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Malaysia is located in central Southeast Asia,
bordering Thailand in the north, Singapore and
Indonesia to the south, and the Philippines to
the east. It is composed of Peninsular Malaysia
and the provinces of Sabah and Sarawak on the
north coast of the island of Borneo across the
South China Sea.
Malaysia was formed in 1963 through the merging
of the former British colonies of Malaya, the
provinces of Sabah and Sarawak, and Singapore.
Singapore seceded from the federation in 1965
to become an independent state. Malaysia represents
an interesting mix of diverse cultures, including
Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous tribal
groups. The Malay, who are mostly Muslim, are
the largest ethnic group, accounting for over
half the population. During the 19th century,
many Chinese settled in the region, working first
in tin mining and railway construction and later
becoming successful in business. Most Chinese
are Buddhists and today form about 35 percent
of the population.
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The 19th century also brought many Indians fleeing
the poverty of South India. Some were employed in
the rubber industry, while others worked as administrators
or small-business men. Indians today account for
10 percent of the inhabitants of Malaysia, and Hindu
temples are much in evidence throughout the country.
The oldest inhabitants of Malaysia are the tribal
peoples, who account for about five percent of the
population in peninsular Malaysia but represent
a majority in Sabah and Sarawak.
Like its population, Malaysia's impressive landscape
is also characterized by diversity, from dense jungles,
lush tropical rain forests and white sandy beaches,
to the soaring skyscrapers of the capital city,
Kuala Lumpur. Beach resorts and eco-tourism centers
draw many visitors.
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy. It has
a complex federal political system, with extensive
local power still in the hands of nine hereditary
sultans, who elect the head of state every five
years from among their number. Legislative power
is in the hands of a bicameral parliament. The
Prime Minister, who governs with the assistance
of an appointed ministerial cabinet, holds executive
power.
The official language of Malaysia is Bahasa Malaysia,
but English is widely spoken. Other languages
such as Chinese (Cantonese and Hokkien), Iban
and Tamil are spoken by minorities.
Fulbright grants to Malaysia have been awarded
in a very wide variety of academic disciplines.
Most grants are for a combination of lecturing
and research. Since graduate instruction in Malaysia
is generally conducted in English, most Fulbright
grantees teach at the graduate-level. Fulbright
scholars are based at many Malaysian universities.
There are links later in this page to the various
Malaysian universities, and applicants are encouraged
to contact potential host departments.
Fulbright grantees to Malaysia praise the beauty
of the landscape and the opportunity to pursue
many outdoor activities, the climate, the low
cost of living, the pervasiveness of English,
but especially the warmth and friendliness of
the people.
CIES encourages interested applicants to make
use of the following links to complement their
research into potential opportunities in Malaysia.
The Malaysian-American Commission on Educational
Exchange (MACEE)
http://www.macee.org.my
Extensive information on the Fulbright program
in Malaysia
U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
http://www.usembassymalaysia.org.my/
Official site of the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur,
with general information about the embassy, press
releases, and other information
Embassy of Malaysia, Washington, D.C.
http://www.embassy.org/embassies/my.html
Contact information for the Embassy of Malaysia
in Washington, D.C. with a country profile
Asia on Demand
http://www.asiaondemand.com/asianmaps/asianmaps.htm
Contains various maps of Asia
Embassy World Web Site
http://www.embassyworld.com/maps/Maps_Of_Malaysia
Links to a variety of interactive maps of Malaysia
Braintrack University Index
http://www.braintrack.com
Links to the Web pages of colleges and universities
worldwide
Multimedia University
http://www.mmu.edu.my
Universiti Teknologi Petronas
http://www.utp.edu.my
http://www.gksoft.com/govt/en/my.html
Links to various government departments, political
parties, human rights organizations, etc.
http://www.bernama.com/
Malaysian national news service
Malaysia Search
http://search.newmalaysia.com/Malaysia/News_and_Media/
A site with extensive links to Malaysian newspapers
and magazines, news groups and forums, television
and radio, many in English
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General Country
Information
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Malaysia Tourism Board
http://www.geographia.com/malaysia
A site with extensive information on Malaysia
Lonely Planet
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/south_east_asia/malaysia/
Traveler's information on Malaysia, including
sections on events, activities, culture, and history
U.S. Department of State
http://www.state.gov/p/eap/ci/my/
Background information on Malaysia, including
political conditions, foreign relations, relations
with the U.S., history, people, government, economy,
and business
World Travel Guide
http://www.wtgonline.com/data/mys/mys.asp
Travel information including information on sports,
climate, business, health, and good regional and
city information.
Library of Congress Portals to the World
http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/asian/malaysia/malaysia.html
Contains information on Malaysian history, government,
education, etc.
The World Fact Book 2002
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/my.html
A useful site provided by the CIA, with maps and
information on geography, people, economy, etc.
One World - Nations Online
http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/
Links to government departments, newspapers, plus
information on education, arts and culture, etc.
Country Reports
http://www.countryreports.org/content/malaysia.htm
General information on Malaysia
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