Natural resources: tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite

Land use: arable land: 5.46% permanent crops: 17.54% other: 77% (2005)

Irrigated land:
3,650 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
flooding, landslides, forest fires

Environment - current issues: air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

Geography - note:
strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China
Sea

People Malaysia

Population:
24,385,858 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 32.6% (male 4,093,859/female 3,862,730)
15-64 years: 62.6% (male 7,660,680/female 7,613,537)
65 years and over: 4.7% (male 509,260/female 645,792) (2006 est.)