What role did geographic location and natural resources play in the the development of Malaysia?

Malaysia has a strategic location on the straights of Malacca between East Asia and Europe. The straights of Malacca is right in the middle of the world's busiest trade route making it a popular spot to stop, resupply and trade. This allowed Malaysians to trade with the Chinese, the Japanese, and the Europeans to acquire thing like silk, farm animals, weapons, food, spices and most importantly, gold.  Malaysia has abundant natural resources such as fertile soil, metals, timber, oil and gas.

In the 1500's and 1600s, the Europeans came to Malacca in search of silk and spices.  They found safe harbors, and plenty of goods to trade.  They established a trading out post in Malacca and a fort to protect their fleet and control who came in and out of the port. This enabled them to bring in more ship to trade in this important trade route. The Europeans brought gold and silver to trade for Malaysia's natural resources.

In the 1700s and 1800s, Europeans harvested other Malaysian natural resources. They cut down huge rain forests on the Malay Peninsula and on Borneo. They dug out precious materials like tin and iron. Malaysia remained a strategic trading location.  

 In the 1900s and 2000s, Malaysians took control of their natural resources and planted oil palms where the rain forests once stood and began exploring for oi land gas. Malaysia is now the world's largest producer of palm oil and makes a lit of money selling its oil and gas.  

Skips Adventure

 I was having a staring contest with my sister. All my friends chanted, "Go Skip go! Beat Mary-Jane!" All Mary-Jane's friends yelled, "Mary-Jane's the best! Beat baby Skip!" I was just about to roll my eyes back when Mary-Jane rolled hers first. Because of my victory to become the winner of the longest  staring contest, I sang at the top of my gills... "I win, you loose. Ha ha ha ha ha. Looser!" While singing this I made an L shape with my fin and shoved it right in her face. She had a scared expression upon her face and everybody was gone. I turned around and...all mine and my sister's friends yelled, "YEAH, YOU WIN." I got so scared,  I skipped faster than anyone (that's how I got my name). I looked back to see them all laughing their heads off. Before I knew it, I hit something. Great, the last thing I wanted to run into, I thought to myself. I ran right, into... my... dad.

"Stop playing around son." My dad scolded, "you should  be helping fix up the town after the Giants came destroying our homes and hurting our friends and family." "What about Mary..." I blurted out "think about yourself Skip." My dad ordered , "I want you to go look for food with your friends and Mary-Jane." "Fine." I sighed, and called my friends and Mary-Jane to help me gather food. As we were leaving, dad called out "whoever gathers the most food gets today and tomorrow off." Now everyone was rushing. I heard a scream behind me, and I looked around, and there, was Mary-Jane. Oh brother, I thought to myself, then I looked up - oh no- it was... the GIANTS. "Skip for your lives," I hollered skipping away as fast as I could. I could hear my father mutter "not again." Then skip down into our home. I was too slow to get into my house but I laughed because the Giants all got stuck in the mud.


I looked back to see where the Giants were coming from and I saw many more. I panicked and started to think of stupid things to do. So I yelled "The Giants are coming the Giants are coming." (Which everyone knew). Then I skipped to my left, then to my right, then forewords and then backwards. My head spun round and round and I could not see clearly. I kept thinking, the Giants the Giants don't get me, please don't get me - I beg of you. Then I got to my senses, and skipped along the mud. I hid behind a tree and watched them stutter, fall, run, get help, and help others. My favorite part of watching the Giants was when they got stuck in the mud! I looked closely and it somehow seemed like they were communicating with each other. No, I thought the Giants were too unintelligent and clumsy. But I think that they are speaking some sort of language to communicate with each other. It was the first time I looked closely at the Giants. Why were they  putting a mini tree in the mud? After a while the last of the Giants left and I fell asleep. Later I woke up thinking that the Giants actually had a heart.