Geography & environment — Malaysia
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Malaysia: Southeast Asia
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
Southeast Asia
- Geographic Coordinates
2 30 N, 112 30 E
- Total Area
127,354 Square Miles 329,847 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
126,894 Square Miles 328,657 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
459 Square Miles 1,190 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
1,658 Miles 2,669 Kilometers
- Border Countries
Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km
- Coastline
2,905 Miles 4,675 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
coastal plains rising to hills and mountains
- Highest Point
4,100 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m
- Lowest Point Location
Indian Ocean 0 m
- Natural Resources
tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite
- Irrigated Land
1,467 Square Miles 3,800 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Climate
- Climate
The weather in Kuala Lumpur varies little throughout the year. Daily minimum and maximum temperatures remain fairly constant averaging 27°C (80°F) and 38°C (100°F). With the heat, there is high humidity as the average annual rainfall is 250 centimeters. Although Kuala Lumpur is not subject to typhoons or cyclones, brief rainy seasons occur each year and bring scattered flooding. About 1-2 months of relatively dry weather usually precede the rainy seasons, although afternoon and evening thundershowers occur regularly throughout the year. The east coast and East Malaysia experience longer rainy seasons, and more widespread flooding as a result.
- Terrain
coastal plains rising to hills and mountains
- Location
Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam
- Total Area
127,354 Square Miles 329,847 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions
water pollution from raw sewage
deforestation
smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires
- Environment - International Agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements