Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country occupying parts of the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo. It's known for its beaches, rainforests and mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European cultural influences. The capital, Kuala Lumpur, is home to colonial buildings, busy shopping districts such as Bukit Bintang and skyscrapers such as the iconic, 451m-tall Petronas Twin Towers.

FACTS & FIGURES:

Capital : Kuala Lumpur note: Putrajaya is referred to as the administrative capital

Currency : MYR

Population : 30,513,848

Total Area : 127,354 Square Miles // 329,847 Square Kilometers

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

Language : Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese dialects (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai

Weather : The country experiences tropical weather year-round. Temperatures range from 21ºC (70ºF) to 32ºC (90ºF).Higher elevations are much colder with temperatures between 15°C (59°F) to 25°C (77°F).  Annual rainfall varies from 2,000mm to 2,500mm. However, the wettest parts of Malaysia could well be the hill slopes of Sarawak’s inland areas, which receive a mean annual rainfall exceeding 5,000mm.

People and Language : Malays comprise 57% of the population, while the Chinese, Indian and Bumiputeras and other races make up the rest of the country's population While Malay is the national language the many ethnic groups also converse in their various languages and dialects, but English is also widely spoken. Islam is the official religion of the country, but other religions such as Buddhism and Christianity are widely and freely practised.

Country code : +60

Time : Eight hours ahead of GMT and 16 hours ahead of U.S Standard Time.

Electricity : Voltage is 220 - 240 Volt AC at 50 cycles per second. Malaysia uses standard 3-pin square plugs and sockets.

Telecommunications : Local calls can be made from public phones using coins or prepaid card. International calls can also be made using phone cards or at any Telekom office.