John Dalmas, age 13, of Morristown, Pa., for his question:
WHY IS MALAYSIA IMPORTANT?
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that is just about the same size as our state of New Mexico. It is an important country because it is the world's leading producer of both natural rubber and tin.
Officially called the Federation of Malaysia, it was formed in 1963 when Malaya, Sabah or North Borneo, Sarwak and Singapore united. Singapore left the federation in 1965 because of some disagreements with the Malaysian government.
The country covers the southern part of the Malay Peninsula and most of the northern part of the island of Borneo. The country has a population of about 14 million.
In addition to growing rubber trees, agriculture crops include copra, palm oil, pineapples, rice and timber. In addition to mining tin, the ground also produces bauxite and iron.
About 45 percent of the Malaysian people are Malays and about 35 percent are Chinese. Indians and tribal peoples make up the rest of the population.
Most of the Malays are farmers who grow rice and other food for their own use. The majority are Muslims and their religion, Islam, is Malaysia's official religion. Malays make up the most powerful group in Malaysian politics.
But the Chinese are the bankers, businessmen and merchants. The Chinese also own large shares of Malaysia's rubber, tin, pineapple and timber industries.
The 13 states of Malaysia are united under the federal government, but each state has some independence. Nine of the states have princes called rulers. Every five years, the nine rulers elect a king from their number.
The king of Malaysia has few government powers. The prime minister is the nation's chief executive. The countryy has a Parliament made up of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The Senate's 58 members serve six year terms while the 144 members of the House serve five year terms.
The Federation of Malaysia has developed one of the strongest economies in Southeast Asia. But even so, the new nation has faced many problems. Cultural differences have led to some friction between the country's Malays and its Chinese.
About half the workers of the country are employed in agriculture. Malaysia produces almost half of the world's natural rubber.
Malaysia also produces almost a third of the world's total supply of tin. The country's capital city is Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia has a tropical climate. Coastal temperatures stay between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. About 100 inches of rain falls annually in West Malaysia while about 150 inches fall each year in East Malaysia.
Low, swampy plains cover much of the East and West Malaysian coasts. The island areas are mountainous and covered with forests.