History of Malaysia

Malaysia has a history that stretches back for tens of thousands of years. Before the 19th Century, the peninsula was composed of numerous kingdoms that were ruled by varying powers. In 1826, Britain united most of the kingdoms and colonized them. After briefly being under control of the Japanese during WWII, they declared independence in 1963, and officially became the country of ‘Malaysia’. Today, the country is developing at a rapid rate, and experiencing relatively significant economic growth. In the coming years, the country hopes to become an economic hub for Southeast Asia.