Geography of Malaysia (original) (raw)

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

**Geographic coordinates:**2 30 N, 112 30 E

**Map references:**Southeast Asia

Area:
_total:_329,750 km�
_land:_328,550 km�
_water:_1,200 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:
_continental shelf:_200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea
_exclusive economic zone:_200 nautical miles
_territorial sea:_12 nautical miles

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: Mount_Kinabalu 4,093m

Natural resources: tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite

Land use:
_arable land:_3%
_permanent crops:_12%
_permanent pastures:_0%
_forests and woodland:_68%
_other:_17% (1993 est.)

**Irrigated land:**2,941 km� (1998 est.)

**Natural hazards:**flooding, landslides

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
_signed, but not ratified:_Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

**Geography - note:**strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea

See also : Malaysia