Learn about Malaysia by traveling from Kuala Lumpur's skyscrapers to villages of longhouses in the rainforest

NARRATOR: Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. It has two parts—one on the continent of Asia and one on the island of Borneo. The two parts are 400 miles apart. They are separated by the South China Sea. The country lies close to the Equator, which means its weather is warm.

The country's cities are mostly along the coasts. There the land is fairly flat. The biggest city is the capital, Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur is a modern city, with towering skyscrapers, crowded highways, and busy shopping centers. Outside of the city much of the remaining countryside is covered with rice, tea, oil-palm, and rubber farms.

Farther away from the coasts, both parts of the country have mountains and large stretches of rainforest. Many people in these areas live in villages. Some live in shared buildings called longhouses. They grow rice and vegetables for themselves and their families to eat. They also fish in nearby rivers and hunt in the surrounding forest.

Many different people live in Malaysia. Some ethnic groups of Malaysia, including the Malays, are originally from the Southeast Asian region. Others came to Malaysia from China, India, Pakistan, and other parts of the world. Malays practice Islam. Other groups follow Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, or other religions.