Page 14 - The Guide To Sarawak

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INTRODUCTION TO MALAYSIA
A Land of Multiple Facets
The Land
Malaysia lies at the heart
of Southeast Asia, just north of the Equator. With a land area of 329,847sq km Malaysia is almost as large as Germany and somewhat bigger than Italy.
The country consists of two main land masses. West Malaysia or Peninsular Malaysia occupies 40% of the country, forming the southernmost point of
the Asian mainland and bordering Thailand in the north. East Malaysia covers 60% of the total land area in the northern part of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia and enclosing Brunei Darussalam.
The landscape of West Malaysia is predominantly flat in the coastal regions, and is divided lengthwise by the Titiwangsa Range,
Not just the highest point in Malaysia. At 4,095 metres Mount Kinabalu in Sabah is the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea, and is also Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
which rises to 2,190 metres. The interior of Sabah is dominated by Mount Kinabalu (4,095m), while Sarawak has a number of smaller ranges rising to 2,422m (Mount Murud). Both West and East Malaysia have long coastlines, bisected by great meandering rivers and sprinkled with islands, coral reefs and extensive
mangrove areas. Malaysia’s climate is
equatorial with an average temperature of 27°C
and high annual rainfall
in excess of 2,500mm. Rainfall is usually heavier from November to March on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia and
in Sabah and Sarawak. The warm climate and
high rainfall have provided
Malaysia Old and New. The 424-metre Kuantan Bridge spanning the Sungai Kuantan in Pahang connects booming industrial centres while allowing passage to traditional fishing boats.