The former name of Peninsular Malaysia before it became part of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963.
From Malay 'Melayu,' possibly derived from Sanskrit 'mala' or Tamil 'malai' (mountain/hill). British colonial administration used 'Malaya' as the official name from the 1800s onward.
Malaya's tin and rubber resources made it one of the world's most economically valuable territories in the early 20th century, attracting intense colonial competition between European powers.
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