This year’s World Tourism Day celebrations are being hosted in Malaysia – the city of Melaka in particular. Melaka is a UNESCO World Heritage City known for its rich cultural heritage and vibrant tourism scene. This means that all sorts of experts, industry leaders, and policymakers from all around the world will gather in Melaka and discuss ways to create a more sustainable future for the tourism industry.
Here are a few fun facts about Melaka and Malaysia:
Malaysia is very far away, all the way on the other side of the world in Southeast Asia. They are a full half-day ahead of us!
Like us, the country is a little North of the equator, and they enjoy a warm, tropical climate. That’s a plus for tourism, because tourists visit all year round.
Malaysia consists of two main regions: Peninsular Malaysia which is on the mainland, sharing borders with Thailand and Singapore, and East Malaysia which is located on the island of Borneo and shares a border with Indonesia's Kalimantan region. In between these two parts, you have the South China Sea.
Both Melaka and the capital city Kuala Lumpur are in Peninsular Malaysia.
Malaysia is very multicultural, and shaped by three major races: the Malays, Chinese and Indians. In East Malaysia, there are also many more including the Kadazan, Dusun, and Iban. The melting pot also has many Thai, British, Portuguese, and Dutch influences. The country is located along ancient trading routes, and many different travellers and traders met there for hundreds of years. All of these cultures blend together and shape its unique cultural landscape.
The diverse cultural history is reflected in everything from food to art, to language, festivals and architecture. People of different faiths live together peacefully, and you can easily find temples, churches and mosques.
The national dish is called Nasi Lemak. It is a made up of fragrant coconut rice, fried anchovies, boiled egg, cucumber, and sambal sauce. It usually includes fish or chicken.
In 2008, Melaka was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with George Town in Penang. The two towns’ multicultural heritage “developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West” and they “constitute a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.”
A pair of skyscrapers in in Kuala Lumpur, called the Petronas Twin Towers, are counted amongst the world’s tallest buildings. There is a bridge linking the two towers between the 41st and 42nd stories. They were the world’s tallest buildings until 2003.
There are 17 countries in the world recognised as “megadiverse”, and Malaysia in one of them. This refers to the variety in life/ nature.
Malaysia has a unique species called the Malayan Tiger, one of the smallest tiger species. However, they are critically endangered.
On the island of Borneo, there is a native species called the Bornean orangutan, they are known for their intelligence and red-brown fur. They are also endangered.
The Bornean pygmy elephant, which is the smallest elephant subspecies, can only be found in the rainforests of Sabah, Malaysia.
The world’s largest flower is found in Malaysia. It is called the “Rafflesia arnoldii”, or “corpse flower”, because of its strong smell. It can reach up to 1 metre wise and weigh as much as 22 pounds!
