Peninsular Malaysia

region, Malaysia
External Websites
Also known as: Malaysia Barat, Semenanjung Malaysia, West Malaysia
Malaysian:
Semenanjung Malaysia
Also called:
West Malaysia or
Malaysian:
Malaysia Barat

Peninsular Malaysia, region of the 13-state federation of Malaysia. It occupies the southern half of the Malay Peninsula and is separated from East Malaysia (on the island of Borneo) by the South China Sea. Formerly the Federation of Malaya (1948–63), it contains the bulk of Malaysia’s population and has the capital city of Kuala Lumpur and the administrative centre of Putrajaya. Pop. (2010 prelim.) 21,940,500.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by John M. Cunningham.