POPULATION 23,274,690
MUSLIM 61 percent
BUDDHIST 19 percent
CHRISTIAN 9 percent
HINDU 6 percent
CHINESE RELIGIONS 3 percent
OTHER 2 percent

Country Overview

Introduction

The Southeast Asian nation of Malaysia is home to an ethnically and religiously diverse population. Its complex ethnographic makeup can be attributed to its geographic situation and its long history as a maritime trading center. Malays, the overwhelming majority of whom are Muslim, make up about two thirds of the country's population. Ethnic Chinese form the largest minority population, and most of them are Buddhists or followers of traditional Chinese religions like Taoism and Confucianism. There are smaller groups of Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, and indigenous peoples. The Indians tend to be Hindu, and although its numbers are small, Christianity is the fastest growing religion in the country. The country is divided into two parts: Peninsular Malaysia (also known as West Malaysia or Malaya), on the Malay Peninsula, and East Malaysia...