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Southeast Asia
Large as the continental US Population centers around rivers More than half the population lives on islands Part of the “Ring of Fire”
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis are common
Life is regulated by the climate- monsoons to droughts
Developing into an economic power, but poverty and political instability cause issue
Divided into two major sub regions Indochina Malay archipelago
I. Indochina
Named for dominant powers on either side: China and India Exert strong influence on the culture, politics
and economy of the region Made up of:
Myanmar Thailand Laos Cambodia Vietnam
Myanmar
Formerly known as Burma Changed in 1989 by ruling military junta, still contested UN and others recognize Myanmar, US still uses Burma
Largest country in Indochina- slightly smaller than Texas
Most people live along the rain forest Capital: Yangon Irrawaddy River- runs from uplands to the Andaman
Sea, main river in Myanmar 89% are Buddhists, only 4% profess Christianity Was once the richest country in the southeast, but
adopted socialist economic practices that held them back
Thailand
Known as Siam until 1939 Only country in Southeast Asia to never be
controlled by a European power Strongest economy in Indochina Bangkok: capital city Much of the territory is on the Malay Peninsula-
almost 1000 miles long-control central portion Constitutional monarchy- prime minister is head of
government, but have a traditional king 94% Buddhists Elephants are the national symbol pg 527
Laos
Only landlocked country in Southeast Asia Undeveloped, mountainous, lack of arable land 60% Buddhist, 40% animist or other native religion Mekong River borders with Thailand Capital: Vientiane- still shows French influence In 1975, Pathet Lao, a communist organization,
took over and modeled it after Vietnam Recently tried to move back to a free market
economy—but lack of infrastructure is hindering No railroads, little telecommunications, poor road
system, only urban areas have electricity
Buddhism
Pg. 526 Off shoot of Hinduism Based on teaching of Siddhartha Gautama
Buddha Dharma- saving truth- balance between self
indulgence and self torture 4 Noble Truths and 8 Fold Path of Moral
Principles 1. Right View 2. Right Intention 3. Right Speech 4. Right Action 5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort 7. Right Mindfulness 8. Right Concentration
Nirvana- state of happiness and rest Seek the “non self”
Cambodia
Has great potential, but never took advantage of it Low, flat plains, much of the land is arable Gained independence from France in 1953 The communist Khmer Rouge took over in 1975 and tried to
erase memories of colonial rule and return to a rural, agricultural lifestyle Tried to rid of all opposition, killed 1.5 million Cambodians Communists in Vietnam were appalled, they invaded in 1978 Khmer Rouge finally surrendered in 99 and were put on trial by the
UN Today, country has a king and a bicameral legislature Future is bright, GDP is equally divided by agriculture, industry
and service and 50% of the population is 20 years old and under
Vietnam
Capital: Hanoi Southern coast along the South China Sea Largest city in the south: Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon)
Communist Ho Chi Minh led rebels against the French to gain independence
Not all Vietnamese wanted Communism, South voted to remain free
UN split the country at the 17th parallel, North and South Vietnam Afraid of the Domino Theory (once one country falls to
communism, more will follow) the US went in to help the South fight off the Viet Cong
Too divisive of a battle, US left, South fell, people fled the country Working on expanding economy, still has Communist government
Culture is a mix of Western and Oriental influences 80% profess no religion at all
II. The Malay Archipelago
Largest group of islands in the world
Most islands are volcanic, dominated by mountains
Malaysia
Part on the Malay Peninsula, rest is on the island of Borneo
Major leader among developing countries Capital: Kuala Lumpur- on the peninsula 60% are Muslim Official language: Bahasa Melayu, but English and
Chinese are common In the 70s became a major electronics
manufacturer Batik- hand crafted cloth, part of traditional clothing
Singapore
Only about 3x the size of D.C., but very influential
Singapore—name of island, country and capital
Has the busiest seaport by volume in the world
77% Chinese population, religiously Buddhist and Muslim
Financial and high-tech hub of Southeast Asia
Brunei
On the island of Borneo, wedged between two states of Malaysia
Gained independence from Britain in 1984 Government: Constitutional Sultanate
Legal system based on British law, but Islamic sharia supersedes it in some areas
Sultan and prime minister- hereditary positions, no elections
Islam is official religion Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
Indonesia
Largest country of Southeast Asia Nation made up of 17,508 islands!
Only 6600 are populated, Stretch across 3000 miles
4th largest population in the world Largest Islamic nation in the world
Big Islands of Indonesia Java- hub of activity, capital Jakarta is
here Sumatra- second most densely
populated island Borneo- 3rd largest island in the world New Guinea- 2nd largest island in the
world
The Philippines
Chain of 7,107 islands that run 1000 miles Only about 900 islands are inhabited
Two big islands on either end: Luzon and Mindanao
Luzon Largest and most populous island Capital: Manila
Discovered by Ferdinand Magellan and was a Spanish colony until 1898, full independence after WWII 80% Roman Catholic