Malaysia has a long history of human habitation dating back 40,000 years. It was known to ancient Indians as the "Golden Peninsula" and shown on Ptolemy's map. Hinduism and Buddhism were introduced by Indians around 100 BC. Malaysia gained independence from British rule in 1957 after the fusion of Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah into a federal union. Located near the equator, Malaysia's climate is hot and humid year-round with monsoon seasons from May to September and November to March. The highest point is Mount Kinabalu in Sabah and about 58.2% of the country is forested land. The national flower is the hibiscus and nasi lemak is the