Malaysia: Regions, Cities & Travel Guide

What is Malaysia known for?

The South China Sea divides it between Peninsular Malaysia, holding the capital Kuala Lumpur along the Malay Peninsula, and East Malaysia across the jungles of northern Borneo. Offshore islands draw divers. Thirteen states and three federal territories make up the federation.

Food from its many communities is a draw of its own.

Where is Malaysia?

Malaysia lies in the heart of Southeast Asia, its territory broken into two by the South China Sea. Peninsular Malaysia occupies the southern end of the Malay Peninsula, on the Asian mainland. It shares a long land border with Thailand and looks across narrow water to Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Sea lies close on either hand. Down the peninsula, jungle-covered hills give way to coastal plains and the busy straits that carry much of the region's shipping. The capital, Kuala Lumpur, sits inland on the western side, with the administrative seat of Putrajaya close by.

Across the South China Sea, East Malaysia takes in the northern part of the island of Borneo. Here the land is wilder. Deep jungle, wide rivers and high ground fill the interior, while Brunei sits enclosed along the coast and Indonesia holds the rest of the island to the south.

Offshore reefs and islands ring the shore, long prized for diving, and sea routes reach on toward the Philippines and Vietnam. Together the two halves stretch across a broad band of the tropics, from mainland plains to island jungle, with warm seas on every shore.

What is the history of Malaysia?

Malaysia took its modern shape in 1963, when lands on the Malay Peninsula and on northern Borneo were bound into one federation. Before that union the two sides had been governed apart, grown up under their own rulers and separated by the wide South China Sea. One crown drew them together.

It was built as a federal constitutional monarchy, a form it has kept ever since. Thirteen states and three federal territories were gathered into the whole. The federal territories, among them Kuala Lumpur, sit apart from the states.

The name Malaysia itself dates from that union. Kuala Lumpur became the national capital and the seat of the federal legislature, the political centre of the young country. It has stayed the largest city and the chief hub of the federation.

From there the union grew across both regions at once. Decades on, a second capital rose at Putrajaya to carry the administrative and judicial work of government, easing the load on Kuala Lumpur. Both halves answer to the one federal government.

That long balance between the peninsula and the island of Borneo still shapes the country.

What is Malaysia like?

Malaysia holds many peoples living side by side, and their mix shapes daily life across the federation. Malay is the national language, spoken from Peninsular Malaysia to the Borneo states, alongside many other tongues of the communities that settled here. Food is the common ground.

Markets and street stalls carry dishes drawn from every community, and the country is known across the region as a place to eat well. That reputation for food is part of what draws travellers from across Southeast Asia. Festivals fill the calendar.

The two halves keep their own character. On the peninsula, the older port towns and the capital blend the traditions of long-settled communities, while the Borneo states carry the customs of the island's many groups. Craft, dress and music vary from state to state.

Each state within the federation guards its own version of these traditions. What binds them is a shared federal identity and a common table. Malay ties the country together in speech, and the food of every community ties it together at the meal.

The result is varied, and unmistakably its own.

What is the climate of Malaysia?

Malaysia has a hot, wet equatorial climate with little change across the year. Days stay warm and humid from the Malay Peninsula to the Borneo states. Heavy afternoon rain is common.

Monsoon winds bring wetter spells to different coasts at different times, so one shore may pour while another stays dry. It is green the year round.

How do you get to Malaysia?

Getting into Malaysia takes little effort. Kuala Lumpur is the main entry point for the whole federation, and its international airport links the country to the rest of Asia and far beyond. Ferries and short flights cross the South China Sea to the Borneo states.

Road and rail run the length of Peninsular Malaysia, on toward Thailand and Singapore. The islands lie a boat ride offshore.