Malaysia is a country in South-East Asia, located partly on a peninsula of the Asian mainland and partly on the northern third of the island of Borneo. West (peninsular) Malaysia shares a border with Thailand, is connected by a causeway and a bridge (the 'second link') to the island state of Singapore, and has coastlines on the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca. East Malaysia (Borneo) shares borders with Brunei and Indonesia.
RegionsPeninsular Malaysia (Malay: Semenanjung Malaysia) occupies most of the Malayan Peninsula between Thailand and Singapore, and is also known as West Malaysia (Malaysia Barat) or the slightly archaic Malaya (Tanah Melayu). It is home to the bulk of Malaysia's population, its capital and largest city Kuala Lumpur, and is generally more economically developed.
* West Coast - the more developed side of Peninsular Malaysia, with the states of Kedah, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Perak, Perlis and Selangor, and Malaysia's capital city Kuala Lumpur and the new administrative centre of Putrajaya, all located within this region.
* East Coast - more traditional and Muslim, the islands here are glittering tropical jewels. Made up of the states of Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu.
* South - comprising just one state, Johor, two coastlines, and endless palm oil plantations.
Some 800 kilometres to the east is East Malaysia (Malaysia Timur), which occupies the northern third of the island of Borneo, shared with Indonesia and tiny Brunei. Partly covered in impenetrable jungle where headhunters roam (on GSM networks if nothing else), East Malaysia is rich in natural resources but very much Malaysia's hinterland for industry and tourism.
* Sabah - superb scuba diving in Sipadan , nature reserves and the mighty Mount Kinabalu
* Sarawak - jungles, national parks, and traditional longhouses
Cities* Kuala Lumpur - the capital
* George Town - the cultural and cuisine capital of Penang
* Johor Bahru - capital of Johor, and gateway to Singapore
* Kuantan - capital of Pahang, and commercial centre of the east coast
* Kota Kinabalu - capital of Sabah, and the largest city in East Malaysia
* Kuching - capital of Sarawak
* Malacca (Melaka) - the historical city of Malaysia
* Miri - the resort city of Sarawak and gateway to UNESCO World Heritage Site Gunung Mulu National Park
* Putrajaya - the administrative centre of Malaysia, known for its lavish buildings, bridges and man-made lakes
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