MACMILLAN PRESS LTD/1999

ISBN O 333-69375-2

ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC./1999

ISBN O 312-21257-7

This book is the first general study to provide a systematic description and analysis of the factors that shaped Malaysia. It brings together studies on the country's geological origins and mineral resources, flora, fauna, peoples and cultures, political change, economy and society, environment and ecotourism and attempts to make Malaysia's current economic and political development more explicable by considering it in the light of these natural and human resources. It takes a comparative view of such changes in Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia and highlights Malaysia's incorporation into the wider international economy. The book thus offers an integrated perspective on Malaysia by focusing on its natural and human resource endowments and exploring how they have changed over time. By providing the background to essential elements in the evolution of the country's modern economy and society, the book makes an important contribution to a greater understanding of present-day Malaysia.

1 Introduction

2 Geological Origins and Natural Resources

3 Flora

4 Fauna: Past, Present and Future

5 Peoples and Cultures

6 Politics: Malaysian Political Development from Colonial Rule to Mahathir

7 Economy and Society: The Formation of a National Economy

8 Environment and Ecotourism: The Case of the Orang-Utan

9 The 'Lucky Country': Malaysia's Twentieth Century Economic Transformation