Malaysia Geography

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country split into two regions by the South China Sea: Peninsular Malaysia, south of Thailand, and East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) on the island of Borneo. It has flat coastlines, rainforest-covered mountains and hundreds of islands, and a hot, humid climate all year round. This guide covers Malaysia’s land, climate, forests, population and states, and what they mean for daily life as a student. It is part of our series on life in Malaysia that starts with Malaysian culture.

Location, Size and Borders

Malaysia, as the 66th largest country in terms of total land area, spans 329,613 km2 (127,264 sq mi). West Malaysia shares land borders with Thailand, while East Malaysia neighbors Indonesia and Brunei. A narrow causeway and a bridge connect it to Singapore.

Geological features like the Perlis River, the Golok River, and the Pagalayan Canal largely define the country’s land borders, and it also shares maritime boundaries with Vietnam and the Philippines.

Some of these maritime boundaries have sparked ongoing disputes. Brunei, almost forming an enclave within Malaysia, is split into two by the state of Sarawak.

Malaysia is the only country with territory on both the Asian mainland and the Malay archipelago. Tanjung Piai, located in the southern state of Johor, is the southernmost tip of continental Asia.

The Strait of Malacca, lying between Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia, is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, and access to it has shaped Malaysia’s trade-driven economy for centuries.

Peninsular and East Malaysia

The two parts of Malaysia, separated from each other by the South China Sea, share a largely similar landscape in that both Peninsular and East Malaysia feature coastal plains rising to hills and mountains.

Peninsular Malaysia, containing 40 per cent of Malaysia’s land area, extends 740 km (460 mi) from north to south, and its maximum width is 322 km (200 mi).

It is divided between its east and west coasts by the Titiwangsa Mountains, rising to a peak elevation of 2,183 meters (7,162 ft) at Mount Korbu, part of a series of mountain ranges running down the center of the peninsula.

These mountains are heavily forested, and mainly composed of granite and other igneous rocks. Much of it has been eroded, creating a karst landscape.

The range is the origin of some of Peninsular Malaysia’s river systems. The coastal plains surrounding the peninsula reach a maximum width of 50 kilometers (31 mi), and the peninsula’s coastline is nearly 1,931 km (1,200 mi) long, although harbors are only available on the western side.

East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo, has a coastline of 2,607 km (1,620 mi). It is divided between coastal regions, hills and valleys, and a mountainous interior.

The Crocker Range extends northwards from Sarawak, dividing the state of Sabah. It is the location of the 4,095 m (13,435 ft) high Mount Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in Malaysia. Mount Kinabalu is located in the Kinabalu National Park, which is protected as one of Malaysia’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites (as of 2025).

The highest mountain ranges form the border between Malaysia and Indonesia. Sarawak contains the Mulu Caves in Gunung Mulu National Park, also a World Heritage Site, home to the Sarawak Chamber, one of the largest known cave chambers in the world.

Climate

Malaysia Geography encompasses two distinct regions, each with a multitude of islands, the largest of which is Banggi. This equatorial nation experiences annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons.

The temperature is moderated by the presence of the surrounding oceans, indicating the significant maritime influence on Malaysia’s climate.

Usually high in humidity, the region sees an average annual rainfall of 250 cm (98 in). The climates of the Peninsula and the East reflect the diversity in Geography of Malaysia, with the peninsula’s climate directly affected by wind from the mainland, contrasting the more maritime weather of the East.

Local climates can be divided into three regions, highland, lowland, and coastal. Climate change poses potential impacts on Malaysia’s Geography, likely affecting sea levels and rainfall, thereby increasing flood risks and leading to droughts.

What this means for students: expect daytime temperatures of roughly 24°C to 33°C in Kuala Lumpur and other lowland cities, short and heavy afternoon thunderstorms, and air-conditioned classrooms, so carry an umbrella and a light jacket. The east coast of the peninsula gets its heaviest rain and occasional floods during the northeast monsoon, roughly November to March, and smoke from regional forest fires can cause haze in some years, usually between June and September.

Forests

We can classify the woods of Malaysia as tropical rainforest. Forests cover about 58.2% of Malaysia’s geographical area. Lowland woodland exists substantially below 760 meters in height (2,493 ft).

East Malaysia, like the majority of Borneo, formerly boasted Borneo lowland rain forests with over 2,000 kinds of trees. However, the growth in logging and shifting farming since the 1960s has removed most of it.

Loggers have cut down over eighty percent of Sarawak’s forests, and logging across East Malaysia has contaminated streams, induced soil erosion, and damaged agriculture. Now, several state governments have acted to stem the destruction of the rainforest.

A variety of species, mostly dipterocarp, swamps, and mangroves, populate the rainforests of Malaysia. Dipterocarp trees dominate the woodland.

Malaysia serves as the center of Dipterocarps species. Over 1,425 square kilometers (550 square miles) of Malaysia’s land host mangroves. Authorities have declared certain locations as forest reserves, state parks, or national parks.

The Department of Wildlife and National Park, the Forest Department of Sarawak, the Sabah Forestry Department, the Sabah Foundation, and Sabah Parks manage these reserves.

Kinabalu National Park and Gunung Mulu National Park, both listed in 2000, are Malaysia’s two natural World Heritage Sites. The country’s other four sites are cultural: Melaka and George Town (2008), the Lenggong Valley (2012), the Niah Caves (2024) and the FRIM Selangor Forest Park (2025).

Human Geography

Malaysia had an estimated 34.4 million people in early 2026, and around four in five of them live in Peninsular Malaysia. About 75% of Malaysians lived in urban areas at the 2020 census. The population is multi-ethnic, which is why you will hear several languages across Malaysia in any large city.

Kuala Lumpur is the largest city, with about 2 million people in the city itself (2020 census) and around 8 million in the wider Klang Valley. It is also the country’s main education hub; see our ranking of the best student cities in Malaysia. Other major cities include George Town, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

Political Geography

Malaysia has thirteen states and three Federal Territories. Peninsular Malaysia consists of eleven states and two federal territories. East Malaysia has two states and one federal territory.

Administrative districts further segment the states. In Sabah and Sarawak, divisions precede districts. For voting reasons, there are distinct subdivisions for electoral districts.

FAQs

1. What are the main landscapes of Malaysia?

• The peninsula’s west coast is characterized by mangrove forests and flat areas; the east coast by various beaches; and the inland by mountains and jungle.

2. What is Malaysia’s climate like?

• Malaysia has a tropical climate, with hot, humid weather all year. Malaysia’s temperatures remain consistent, with averages of about 24°C to 32°C (75°F to 90°F) on the coast and in the lowlands and about 14°C to 25°C (57°F to 77°F) in the highlands, such as the Cameron Highlands.