Malaysia Travel Guide

Coral garden

Founded in 1963, the Federation of Malaysia, in Southeast Asia, is one of the world's youngest countries. Its people—a mixture of many races, nationalities, and cultures—have forged a national state out of territories that were part of the British Empire. Malaysia has an equatorial climate with generally high temperatures. Rainfall is heavy, particularly during the late-autumn and early-winter months, and the annual average is more than 100 in. (240 cm.). Although days are often hot and humid, nights are cool because of the sea breezes. In the mountains, temperatures are cooler, and there is considerably less humidity.

Malaysia is divided into two parts, separated by roughly 400 mi. (640 km.) of the South China Sea. Western Malaysia occupies the southern half of the Malay Peninsula. The eastern and larger part of Malaysia is composed of the two states of Sarawak and Sabah on the northern quarter of the big island of Borneo. A long, forested mountain range runs much of the length of the Malay Peninsula. To the east and to the west of these heights are low-lying plains that reach to the sea. A large part of these lowlands is covered by swamps and thick forests and is unsuitable for cultivation. The western lowlands of the peninsula are the most heavily populated areas. Here are located the principal cultivated lands and the main mining centers. Few people live along the peninsula's eastern coast, which is a generally undeveloped region of dense jungle and swampland. The peninsula's major rivers are the Pahang and the Perak.

East Malaysia, formerly North Borneo, consists of Sarawak and Sabah, which share the island of Borneo with Brunei and Kalimantan, an Indonesian territory. East Malaysia is largely a land of coastal swamps, rain forests, and rugged mountain ranges. Only about 18 percent of the country's people live in this region. The Crocker Range, Malaysia's tallest mountain range, extends from Sabah into Sarawak.

Modern buildings are found in all of the cities and larger towns, but in the villages, people ordinarily live in traditiona Malay homes. Erected on small posts a few feet above the ground, these dwellings offer protection against floods and wild animals. The walls o-matting and the thatched roofs can be constructed quickly and inexpensively; houses are cool and comfortable in the warm climate.

Clothing
Many styles of dress are worn. In the cities and towns, men ofte-wear a loose shirt, trousers, and sandals. In the countryside, the saron; —a wraparound skirt reaching from the waist to the knees and sometimes lower—is usually worn. Many men also wear a brimless black velvet cap called a songkok. City women frequently wear Western-style clothes. Still, the most popular costume for women in cities and villages is the gaily colored sarong and blouse. Indian women favor saris and blouses while Chinese women wear the pajamalike sam-foo or the cheongsam, a close-fitting dress with a slit skirt.

Malaysian Cuisine
Malaysian food includes dishes made with rice, vegetables, fish chicken, and meat. Many dishes are heavily spiced with curry sauces.. Fruits, such as bananas, durians (a large, prickly fruit), and mangosteens (a reddish brown fruit that combines the taste of peach and pineapple are abundant. Since the majority of the people are Muslims, many Malaysians do not drink alcoholic beverages. Tea and coffee are the favorite drinks. People of Indian and Chinese ancestry eat foods that are adaptec from the native cooking of their homelands.

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Anonymous user updated 1 year ago
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