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Malaysia, in every sense of the word is truly 'cosmopolitan’. Strategically located at the junction of the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, it held an irresistible attraction for adventurers and explorers, traders and raiders, missionaries and evangelists. Seafaring Chinese, Indians, Eurasians, Portuguese, Dutch, British, Japanese- all found their way to Malaysia.

Many settled here and are now more 'native’ than the Malays; some came, made their fortunes and left; others caused so much trouble that they were evicted. But all added in one way or the other to the rich and fascinating multi-hued cultural tapestry that is Malaysia.

Malaysia has a highway network that is about 65,877 km which is more than the Earth's circumference which measures approximately 40,075 km!

Did you know in Malaysia, people greet each other by saying “Sudah makan?” which means, “Have you eaten?” No wonder Malaysia is truly a paradise for food lovers.

Rafflesia, the largest flower in the world is found in the Malaysian rainforest.

Historically Speaking

Malaysia became a melting pot of nations – settled by people who wound their way from India, China and Europe, bringing their own cultures and customs with them. Trade was the magnet that drew merchants and adventurers to the Malay Peninsula; they prospered, as did Malaysia. In the 1400s, the Malacca Malay Sultanate ousted the Hindu dynasty ruling the region and converted Malacca into part of the Sultanate. Under the rule of the Malacca Sultan, Iskandar Shah (also called 'Parameswara’), Malaysia’s importance as a strategic trading post grew.

Situated at the confluence of the east and the west, Malacca soon became the bone of contention between rival European powers eager to grab the lucrative trade in the region. In 1511, the Portuguese grabbed power, but could hold on to it for one and a half centuries; in 1641, the Dutch became masters of the country, only to be ousted by the British in 1815.

Over the next hundred years, the British consolidated their hold and by 1914, the British reigned supreme over three different sets of states -the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States and the Unfederated Malay States. Discontent and resentment of foreign rule reached a head in the 1930s and along with much of Asia, Malaysia too began a nationalist movement. A movement for independence arose but was interrupted by World War II (and the subsequent occupation by the Japanese), and was resumed only during the 1950s. The country became independent on August 31, 1957, and the Federation of Malaysia, consisting of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore was formed six years later, in 1963. In 1965, Singapore ceded from the federation and became a free country.

Under the leadership of PM Dr. Mahathir Mohammad, Malaysia revamped its economic policies in the ‘80s to change its focus from the previously agrarian economy to a more mixed economy, with a greater emphasis on foreign investments and privatization. In the two decades since then, Malaysia has gone far down the road to development, and today, has a reasonably stable government, a well-established economy and a flourishing tourist trade.

Habitat

Malaysia is divided into two parts, facing each other across the South China Sea. Peninsular Malaysia makes up 40% of the country, and juts out of mainland Asia, with the South China Sea on the east coast and the Andaman Sea on the west coast. Peninsular Malaysia has several mountain ranges running from north to south, flanked by a wide fertile plain on the west and a narrow coastal strip on the east.

Separated from the peninsula by 650 km of sea lies East Malaysia – the two provinces of Sabah and Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. This part of Malaysia consists of dense tropical rainforests, and is dissected by large river systems. The peak of Mt Gunung Kinabalu (4101 m) in Sabah is one of the highest mountains in South-East Asia.

At present, Malaysia has substantial forest cover, but one of the major environmental issues facing the country is that of deforestation (timber is one of the main exports, and this is wreaking havoc on Malaysia’s jungles). Flooding, landslides and smoke from Indonesian forest fires also constitute environmental problems.

Covered with a variety of forests, Malaysia has a fascinating ecosystem of its own, particularly as far as plants and animal life is concerned. The island of Borneo has the world’s oldest rainforests, with over 8,000 species of flowering plants, including some 2,000 species of trees, 200 odd palms and more than 800 varieties of orchids – a horticulturists dream come true. Among the other well-known flowers are the hibiscus (Malaysia’s national flower), and the evil-smelling Rafflesia, measuring up to a metre across, weighing up to 9 kg, and smelling like rotting meat – a vulture’s dream come true. Thankfully, it blooms only once in a while.

The coasts of Malaysia have mud swamps and mangroves extending till the dense forest cover of the highlands. More than 60% land is covered by forests, including trees with tall, dense canopies, the 80 m Tualang, the world’s tallest tropical tree tree grows here.

Obviously, such thick forests are also inhabited by a regular army of creatures, around 200 species of mammals (including elephants, leopards, tigers, monkeys, wild cattle, and the famous 'forest men’ – orangutans) and 450 species of birds. In addition, there are around 100 species of butterflies and a staggering 1,50,000 species of insects. Not a place for anyone who’s squeamish about creepy-crawlies!