Malaysia, federation of 13 states forming a constitutional monarchy in South East Asia, comprising two distinct regions separated by some 650 km (400 mi) of the South China Sea. Malaysia is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The regions are Peninsular Malaysia, formerly known as West Malaysia; and Sarawak and Sabah, formerly known as East Malaysia. Peninsular Malaysia comprises 11 states occupying the southern half of the Malay Peninsula, bordered on the north by Thailand, on the south by Singapore, on the west by the Strait of Malacca, and on the east by the South China Sea. The states of Sabah and Sarawak occupy the northern third of the island of Borneo, and are bordered on the north and west by the South China Sea, on the east by the Sula and Celebes seas, and on the south by the Indonesian province of Kalimantan. The island of Labuan, formerly part of Sabah, was made a federal territory in 1984. The sultanate of Brunei forms a coastal enclave in northern Sarawak.

Population
	21,300,000
	(1996 estimate)
Population Density
	64 people/sq km
	(167 people/sq mi)
	(1996 estimate)
Urban/Rural Breakdown
	46% Urban
	54% Rural
Largest Cities
	Kuala Lumpur1,145,075
	Ipoh382,633	Johor Baharu328,646
	(1991 census)
Ethnic Groups
	47% Malay
	32% Chinese
	 9% Indigenous people from Borneo
	 9% Indian
Languages
Official Language
	Bahasa Malaysia
Other Languages
	English, Chinese, Tamil, Iban, 
Religions
	53% Islam
	25% Chinese folk religion
	7%  Hinduism
	6%  Buddhism
	6%  Christianity
	3%  Other