Travel and Tourism - Malaysia - August 2015
Malaysia – Key Facts
 
Population:  	30.38 million (January 2015, Dept of Statistics Malaysia)	
Climate:  	Given its proximity to the Equator, a tropical climate pervades. Temperatures range from around 24-34 degrees Celsius, with high humidity year-round. Afternoon rain showers are frequent, with the wettest months in Peninsular Malaysia being October-December and April-May.	
Language:  	Bahasa Melayu (or Malay) is the official language but numerous 
Others, including English, Hindi, Tamil, Mandarin and Cantonese,
are widely spoken	
Total area:  	329,847 sq km	
Ethnic groups:  	Malay (Bumiputra) (67.4%), Chinese (24.6%), Indian (7.3%), 
other (0.7%)	
Religion:  	Islam is the official religion, but Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity are widely practised	
Currency:  	Ringgit (MYR)	
Total tourist arrivals:  	29.4 million (2015 government target)	
Total international tourism receipts:  	RM89 billion (2015 government target)	
GDP:  	RM835 billion (growth of 6.0% in 2014, Dept of Statistics Malaysia)	
Unemployment rate:  	3.0% (December 2014, Dept of Statistics Malaysia) 	
Major airports:  	Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Kuala Lumpur Subang 
SkyPark, Penang International Airport, Kota Kinabalu 
International Airport, Kuching International Airport, and Langkawi International Airport	
Major ports and harbours:  	Penang, Bintulu, Johor, Melaka, Kuantan (Peninsular Malaysia), Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Miri and Rajang (East Malaysia)