About Malaysia...
Record Country Malaysia
Malaysia
Official country name: Federation of Malaysia
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Area: 329 847 km ²
Population: 29 million people in 2012
Peoples and ethnic groups: Malay (50.4%), Chinese (23.7%), native (11%), India (7.1%), other (7.8%) in 2004. the Orang Asli: the first inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula, there are several ethnicities
Languages: Bahasa malaysia (the official language), English, Chinese, Tamil
Religions: In Malaysia, Islam is the state religion since 1450. More than half of the population is Malay, and Malays are all Muslims
Malays are very tolerant and practice a moderate Islam that holds a lot of respect for tradition
There are still many old believes inherited from Hinduism or animism
The Chinese are, in turn, mostly Buddhist and Hindu are Indians. Orang Asli tribes living in the jungle, meanwhile, are animists.
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
King: Abdul Halim
Prime Minister: Najib Tun Razak
HISTORY OF MALAYSIA
Malays were once very large sailors. Long before the Christian era, they went to Easter Island! In contrast, Malaysia attracted many foreigners; Malaysian coast provides an excellent maritime crossroads between China and India. Plus it was easy to access thanks to the monsoon winds. Thus Malaysia became a non-negligible market power, the Malay trading the rare species of their trees against Indian iron or cotton
From the 1st century after Jesus Christ, it seems that Malaysia was under the influence of India. Hinduism and Buddhism are introduced and discomfort populations are converted. For a long time, major kingdoms under the tutelage of India, succeed in Malaysia. These powerful kingdoms ruled a part of Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia
This power eventually finished by the empire of South India: in the eleventh century, Indian armies subdued the Malay kingdoms
Malacca until the fourteenth century was a fishing village. The port was founded in 1403, prospering from its ideal location. Developed by a Hindu prince, becomes a crossroads of maritime routes linking the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea. This city was successively inhabited by Chinese settlers, Portuguese, Dutch, English, Islamized and evangelized, Malacca enjoyed a large mixing and a rich history, which are reflected in its picturesque architecture. Moreover, it is now listed as World Heritage by UNESCO and it is one of the most sought destinations in Malaysia
By the Treaty of London 1824, the Dutch finally cede Malacca to the British. This treaty establishes the division of the Malay world into two parts, between future Malaysia and Indonesia
However, languages were virtually identical
In 1826 Malacca, Penang and Singapore, under the name of Straits Settlements ("Northwind Strait"), are placed under the administration of the British East India Company, that headquartered is in Calcutta in British India
These "factories of Detroit" thus enabled the British to rule commercially during the nineteenth century on the peninsula, while let the various Malay sultans a semblance of political power over their subjects. In addition, parallel to maritime trade, the discovery of deposits of tin enriched even more English
After a treaty signed with Siam, the States not yet federated of North pass under British control. In 1919, with the new protectorates and countertops of strait, the British crown dominates the country
In addition, it benefits from new wealth: latex, derived from rubber. There was no rubber in Malaysia before but some seeds brought to trial as Brazil will transform the country. Farmers get rich quickly and this "green gold" sown in the Malay jungle allows colonial England dominate the rubber market in the 1930s
After the Japanese occupation of the Second World War (the Japanese occupied Singapore, Borneo and the Malay Peninsula), the sense of independence has become increasingly popular, encouraged by the communist insurgency
In 1946, the British returned after the country abandoned the Japanese invader, after heavy fighting, are forced to restore a federation taking into account the power of the sultans, and initiate a process of independence
1955 is the year of the first national elections, in 1957 is the abandonment of British sovereignty and the proclamation of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. Despite the withdrawal of the Republic of Singapore (became independent in 1965) and diplomatic conflicts with neighboring countries: Indonesia and the Philippines on the territories of Borneo, the new federation was renamed Malaysia
Independent and united Malaysia can finally tackle the future based on a new economic policy. Now the government promotes national unity and would promote a "Malaysian" nation that transcends the current definitions (Malays, Chinese, Indians, etc.)
GEOGRAPHY OF MALAYSIA
Malaysia is a country located in South East Asia. Malaysia is composed of two distinct regions:
West Malaysia or Peninsular Malaysia (south of Thailand and north of Singapore) is divided from north to south by a long mountain range whose highest point is at 2,187 m (Mount Tahan in Taman Negara park) and where still large forest areas
The west coast is swampy and flat, the east coast, on the contrary, consists of long sandy beaches. Crops and plantations are primarily located along the coastal plains. Northern countries (Perlis and Kedah) is considered the rice granary of the country
East Malaysia consists of the territories of Sarawak and Sabah in the north of Indonesia (Borneo)
This part represents 15% of the population on 60% of the territory. It is mainly composed of rainforests and a fairly high terrain: Mount Kinabalu, which rises to 4095 meters is one of the highlights of South East Asia points
It shares its borders with the Sultanate of Brunei (381 km), which is locked on the island of Borneo between the states of Sabah and Sarawak, Indonesia (1178 km), Thailand (506 km), Singapore with 4675 km of coastline
ECONOMY IN MALAYSIA
Malaysia is one of the Asian Tigers; it increased in 25 years on the stage of developing countries than in developed countries
Development of Malaysia is organized according to five-year development plans. In March 2006, the government launched the 9th Development Plan. The government aims to achieve in 2020 a fully modern and developed nation. 'Malaysia 2020 "is a leitmotif in the country. The economic development of Malaysia is achieved through the modernization of transport (Métro Kuala Lumpur and Penang, highways, bridges, ports, trade), communications and energy infrastructure and the development of industrial zones and incentives tax for investors in export industries
The official currency is the Malaysian Ringgit (RM). One euro is worth approximately 4.50 RM. July 21, 2005, Bank Negara, the Malaysian National Bank ended the fixed exchange rate regime (Ringgit aligned with the American Dollar USD. It passed a managed float).
Japan, the United States and Singapore are the main economic partners of the country. Malaysia became a world leader in the production of electronic components, including semiconductors, and it is the first country in South-East Asia to design and produce a car, the Proton, which is exported to the four corners of the planet. Proton is now competed by a second Malaysian company: Perodua (Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd, literally 'Second Automobile Company').
MALAYSIAN WILDLIFE
Malaysian forests are home to a wide variety of wildlife. In Peninsular Malaysia, there are tiger, panther, bear, elephant and rhino
Malaysia, like all of South Asia, is the preferred habitat of monkeys
The trip to Kuala Selangor offers good opportunities to observe the capped langur. These monkeys once were the main source of protein for Orang Asli, who hunted with blowpipes throwing poison darts
There are many other species of monkeys that you have the opportunity to meet during this trip but the two most lovable monkeys are: proboscis monkey and orang-utan
The proboscis monkey is only finding in Borneo. They are distinguished by their enormous falling nose. These monkeys choose to live near the water in the coastal forests of Sarawak and Sabah, and in swamp forests. The proboscis monkeys are very sweet temperament and feeds exclusively of plants.
Also found only Orang-utan in Sabah and Sarawak. This big ape is probably (with the chimp African) the smartest land mammal after humans.
Orang-utans are apes with long arms and peeling red, sometimes brown, classified as apes. From Malaysia and Indonesia, they spend most of their time in trees, and there make a new nest every night. Adult males are about 1.4 m and weigh up to 82 kg. Their range of distribution is now reduced to the rainforest of Borneo (20,000 individuals) and Sumatra (6000 individuals).
The survival of orang-utans in the wild is greatly threatened by the development of human activities, and in particular deforestation for logging, mining and agriculture (especially for the production of palm oil then transformed biodiesel).
The species is also threatened by poaching (supplying the market for wild meat and pets) and forest fires
MALAYSIAN FLORA
Wild Malaysia lends itself perfectly to the growth of lush vegetation. The number of species of vascular plants (ie flowering plants, ferns and related species) is estimated at 8,500 on Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo in count 11000.
It is in Sabah that revealed the rhythm of growth the fastest of a tree: Albizia falcataria, which reached the height of 10.74 meters in just thirteen months. The largest sheet ever seen was that of a Aroid, Alocasia macrorrhiza discovered near Tawau in Sabah. This sheet measured 3 meters long and 1.90 meters wide. Malaysian rainforest is part of the oldest forests in the world: the ecosystem of the forest and the abundance of species evolving for tens of millions of years
There are different types of forests in Malaysia: mangroves occupy an intermediate zone of stagnant water between freshwater and the sea roots of mangrove trees tolerate salinity and lack of ventilation caused by immersion permanent in seawater. However, in order to have enough oxygen, these roots rise to the surface of the mud and water
Far from the sea, wherever floods are frequent, extend swamp forests. These forests produce leaves and fruits galore. They are populated by an abundance of wildlife that includes proboscis monkeys, orang-utans, monkeys, elephants, bulls and waterfowl
On the least wetlands that extend across Malaysia from an altitude of sea level about 900 meters, the natural vegetation consists of dipterocarp forests. This type of rainforest that once covered most of Malaysia, is still dominant in the chains of hills that have not been earned by the plantations and agriculture
As the altitude increases in dipterocarp forests, we note changes in the structure and composition of the forest. The dominant species of mountain forest appear: trees belonging to the family of oak, myrtle and laurel. We also observed magnolias, rhododendrons, raspberries and orchids and carnivorous plants
www.gatotravel.com