Malaysia
About the National Flag
Red signifies bravery and unity, blue depicts peace and stability, and white represents purity. The crest of the paddy stalk honors the farmers, the pinion symbolizes the workers and the surrounding 14 stars represent the spirit of the union, manifested by the equality of the 7 Divisions and the 7 States.
Vision 2020: Endeavoring to become a fully developed nation by 2020
Malaysia is a multi-ethnic nation where diverse cultures coexist in harmony. The majority Malay culture that is mainly Muslim thrives side by side with Chinese and Hindu communities. Blessed with tropical rainforest covering 70% of the land, Malaysia is known for its natural heritage. Taking advantage of its abundant natural resources, it traditionally had an economy based on rubber processing and tin mining. But since 1970, it has been actively attracting foreign capital and promoting industrialization based on manufacturing, which has led to a significant economic growth. Malaysia is now moving forward with long-term development policies through its socio-economic development concept designated "Vision 2020", which aims to become a fully developed nation by 2020. Malaysia's "Look East Policy" mainly promoting human resource development, symbolizes the friendly and cooperative relationship between Malaysia and Japan, in which Japan readily cooperates in accommodating Malaysian students and researchers to broaden their horizons in Japan.
| Land Area | 330,252k㎡ |
|---|---|
| Population | approx. 26.84 million (2007, estimates) |
| Capital | Kuala Lumpur |
| Political System | Constitutional Monarchy |
| Major Languages | Malay, English, Chinese, Tamil |
| Major Religions | Islam (60%), Buddhism (19%), Christianity (9%), Hinduism (6%), Confucianism/Taoism (3%) |
| Currency | Ringgit |

