One of Malaysia’s oldest names, Aurea Chersonesus, means “peninsula of gold.” It was given by Greco-Roman geographer Ptolemy in his book Geographia, written about A.D. 150. Malaysia is actually more famous as the world’s second largest producer of refined tin.The name Malaysia may derive from the word Melayu, or Malay, that could come from the Sungai Melayu (Melayu River) in Sumatra. The river’s name is derived from the Dravidian (Tamil) word malai, or “hill.
