.[citation needed]
Between Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia is theSouth China Sea, the largest body of water around Malaysia. Facing the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia is theStrait of Malacca towards the south, and theAndaman Sea towards the north. TheStrait of Malacca, lying betweenSumatra and Peninsular Malaysia, is arguably the most important shipping lane in the world.[33] These seas aremarginal seas of theIndian Ocean.[citation needed]
Off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia is the South China Sea,[3] while a small part in the north lies within theGulf of Thailand. These form part of the marginal seas of thePacific Ocean. TheStraits of Johor off the south of Peninsular Malaysia acts as the maritimeborder of Malaysia and Singapore.[citation needed] In East Malaysia, the western coasts of Sabah and Sarawak face the South China Sea. The northeast coast of Sabah faces theSulu Sea, while the southeast coast of Sabah faces theCelebes Sea.[3]
Malaysia claims 12nm (22 kilometres (14 mi)) as itsterritorial waters,[34] which extend into theCoral Triangle.[35] It also has anexclusive economic zone of 334,671 km2 (129,217 sq mi) based on 200 metres (656 ft)nautical miles from its coastal baseline. Malaysia claims 200 metres (656 ft) in the depth of thecontinental shelf or to the depth of exploration within the area below the South China Sea known asSundaland.[36][failed verification] The territorial claim for the Strait of Malacca is shared between Malaysia and Indonesia in accordance to a treaty signed in 1970 known as theTreaty Between the Republic of Indonesia and Malaysia on Determination of boundary Lines of Territorial Waters of the two Nations at the Strait of Malacca.[37]
TheBera Lake in Pahang is one of the largest lakes in Malaysia, and one of the only two natural lakes in Malaysia withChini Lake.Pedu Lake is a 12 kilometres (7 mi) long lake located 5 kilometres (3 mi) from theMalaysia–Thailand border.Kenyir Lake is the largest artificial lake in Southeast Asia.[citation needed]
There are many systems of rivers found around Malaysia. The longest is theRajang River in Sarawak with a length of 760 kilometres (472 mi).[38] The second longest is theKinabatangan River in Sabah with a length of 560 kilometres (348 mi).[39] The longest river in Peninsular Malaysia is thePahang River with a length of 435 kilometres (270 mi).[40]
Malaysia is amegadiverse country, with a high number of species and high levels of endemism.[41] These forests contain theRafflesia, the world's largest flower.[27] The clearing of theBorneo lowland rain forests has caused wildlife to retreat into theupland rain forests inland.[27]
Malaysia's geographical location protects the country from most major natural disasters. It is located on a seismically stable plate that minimises direct risks ofearthquakes andvolcanoes, is partially protected fromtsunamis by surrounding landmasses, and is a rare target fortropical cyclones. However, the country's tropical climate opens the country to the risk offlooding,landslides and prolongeddroughts.[citation needed] Global climate change may exacerbate the situation with extreme weather events in Southeast Asia raising the economic, political and social risks for Malaysia.[42]
With 189 water basins and an average rainfall of over 2,000–4,000 mm per year, Malaysia is prone toriverine,muddyfloods that range from hours-longflash floods, to prolonged flooding on flat, low-lying land along major tributaries and main stems. 15 instances of major flooding in the region have occurred since 1926; notable floods include the1971 floods in and aroundKuala Lumpur that killed 32, affected 180,000 and prompted the launch of flood control projects in the city,2006 and 2007 floods inJohor that resulted in 18 deaths andRM1.5 billion in damages in addition to the temporary displacement of 110,000 people,[43] and major flooding centered around theKlang Valley in2021–2022 that led to 54 deaths, at least RM5.3–6.5 billion in damages and left 125,490 displaced. Flooding has been a major concern in recent decades due to rapid development in river catchment areas that has led to increased surface and river runoffs, increased sediment buildup in rivers, and frequent erosion along river banks.[citation needed]
Due to weakCoriolis forces from its close proximity to the equator, direct passages oftropical cyclones are rare for the country despite its proximity to the highly active Northwestern Pacifictropical cyclone basin. The only tropical cyclones to significantly affect Malaysia since records began wereTropical Storm Greg in 1996 andTropical Storm Vamei in 2001; the former's passage overSabah remains the deadliest tropical storm in the country's history, with 238 dead and 102 missing. However, tropical depressions as well as outlying storm patterns generated by passing cyclones have made landfall regularly, often leading to abnormally high rainfall and flooding, such as the tail ofTyphoon Lekima striking theMalay Peninsula in August 2018, and the path of 2021'sTropical Depression 29W across central Peninsular Malaysia contributing torecord precipitation and protracted flooding in the region between December 2021 and January 2022.[citation needed]
Malaysia is largely seismically stable with little modern history of volcanic activity, being situated entirely on theSundatectonic plate, between two major boundaries of theAustralian Plate andEurasian Plate in the west of Peninsular Malaysia, and thePhilippine Sea Plate andEurasian Plate at East Malaysia.[44]
Peninsular Malaysia is more accustomed to only light tremors caused by earthquakes along theSumatran islands ofIndonesia generated predominantly by theGreat Sumatran fault andSunda megathrust.[45] However, a pair of rare earthquakes that did not originate in Sumatra were felt in much of Malaya and Singapore on 31 January 1922 and 7 February 1922.[46] As is with Singapore, the effects of tremors are also felt more significantly on skyscrapers common in populated centres in Malaysia due to the effects ofmechanical resonance. East Malaysian states, particularlySabah, are at risk of more moderateinterplate andintraplate earthquakes due to its closer proximity to active tectonic activities along theRing of Fire, with record earthquakes in the country occurring in Sabah in 1923, 1951,1976 and2015 at an average of 6.0–6.5Mw.[47] The fringes of Sabah also lay host to a series of the country's only volcanoesat the Tawau volcanic field and off the state's coast. Prominently,Mount Bombalai last erupted during theHolocene epoch, while the last major eruption in present-day Malaysia occurred during the formation of a chain ofvolcanic islands (prominently includingPulau Tiga) offKimanis Bay in 1897.[citation needed]
Interest towardstsunami risks to Malaysia has also heighten since the2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Although the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia was largely shielded by Sumatra from the full effects of waves generated by the earthquake, weaker deflected tsunami wavesled to damage and casualties along the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia, affecting coastalPerlis,Kedah,Penang andPerak. The disaster also highlights the risk of further tsunamis that may strike coasts in direct line of undersea faults, primarily around theSouth China Sea.[48]
Malaysia produces petroleum and is a net exporter.[49] Malaysia also producesliquefied natural gas as well as various other related products, most of which are found off the coasts ofTerengganu,Sabah, andSarawak. Other notable natural resources includes tin, timber, copper, iron, ore, and bauxite.[citation needed]
Malaysia was the largest exporter oftin until the industry-wide collapse in the 1980s. Tin deposits are found in areas inSelangor,Kinta valley inPerak,Pahang andJohor.[50] There are significant deposit of gold in thePahang towns ofRaub andKuala Lipis and alsoKelantan's district ofGua Musang.[51]
Coal is mostly concentrated in theSarawak towns ofKapit,Mukah andSilantek.[citation needed]
Timber can be found in the vast jungles in Malaysia, especially in East Malaysia. Malaysia's total exports of timber and other timber products amounted toMYR 23.4 billion in 2007.[52]
Large areas of land are used aspalm oil plantations,rubber plantations, andpaddy fields. Malaysia is the world's largest exporter of palm oil producing 15.8 million tonnes of crude palm oil in 2007.[49][52] Malaysia is also one of the largest producers and exporters of rubber and other rubber products.[53]
As of 2011, the percentage arable land in Malaysia is 5.44%. Croplands consists of 17.49% while other land uses consists of 77.07%.[54] As of 2009, irrigated land covers 3,800 km2. Total renewable water resource total 580 cubic km as of 2011.[citation needed]
Peninsular Malaysia is more populated than East Malaysia with 79.2% of the population living in Peninsular Malaysia. In 2002, 59% of Malaysian population lived inurban areas, while the rest live inrural areas.[55] The largest city isKuala Lumpur with a population of 1.89 million people in the city, and about 7 million in the metropolitan area known asKlang Valley. Other major cities includeGeorge Town,Ipoh,Johor Bahru,Kuching, andKota Kinabalu.
| Rank | Name | State | Pop. | Rank | Name | State | Pop. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kuala Lumpur | Federal Territory | 1,982,112 | 11 | Ipoh | Perak | 759,952 | ||
| 2 | Kajang | Selangor | 1,047,356 | 12 | Seremban | Negeri Sembilan | 681,541 | ||
| 3 | Seberang Perai | Penang | 946,092 | 13 | Iskandar Puteri | Johor | 575,977 | ||
| 4 | Subang Jaya | Selangor | 902,086 | 14 | Kuantan | Pahang | 548,014 | ||
| 5 | Klang | Selangor | 902,025 | 15 | Sungai Petani | Kedah | 545,053 | ||
| 6 | Johor Bahru | Johor | 858,118 | 16 | Ampang Jaya | Selangor | 531,904 | ||
| 7 | Shah Alam | Selangor | 812,327 | 17 | Kota Kinabalu | Sabah | 500,425 | ||
| 8 | George Town | Penang | 794,313 | 18 | Malacca City | Malacca | 453,904 | ||
| 9 | Petaling Jaya | Selangor | 771,687 | 19 | Sandakan | Sabah | 439,050 | ||
| 10 | Selayang | Selangor | 764,327 | 20 | Alor Setar | Kedah | 423,868 | ||
Malaysia is divided intothirteen states and threeFederal Territories. Eleven states and two Federal Territories are found in Peninsular Malaysia, while two states and one Federal Territory are found in East Malaysia. The states are further divided intoadministrative districts. In Sabah and Sarawak, they are first divided intodivisions, then further divided into districts. There are separate subdivisions forelectoral districts for polling purposes.[citation needed]
Internationalborders between Malaysia andIndonesia,Thailand,Singapore andBrunei are defined mostly by geological features such as thePerlis River and Golok River between Malaysia and Thailand;Straits of Johor between Malaysia and Singapore; and Pagalayan Canal between Malaysia and Brunei. However, borders that extends to the seas are defined by agreements such asStraits Settlement and Johore Territorial Waters Agreement of 1927 which defines Malaysia and Singapore water borders.[citation needed]
Malaysia'sland borders are well established. The border with Thailand was established in 1909 when Siam cededKedah,Kelantan,Perlis andTerengganu to the British. Maritime border disputes betweenBrunei and Malaysia and a Bruneian claim onLimbang, Sarawak were resolved in an exchange of letters between the two countries on 16 March 2009 after 20 years of negotiations.[56]
Malaysia andIndonesia have some overlapping maritime claims, notably in the area aroundSabah. An ongoing series of meetings to resolve these claims has produced 16 border agreements (to September 2010).[57][58] Malaysia andSingapore also have disputes concerning some maritime borders.[15]
ThePhilippines has a dormant claim to the eastern part of the Malaysian state ofSabah.[15] Malaysia is also involved in a dispute involvingVietnam, Brunei, thePeople's Republic of China, the Philippines, and theRepublic of China (Taiwan), concerning theSpratly Islands in theSouth China Sea.[15]
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