Malaysia was created in 1963 through the merging of Malaya (independent in 1957) and the former British Singapore, both of which formed West Malaysia, and Sabah and Sarawak in north Borneo, which composed East Malaysia. The first three years of independence were marred by hostilities with Indonesia. Singapore separated from the union in 1965.

InsideWorld provides country background information for many countries and regions. Information covers topics like economy, government, demographics, geography and more.

Go to InsideWorld’s Country Information:
 

For more information about current affairs, business, economy, politics and more, use InsideWorld's free daily e-mail news service.

If you would like to receive news, but do not have an InsideWorld account yet, click below to setup your free account now and start receiving news right away.