Malaysia

Malaysia is a state in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, divided by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia Borneo. Peninsular Malaysia has land and sea borders with Thailand and sea borders with Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia. East Malaysia has land and sea borders with Brunei and Indonesia, as well as a sea border with the Philippines and Vietnam. Kuala Lumpur is the capital of the country, the largest city and the seat of the legislative branch of the federal government. The nearest planned capital, Putrajaya, is the administrative capital; which is the seat of both the executive branch (Cabinet, federal ministries and agencies) and the judicial branch of the federal government. Malaysia, with a population of over 32 million, is ranked 43rd in the world in terms of population. The southernmost point of continental Eurasia is at Tanjung Piai. In the tropics, Malaysia is one of 17 species-rich countries, home to a number of endemic species.

Malaysia has its origins in the Malay kingdoms, which from the 18th century became subject to the British Empire, along with the protectorate of the British Strait settlements. Peninsular Malaysia was merged into the Malay Union in 1946. Malaya was reorganized into the Federation of Malay in 1948 and gained independence on August 31, 1957. On September 16, independent Malaya united with the then British Crown Colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore. 1963 - Malaysia. In August 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation and became a separate independent country.

The country is multinational and multicultural, which significantly influences its politics. About half of the population is Malays with minorities of Chinese, Indians and indigenous peoples. The country's official language is Malaysian, the standard form of the Malay language. English remains the second active language. By recognizing Islam as the country's established religion, the constitution grants freedom of religion to non-Muslims. The government is modeled on the Westminster parliamentary system, and the legal system is based on the common law. The head of state is an elected monarch, elected from nine state sultans every five years. The head of government is the prime minister.

Since independence, Malaysia's GDP has grown at an average annual rate of 6.5% for nearly 50 years. The economy has traditionally been fueled by natural resources, but is expanding into the science, tourism, trade and medical tourism sectors. Malaysia is a newly industrialized market economy, ranked third in Southeast Asia and 33rd in the world. He is one of the founders of ASEAN, EAS, OIC, as well as a member of APEC, the Commonwealth and the Non-Aligned Movement.