Geography of Malaysia
Location: | Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam |
Geographic coordinates: | 2 30 N, 112 30 E |
Map references: | Southeast Asia |
Area: | total: 329,750 sq km land: 328,550 sq km water: 1,200 sq 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: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea |
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: Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m |
Natural resources: | tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite |
Land use: | arable land: 5.46% permanent crops: 17.54% other: 77% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 3,650 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | flooding, landslides, forest fires |
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands |
Geography - note: | strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea |