Malaysia

Malaysia has some of the oldest rainforest on Earth. Taman Negara is estimated at around 130 million years old, older than the Amazon.

The Petronas Twin Towers were the world’s tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004, and remain the tallest twin towers anywhere.

Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, and Deepavali are among Malaysia’s most widely celebrated festivals.

Sepak Takraw, a sport that combines football and volleyball skills, is popular across Malaysia.

Malaysia is one of the world’s largest producers of palm oil and rubber.

Nasi lemak is the unofficial national dish: coconut rice with sambal, anchovies, peanuts, cucumber and egg, eaten at any hour, traditionally wrapped in banana leaf.

Malaysia is home to orangutans, which can be found in the rainforests of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo.

Penang is known as the “Food Paradise of Asia” for its diverse street cuisine.

The world’s largest flower grows in Malaysia. Rafflesia can reach a metre across and smells of rotting meat to attract flies.

Kuala Lumpur means “muddy confluence” in Malay, named for the meeting of the Klang and Gombak rivers where tin prospectors settled in the 1850s.

Proton and Perodua are national carmakers, founded in 1983 and 1993; Proton is now part-owned by China’s Geely.

The baju Melayu and baju kurung are the national dress for men and women, and are standard at Friday prayers, weddings and official occasions.