L-030-3(8)

Prepared by: Eng Kok SiongCopyright 2010 All Rights Reserved

Geography of Malaysia

Geography of Malaysia Slide 2

Map of Malaysia

Geography of Malaysia Slide 3

Climate and Clothing

Climate Category: Tropical (Hot & Humid throughout the year)

Temperature:Lowlands: 22 – 32 °CHighland: 16 – 32 °C

Annual rainfall:Exceeds 2000mm a year, average temperature 27 °C (81 °F).Malaysia faces two monsoon winds seasons – the Southwest Monsoon from late May to September, and the Northeast Monsoon from November to March.

Clothing:Light cotton clothing is advisable.At the beach and resort, shorts, T-shirts and sandals are recommended.

Geography of Malaysia Slide 4

Land

Total land area of Malaysia: 329,758 sq kmPeninsular Malaysia covers 131,000 km² while East Malaysia covers 198,847 km² of the total land of the country.

Coastline area:Malaysia has a total coastline of 4,675 km, wherebyPeninsular Malaysia has 2,068 km, while East Malaysia has 2,607 km of coastline.

Geological Features:About half of Peninsular Malaysia is covered by granite and other igneous rocks.A third more is covered by stratified rocks older than the granite, and the remainder is covered by alluvium (clay/slit/gravel).

Terrain Features:Coastal plains which rises towards the hills and mountains.

Geography of Malaysia Slide 5

Mountain Ranges

The highest mountain range in Malaysia is the Crocker Range in Sabah. This range houses Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in the country, as well as Mount Tambuyukon, the third highest in the country. The Trus Madi Range, also in Sabah, houses Mount Trus Madi, the second highest peak in Malaysia.

The main mountain range in Peninsular Malaysia is the Titiwangsa Mountains. It houses Mount Korbu, the second highest peak in the Peninsular. The highest peak in the Peninsular is Mount Tahan, located on the Tahan Range.

Geography of Malaysia Slide 6

Forests

Malaysian forests can be categorized as tropical rainforest. Approximately 58.2% of Malaysian land is covered by forest.

The management of these reserves as under control of the Department of Wildlife and National Park, the Forest Department of Sarawak, the Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Foundation, and Sabah Parks.

As of 2008, there are two World Heritage Sites under the natural category –Kinabalu National Park and Gunung Mulu National Park.

Geography of Malaysia Slide 7

Major Islands in Malaysia (Over 200 km²)

Pulau Sebatik, Sabah (shared with East Kalimantan, Indonesia)Pulau Banggi, SabahPulau Betruit, SarawakPulau Langkawi, KedahPenang Island, Penang