Malasia

Malasia, commonly known in English as Malaysia, is a Southeast Asian federation located in the Malay Peninsula and the northern part of the island of Borneo. It consists of Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia, sharing land borders with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Brunei. The capital and largest city is Kuala Lumpur, while the administrative center is Putrajaya.

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with a federal parliamentary democracy. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong serves as the ceremonial head of state, elected in a five-year rotation among the sultans. The prime minister is the head of government. The federal legislature comprises two houses, the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara. The federation includes 13 states and 3 federal territories.

Historically, Malay kingdoms and the Malacca Sultanate were prominent in the region before the area came under British influence. The Federation of Malaya gained independence in 1957. In 1963, Malaya joined Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore to form Malaysia; Singapore left the federation in 1965.

Malaysia has a diversified economy with manufacturing, services, electronics, petroleum, and palm oil sectors playing major roles. It is a multi-ethnic society, with Malays forming the largest group, alongside Chinese, Indian, and various indigenous communities. Bahasa Malaysia is the official language; English is widely used. Islam is the official religion, with freedom of religion recognized in law.

Geographically, Malaysia has a tropical climate and rich biodiversity, with rainforests on Borneo and coastal habitats. The country is known for cultural diversity, cuisine, and festivals that reflect its ethnic groups. It faces environmental and development challenges such as deforestation and balancing growth with conservation.