10 Facts About Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that includes the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo. It is noted for its beaches, jungles, and cultural influences from Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European cultures. Kuala Lumpur, the capital, is home to colonial structures, bustling commercial districts like Bukit Bintang, and skyscrapers like the 451-meter-high Petronas Twin Towers.
Here are ten intriguing Malaysian facts:
1. In 1957, the country achieved independence from the British Empire.
2. Malays make up about half of Malaysia’s population of 31 million people. Chinese, Indians, and numerous indigenous peoples are also significant groupings.
3. Malaysia features a one-of-a-kind rotating monarchy in which nine ethnic Malay state governors alternate as king for five-year tenure.
4. Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo are the country’s two primary landmasses. The South China Sea separates the two.
5. The Sarawak Cave Chamber is the world’s largest cave chamber. Gunung Mulu National Park is on Borneo’s island of Borneo.
6. Until 2004, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur were the world’s tallest structures. The constructions are still the world’s tallest twin skyscrapers, at 451.9 metres (1,483 feet) tall with 88 storeys.
7. Jimmy Choo is a Malaysian shoe designer who was born in Penang. The Order of the British Empire was bestowed upon him by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003.
8. In Malaysia’s Strait of Malacca, what could be the world’s biggest undiscovered treasure hoard from a sunken ship lurks somewhere on the sea floor. When the Portuguese ship Flora de la mar (Flower of the Sea) sank in December 1511, it was carrying the richest treasure ever collected by the Portuguese navy. Modern-day pirates have been spotted patrolling the Malaysian strait.
9. The ringgit is the national currency, which is a Malay name for “jagged” and relates to the serrated edges of silver Spanish dollars popular in the 16th and 17th centuries.
10. Malaysia is home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Gunung Mulu National Park, Kinabalu Park, Melaka and George Town’s historic cities, and the Lenggong Valley’s archaeological heritage site.
