The name Malaya was then changed to Malaysia when the country was officially made a federation of 13 states including Sabah and Sarawak. Article 1(1) of the Federal Constitution states that "The federation shall be known, in Malay and English, as Malaysia". Although Singapore broke away and became a nation of its own in 1965, the rest of the states have remained firmly together, combining to make Malaysia the harmonious melting pot of cultures it is today.
Fast Facts about Malaysia
Capital City:Kuala Lumpur
Land Area:
329,750 sq km
127,316 sq miles
Population: over 24 million
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +8 ()
Main Languages: Malay (official) known as Bahasa Malaysia, English, Tamil, Chinese, indigenous languages
Religion: 52% Muslim, 17% Buddhist, 12% Taoist, 8% Christian, 8% Hindu, 2% tribal
Currency: Malaysian Ringgit (RM)
Country Dialing Code:60
National Flower: Hibiscus or “Bunga Raya”
Key National Symbols: The Malaysian Flag or “Jalur Gemilang”, the national anthem “Negaraku”