338 lines
27 KiB
Plaintext
338 lines
27 KiB
Plaintext
MALAYSIA
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 329,750 km2; land area: 328,550 km2
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Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico
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Land boundaries: 2,669 km total; Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782,
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Thailand 506 km
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Coastline: 4,675 km total (2,068 km Peninsular Malaysia,
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2,607 km East Malaysia)
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Maritime claims:
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Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation,
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specified boundary in the South China Sea;
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Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Disputes: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands
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with China, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; state of Sabah claimed by
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the Philippines; Brunei may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that
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divides Brunei into two parts
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Climate: tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and
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northeast (October to February) monsoons
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Terrain: coastal plains rising to hills and mountains
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Natural resources: tin, crude oil, timber, copper, iron ore,
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natural gas, bauxite
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Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops 10%; meadows and pastures
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NEGL%; forest and woodland 63%; other 24%; includes irrigated 1%
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Environment: subject to flooding; air and water pollution
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Note: strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern
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South China Sea
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PEOPLE
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Population: 17,981,698 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)
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Birth rate: 30 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 29 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 71 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Malaysian(s); adjective--Malaysian
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Ethnic divisions: Malay and other indigenous 59%, Chinese 32%,
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Indian 9%
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Religion: Peninsular Malaysia--Malays nearly all Muslim, Chinese
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predominantly Buddhists, Indians predominantly Hindu; Sabah--Muslim 38%,
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Christian 17%, other 45%; Sarawak--tribal religion 35%, Buddhist and
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Confucianist 24%, Muslim 20%, Christian 16%, other 5%
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Language: Peninsular Malaysia--Malay (official); English, Chinese
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dialects, Tamil; Sabah--English, Malay, numerous tribal dialects,
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Mandarin and Hakka dialects predominate among Chinese; Sarawak--English,
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Malay, Mandarin, numerous tribal languages
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Literacy: 78% (male 86%, female 70%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1990 est.)
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Labor force: 6,800,000; agriculture 30.8%, manufacturing 17%,
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government 13.6%, construction 5.8%, finance 4.3%, business services,
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transport and communications 3.4%, mining 0.6%, other 24.5% (1989 est.)
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Organized labor: 660,000, 10% of total labor force (1988)
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: none
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Type: Federation of Malaysia formed 9 July 1963; constitutional
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monarchy nominally headed by the paramount ruler (king) and a bicameral
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Parliament; Peninsular Malaysian states--hereditary rulers in all
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but Penang and Melaka, where governors are appointed by Malaysian
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Government; powers of state governments are limited by federal
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Constitution; Sabah--self-governing state, holds 20 seats in House of
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Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and
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other powers delegated to federal government; Sarawak--self-governing
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state within Malaysia, holds 27 seats in House of Representatives, with
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foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated
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to federal government
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Capital: Kuala Lumpur
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Administrative divisions: 13 states (negeri-negeri,
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singular--negeri) and 2 federal territories* (wilayah-wilayah
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persekutuan, singular--wilayah persekutuan); Johor, Kedah, Kelantan,
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Labuan*, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang,
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Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu, Wilayah Persekutuan*
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Independence: 31 August 1957 (from UK)
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Constitution: 31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963 when
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Federation of Malaya became Federation of Malaysia
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Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of
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legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the
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federation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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National holiday: National Day, 31 August (1957)
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Executive branch: paramount ruler, deputy paramount ruler, prime
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minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
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Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlimen) consists of an
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upper house or Senate (Dewan Negara) and a lower house or House of
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Representatives (Dewan Rakyat)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--Paramount Ruler AZLAN Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Sultan
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Yusof Izzudin (since 26 April 1989); Deputy Paramount Ruler JA'AFAR ibni
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Abdul Rahman (since 26 April 1989);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (since
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16 July 1981); Deputy Prime Minister Abdul GHAFAR Baba (since 7 May 1986)
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Political parties and leaders: Peninsular Malaysia--
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National Front, a confederation of 13 political parties dominated by
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United Malays National Organization Baru (UMNO Baru), MAHATHIR bin
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Mohamad;
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Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), LING Liong Sik;
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Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, Datuk LIM Keng Yaik;
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Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), Datuk S. Samy VELLU;
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Sabah--Berjaya Party, Datuk Haji Mohammed NOOR Mansor;
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Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Joseph Pairin KITINGAN;
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United Sabah National Organizaton (USNO), Tun Datu Haji MUSTAPHA;
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Sarawak--coalition Sarawak National Front composed of the Party
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Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), Datuk Patinggi Amar Haji Abdul TAIB
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Mahmud;
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Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), Datuk Amar Stephen YONG Kuet Tze;
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Sarawak National Party (SNAP), Datuk James WONG Kim Min;
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Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), Datuk Leo MOGGIE;
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major opposition parties are
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Democratic Action Party (DAP), LIM Kit Siang
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and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), Fadzil NOOR
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Suffrage: universal at age 21
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Elections:
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House of Representatives--last held 21 October 1990 (next to be
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held by August 1995);
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results--National Front 52%, other 48%;
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seats--(180 total) National Front 127, DAP 20, PAS 7, independents 4,
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other 22; note--within the National Front, UMNO got 71 seats and MCA 18
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seats
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Communists: Peninsular Malaysia--about 1,000 armed insurgents on
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Thailand side of international boundary and about 200 full time inside
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Malaysia surrendered on 2 December 1989; about 50 Communist insurgents in
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Sarawak surrendered on 17 October 1990
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Member of: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT,
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IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
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INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD,
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UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdul MAJID Mohamed; Chancery
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at 2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
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328-2700; there are Malaysian Consulates General in Los Angeles and
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New York;
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US--Ambassador Paul M. CLEVELAND; Embassy at 376 Jalan Tun Razak,
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50400 Kuala Lumpur (mailing address is P. O. Box No. 10035, 50700 Kuala
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Lumpur); telephone 60 (3) 248-9011
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Flag: fourteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating
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with white (bottom); there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side
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corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow fourteen-pointed star; the
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crescent and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was
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based on the flag of the US
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ECONOMY
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Overview: In 1988-90 booming exports helped Malaysia continue to
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recover from the severe 1985-86 recession. Real output grew by 8.8% in
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1989 and 10% in 1990, helped by vigorous growth in manufacturing
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output, further increases in foreign direct investment, particularly
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from Japanese and Taiwanese firms facing higher costs at home, and
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increased oil production in 1990. Malaysia has become the world's
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third-largest producer of semiconductor devices (after the US and Japan)
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and the world's largest exporter of semiconductor devices. Inflation
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remained low as unemployment stood at 6% of the labor force and as
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the government followed prudent fiscal/monetary policies. The country is
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not self-sufficient in food, and some of the rural population subsists at
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the poverty level. Malaysia's high export dependence leaves it
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vulnerable to a recession in the OECD countries or a fall in world
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commodity prices.
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GDP: $43.1 billion, per capita $2,460; real growth rate 10%
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(1990)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.1% (1990 est.)
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Unemployment rate: 6% (1990)
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Budget: revenues $12.6 billion; expenditures $11.8 billion,
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including capital expenditures of $3.2 billion (1991 est.)
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Exports: $28.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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commodities--natural rubber, palm oil, tin, timber, petroleum,
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electronics, light manufactures;
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partners--Singapore, US, Japan, EC
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Imports: $26.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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commodities--food, crude oil, consumer goods, intermediate goods,
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capital equipment, chemicals;
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partners--Japan, US, Singapore, FRG, UK
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External debt: $20.0 billion (1990)
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Industrial production: growth rate 15.8% (1990 est.); accounts
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for 27% of GDP
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Electricity: 5,600,000 kW capacity; 16,500 million kWh produced,
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940 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries:
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Peninsular Malaysia--rubber and oil palm processing and
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manufacturing, light manufacturing industry, electronics, tin mining and
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smelting, logging and processing timber;
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Sabah--logging, petroleum production;
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Sarawak--agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining,
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logging
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Agriculture:
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Peninsular Malaysia--natural rubber, palm oil, rice;
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Sabah--mainly subsistence, but also rubber, timber, coconut,
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rice;
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Sarawak--rubber, timber, pepper; there is a deficit
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of rice in all areas; fish catch of 608,000 metric tons in 1987
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Illicit drugs: transit point for Golden Triangle heroin
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going to the US, Western Europe, and the Third World
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-84), $170
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $4.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $42 million
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Currency: ringgit (plural--ringgits); 1 ringgit (M$) = 100 sen
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Exchange rates: ringgits (M$) per US$1--2.7151 (January 1991),
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1.7048 (1990), 2.7088 (1989), 2.6188 (1988), 2.5196 (1987), 2.5814
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(1986), 2.4830 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads:
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Peninsular Malaysia--1,665 km 1.04-meter gauge; 13 km double
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track, government owned;
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Sabah--136 km 1.000-meter gauge
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Highways:
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Peninsular Malaysia--23,600 km (19,352 km hard surfaced, mostly
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bituminous-surface treatment, and 4,248 km unpaved);
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Sabah--3,782 km;
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Sarawak--1,644 km
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Inland waterways:
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Peninsular Malaysia--3,209 km;
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Sabah--1,569 km;
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Sarawak--2,518 km
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Ports: Tanjong Kidurong, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Pasir Gudang,
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Penang, Port Kelang, Sandakan, Tawau
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Merchant marine: 157 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,530,756
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GRT/2,246,358 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 65 cargo, 22
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container, 2 vehicle carrier, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 livestock
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carrier, 31 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 chemical
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tanker, 6 liquefied gas, 1 passenger-cargo, 23 bulk
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Civil air: 53 major transport aircraft
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Pipelines: crude oil, 1,307 km; natural gas, 379 km
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Airports: 125 total, 119 usable; 32 with permanent-surface runways;
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1 with runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 18 with
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runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: good intercity service provided to peninsular
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Malaysia mainly by microwave relay, adequate intercity radio relay
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network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; international service good;
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good coverage by radio and television broadcasts; 994,860 telephones
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(1984); stations--28 AM, 3 FM, 33 TV; submarine cables extend to India
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and Sarawak; SEACOM submarine cable links to Hong Kong and Singapore;
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satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean
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INTELSAT, and 2 domestic
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Royal Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal
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Malaysian Air Force, Royal Malaysian Police Force, Marine Police,
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Sarawak Border Scouts
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,620,418; 2,815,910 fit for
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military service; 180,991 reach military age (21) annually
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Defense expenditures: $1.7 billion, 3.9% of GDP (1990)
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