Editing Geography of Malaysia (section)

==Geology==
[[File:Location map Peninsula Malaysia.png|thumb|right|The topography of [[Peninsular Malaysia]].]]
Malaysia is located on the [[Sunda Shelf]], and is tectonically inactive. The oldest rocks in the country date from 540 million years ago, and are mostly [[sedimentary]]. The most common kind of rock is [[limestone]] that formed during the [[Paleozoic]] Era. Limestone that had accreted in East Malaysia during the [[Tertiary]] period later eroded, forming basins of sedimentary rocks that are rich in oil and natural gas. The mountain ranges in Malaysia were formed through [[orogenesis]] beginning in the [[Mesozoic]] Era.<ref name="Marshall"/>

The total land area of Malaysia is {{convert|330803|km2|sqmi|-1}}, the 66th [[List of countries and outlying territories by total area|largest country]] in the world in terms of area.<ref name="2010 stats">{{cite web |url=http://www.statistics.gov.my/ccount12/click.php?id=2127 |title=Laporan Kiraan Permulaan 2010 |publisher=Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia |page=27 |access-date=2 August 2023  |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227065717/http://www.statistics.gov.my/ccount12/click.php?id=2127 |archive-date=27 December 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> It is the only country to contain land on both mainland [[Asia]] and the [[Malay Archipelago]].<ref name="Marshall"/> Peninsular Malaysia makes up {{convert|132090|km2|sqmi|-1}},<ref name="Swee-Hock"/> or almost 40% of the country's land area, while East Malaysia covers {{convert|198847|km2|sqmi|-1}}, or 60%. From the total land area, {{convert|1200|km2|sqmi|-1}} or 0.37% is made up of water such as lakes, rivers, or other internal waters. Malaysia has a total coastline of {{convert|4675|km|mi|0}}, and Peninsular Malaysia has {{convert|2068|km|mi|0}}, while East Malaysia has {{convert|2607|km|mi|0}} of coastline.<ref name="CIA Fact Book"/>

Malaysia has the 29th [[List of countries by length of coastline|longest coastline]] in the world. The two distinct parts of Malaysia, separated from each other by the [[South China Sea]], share a largely similar landscape in that both [[Peninsular Malaysia]] and [[East Malaysia]] feature coastal plains rising to hills and mountains.<ref name="CIA Fact Book"/>

[[File:Location map Malaysia Borneo.png|thumb|left|The topography of Malaysian Borneo.]]
[[Peninsular Malaysia]] covers the southern half of the [[Malay Peninsula]],<ref name="Marshall"/> and extends {{convert|740|km|mi|0}} from north to south, and its maximum width is {{convert|322|km|mi|0}}.<ref name="Swee-Hock"/> It is mountainous, with more than half of it over {{convert|150|m|ft|0}} above [[sea level]].<ref name="Marshall"/> About half of Peninsular Malaysia is covered by [[granite]] and other [[igneous rock]]s, a third more is covered by stratified rocks older than the granite, and the remainder is covered by [[alluvium]].<ref>Encyclopædia Britannica. ''The Land (West Malaysia).''</ref>

Harbours are only available on the peninsula's western side,<ref name="Swee-Hock"/> and the most fertile land occurs when river valleys flow out to the sea. The coastal plains bordering the [[Strait of Malacca]] are the most densely populated areas of Malaysia, and contains Malaysia's capital, [[Kuala Lumpur]].<ref name="Marshall"/>

East Malaysia, on the island of [[Borneo]], has a coastline of {{convert|2607|km|mi|0}}.<ref name="CIA Fact Book"/> It is divided between coastal regions, hills and valleys, and a mountainous interior. There are only two major cities, [[Kuching]] and [[Kota Kinabalu]]. Much of southern Sarawak is coastal lowlands, which shifts to a series of plateaus going north, ending in the mountainous regions of Sabah.<ref name="Marshall"/>

===Mountain ranges===
[[File:Mount kinabalu 01.png|thumb|right|[[Mount Kinabalu]], the highest point of Malaysia, is located in [[Sabah]].]]
The highest mountain range in Malaysia is the [[Crocker Range]] in Sabah, which divides the state in half. This range includes [[Mount Kinabalu]], the highest mountain in the country,<ref>{{cite book|author=Simon Richmond|title=Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VMKOuzRxOJsC|year=2010|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1-74104-887-2}}</ref> as well as [[Mount Sinsing]], the third highest in the country. Mount Kinabalu, is {{convert|4095.2|m|ft}}, and is protected as it is within [[Kinabalu Park]], a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]] and national park.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecologyasia.com/html-loc/mount-kinabalu.htm |title=Mount Kinabalu&nbsp;– revered abode of the dead |publisher=Ecologyasia.com |accessdate=17 September 2010}}</ref> Mount Kinabalu is 55% (by {{convert|1453.2|m|ft}} margin) taller than [[Mount Trusmadi]], Malaysia's second tallest mountain.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

Mountain ranges in East Malaysia tend to follow north–south or northeast–southwest paths, and the highest ranges form the border between Malaysia and Indonesia. The mountains contain many jagged limestone peaks.<ref name="Marshall"/> The [[Trus Madi Range]], also in Sabah, houses Mount Trus Madi. [[List of volcanoes in Malaysia|Bombalai Hill]] in Sabah is the only active [[volcano]] in Malaysia.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

Peninsular Malaysia contains numerous mountain ranges running parallel from north to south along the peninsula.<ref name="Marshall"/> The main mountain range is the [[Titiwangsa Mountains]], which divides the peninsula between its east and west coasts.<ref>{{cite book|author=Alan M. Stevens|title=A comprehensive Indonesian-English Dictionary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cF97F--suNAC|year=2004|publisher=PT Mizan Publika|isbn=978-979-433-387-7}}</ref> It houses [[Mount Korbu]], the second highest peak in Peninsular Malaysia. These mountains are heavily forested, and mainly composed of [[granite]]. The range is the origin of some of Peninsular Malaysia's river systems.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/358619/Main-Range |title=Main Range (mountains, Malaysia) |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=1 October 2010}}</ref> To the east of this range is the [[Bintang Range]].<ref name="Swee-Hock"/> The highest peak in Peninsular Malaysia is [[Mount Tahan]], located on the [[Tahan Range]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

===Caves===
{{See also|List of caves in Malaysia}}
Numerous caves run through the country due to the [[karst]] landscape caused by water eroding limestone. The [[Mulu Caves]] in East Malaysia are the largest caves in the world. They are located between the [[Penambo range]] and [[Brunei]], and are a major tourist attraction. At {{convert|700|m|ft|0}} long and {{convert|70|m|ft|0}} high the [[Sarawak Chamber]] is the largest cave chamber in the world. Other famous caves are the {{convert|1.6|km|mi|0}} [[Deer Cave]] and Lang's Cave.<ref name="Marshall"/>

===Islands===
[[File:Redanglaura009.jpg|thumb|A beach on [[Redang Island]] in the South China Sea.]]
{{See also|List of islands of Malaysia}}
Malaysia contains [[List of islands of Malaysia|numerous islands]], the largest of which fully within Malaysia is [[Banggi Island]] in [[Sabah]], which has an area of {{convert|440.7|km2|sqmi|-1}}.<ref>{{cite web |author=Mohd Huzaifah Muntalip |url=http://www.akademifantasia.org/south-east-asia/top-5-largest-islands-in-malaysia/ |title=Top 5 Largest Islands in Malaysia |website=Akademi Fantasia Travel |date=16 May 2011 |access-date=2 September 2016 |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225161256/https://www.akademifantasia.org/south-east-asia/top-5-largest-islands-in-malaysia/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is followed by [[Bruit Island]] in Sarawak, [[Langkawi]] in Kedah, and [[Penang Island]] in Penang. The largest island shared with another country is [[Borneo]], followed by [[Sebatik Island]]. In addition, Malaysia lies within the world's [[coral reef]] distribution.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=NASA |title=Coral reef image |access-date=31 July 2008 |url=http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/coralreef_image.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080805211813/http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/coralreef_image.html |archive-date=5 August 2008 }}</ref> The reefs can be usually found around islands such as [[Sipadan]] Island, [[Swallow Reef]], and [[Redang Island]].<ref>Praveena, S. M., Siraj, S. S., & Aris, A. Z. (2012). Coral reef studies and threats in Malaysia: A mini review. ''Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology, 11''(1), 27-39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-011-9261-8</ref> Sipadan, an [[underwater mountain]], is Malaysia's only oceanic island.<ref>{{cite web|work=New Straits Times |title=Go: A diver's paradise |access-date=15 December 2010 |url=http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Go_Adiver__8217_sparadise/Article/ |date=1 December 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622063452/http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Go_Adiver__8217_sparadise/Article/ |archive-date=22 June 2011 |df=dmy }}</ref>

===Coasts===
A recent global remote sensing analysis suggests that there were 1,713&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of tidal flats in Malaysia, making it the 19th ranked country in terms of how much tidal flat occurs there.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Murray |first1=N.J. |last2=Phinn |first2=S.R. |last3=DeWitt |first3=M. |last4=Ferrari |first4=R. |last5=Johnston |first5=R. |last6=Lyons |first6=M.B. |last7=Clinton |first7=N. |last8=Thau |first8=D. |last9=Fuller |first9=R.A. |title=The global distribution and trajectory of tidal flats |journal=Nature |date=2019 |volume=565 |issue=7738 |pages=222–225 |doi=10.1038/s41586-018-0805-8 |pmid=30568300 |s2cid=56481043 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0805-8}}</ref>