le
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 21.68 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.67 years
male: 67.62 years
female: 73.9 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.35 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Malaysian(s)
adjective: Malaysian

Ethnic groups: Malay and other indigenous 58%, Chinese 26%,
Indian 7%, others 9%

Religions: Islam, Buddhism, Daoism, Hinduism, Christianity,
Sikhism; note--in addition, Shamanism is practiced on East Malaysia

Languages: Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese dialects
(Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil,
Telugu, Malalalam, Panjabi, Thai; note--in addition, in East Malaysia
several indigenous languages are spoken, the largest of which are
Iban and Kadazan

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.5%
male: 89.1%
female: 78.1% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Malaysia
former: Malayan Union

Data code: MY

Government type: constitutional monarchy
note: Malaya (what is now Peninsular Malaysia) formed 31 August
1957; Federation of Malaysia (Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore)
formed 9 July 1963 (Singapore left the federation on 9 August 1965);
nominally headed by the paramount ruler (king) and a bicameral
Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected
lower house; Peninsular Malaysian states--hereditary rulers in all
but Melaka, Penang, Sabah, and Sarawak, where governors are
appointed by the Malaysian Government; powers of state governments
are limited by the federal constitution; under terms of the
federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional
prerogatives (e.g., the right to maintain their own immigration
controls); Sabah--holds 20 seats in House of Representatives, with
foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers
delegated to federal government; Sarawak--holds 27 seats in House of
Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security,
and other powers delegated to federal government

Capital: Kuala Lumpur

Administrative divisions: 13 states (negeri-negeri,
singular--negeri) and 2 federal territories* (wilayah-wilayah