Malaysia is a country located in South-East Asia. The land area is divided into two. Peninsula Malaysia is located between Singapore and Thailand, while East Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, is in the northern part of Borneo, along with Brunei and Kalimantan, Indonesia. In demographic terms, the Malaysian population of 18.2 million people is made up of three main racial groups --Malay, Chinese, and Indian-- as well as the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak. The national language is Bahasa Malaysia; English(which is widely spoken), Mandarin, and Tamil are among the other languages that are commonly used in Malaysia. Islam has been accepted as the official religion but Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity are freely practiced.

Politically, Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament. Malaysia's Supreme Head of State is the Yang Di Pertuan Agong(the King). The King is elected for a 5 year term among the 9 Sultans of Malaysia. As a whole, the Sultans serve as the symbol of the nation and are the guardians of culture and religion. However, actual executive power lies in the head of government (the Prime Minister), members of the cabinet, and the parliament.

Currently an NIE(Newly Industrialied Economies), Malaysia has maintained an average of about 8.5% GDP growth for the past 8 years, built on export manufacturing and foreign direct investments, among other things. Upcoming national projects such as the Multimedia Super Corridor will hopefully serve to perpetuate Malaysia's economic growth even further, as well as propel Malaysians into the Information Technology age.

On a lighter note, Malaysia is one heck of a place to go for a vacation. Great food at dirt cheap prices(really!), beautiful beaches, pristine tracts of nature and much, much more. Makes one miss home already...

• Radio Malaysia Live
• Kuala Lumpur Online
• Tourism Malaysia