GeoJournalAs you read this chapter, use your journal to describe the many ways of life in South-east Asia. Use vivid details to depict homes,jobs, governments, and cultural activities.

Chapter Overview Visit the Glencoe WorldGeography Web site at tx.geography.glencoe.comand click on Chapter Overviews—Chapter 30 to preview information about the cultural geography of the region.

Guide to ReadingConsider What You KnowMany Southeast Asians havemigrated to other countries, includ-ing the United States. What impactdo you think migrants have on thecultures of their adopted countries?

Read to Find Out• What are the various ethnic roots

of Southeast Asia’s peoples?

• Why do the majority of SoutheastAsians live in river valley lowlandsor on coastal plains?

• How have population movementsand settlement patterns affectedSoutheast Asia?

Terms to Know• urbanization

• primate city

Places to Locate• Cambodia

• Vietnam

• Myanmar

• Indonesia

• Java

• Singapore

• Thailand

• Philippines

• Bangkok

• Jakarta

C h a p t e r 3 0 735

Master kite maker at work in Malaysia

Population Patterns

A Geographic ViewTraces of HistoryHome to nearly five million people,making it one of the world’s mostpopulated urban areas, Ho Chi MinhCity [formerly Saigon, Vietnam]still bears traces of past foreignoccupants. France, which madeSaigon its first foothold inIndochina, left boulevards and acathedral. The U.S., which basedits military here during the Vietnam War, built an embassycomplex and greatly expandedthe airport. Now the Vietnamesetake a turn, erecting hotelsand factories.

—Tracy Dahlby, “The New Saigon,” National Geographic, April 1995

Vietnam’s Western-style buildings are recentexamples of a series of cultural influences—Chinese, Indian, Islamic,European, and American—that have shaped Southeast Asia overthousands of years. Each culture has added its own unique flavor toSoutheast Asia’s cultural mix. In this section you will learn aboutthe diverse peoples of Southeast Asia, how physical geographyaffects where they live, and what challenges population changes arebringing to the region.

Human CharacteristicsSoutheast Asia’s cultural geography is as varied as its physi-

cal geography. About 520 million people live on the many peninsu-las and islands of Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia’s population todayincludes descendants of indigenous peoples, Indians, Chinese,Arabs, and European colonists.

Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam

736 U n i t 1 0

Indigenous PeoplesHumans have lived in Southeast Asia for tens of

thousands of years. About 2,500 years ago, groupsof migrants from western China and eastern Tibetarrived in the region. Many of today’s SoutheastAsians are descendants of these early peoples. Onthe Southeast Asian mainland, the Khmers settledCambodia and Vietnam, the Mons moved intoMyanmar, and the Malays settled the MalayPeninsula. Some Malay groups also undertook seavoyages, settling the many islands that today formIndonesia. These indigenous peoples developedagricultural civilizations and borrowed from otherpeoples without losing their own identities.

Indian and Chinese InfluencesValuable spices grown in Southeast Asia drew

outside traders to the region. While exchanginggoods with Southeast Asians, these foreignerspassed on new ideas and practices that blendedwith Southeast Asian traditions. Beginning in theA.D. 100s, merchants from India introduced theHindu and Buddhist religions, art forms inspired

by these religions, and a concept ofgovernment that glorified kings asboth political and spiritual leaders.Meanwhile, Chinese traders and sol-diers brought Chinese cultural influ-

ences to the region through Vietnam. During athousand years of Chinese rule, the Vietnameseadopted China’s writing system, Confucian tradi-tions, and system of government. Today Indianand Chinese ethnic communities are scatteredthroughout Southeast Asia, particularly in Brunei,Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. In Singaporetoday, people of ethnic Chinese ancestry make up76 percent of the country’s total population.

Islamic InfluenceIn search of spices, Arab and Indian traders

brought cottons and silks to Southeast Asia begin-ning in the A.D. 800s. They and locally based Malaytraders set up trade routes that linked SoutheastAsia with other parts of Asia. During the 1200s,Southeast Asians—especially those in porttowns—began to convert to Islam, the religion ofthese traders. Over the centuries, Islam spreadfrom coastal areas to interior areas of the Indone-sian islands and the Malay Peninsula. Today Muslims form the majority of the population inBrunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Indigenous PeopleThe young woman wearing a headdress (left) and the elderly people (right) are Iban, an indigenous group in East Malaysia.

Movement From which areas did people migrate to SoutheastAsia 2,500 years ago?

C h a p t e r 3 0 737

their population growth rates. Singapore, in fact, hassucceeded so well in reducing its population growthrate that there is concern the country may not haveenough young workers to replace and support itsaging population. As a result, married couples arenow encouraged to have more children.

History

Cambodia: Population DeclineSince the 1970s Cambodia’s population growth

rate has been below the region’s average. Between1975 and 1979, Cambodia lost 38 percent of its population as a result of harsh rule by the KhmerRouge communist government. Many people diedas a result of starvation, torture, and executions.People considered to be intellectuals were oftenthe first targets of the violence as described below:

“ Even someone who as much [as] woreglasses was considered an intellect, [and]was killed. Thus began a vast extermi-nation of all the wealthy and educatedpeople in Cambodia…. The KhmerRouge watched over the people con-stantly, making sure everything they didwas right, and if they showed any signs of an education, they would be first tortured to confess, and then executed.”Jerry Adler, “Pol Pot’s

Last Days,” Newsweek,April 27, 1998

Movement to the CitiesFor centuries, the majority of Southeast Asians

lived in rural villages and farmed the land. Todayincreasing numbers of the region’s people aremoving from rural areas to urban centers. Thispopulation shift has resulted from political con-flicts and government policies, but greater eco-nomic and educational opportunities available incities have also been factors. The Philippines, forexample, reflects this trend toward urbanization,or the shift from rural to urban lifestyles, in South-east Asia. At the beginning of the 1900s, more than80 percent of Filipinos lived in rural areas. Todayabout 53 percent of the Philippines’ populationlives in the countryside.

Western ColonizationDuring the 1400s and 1500s, European explor-

ers, like others before them, sought new searoutes to acquire Southeast Asia’s spices andother rich natural resources. Their voyages even-tually brought nearly all of the region, with theexception of Thailand, under European control.While exporting nutmeg, cloves, and pearls toEurope, European traders brought new productsto Southeast Asia. For example, from Latin Amer-ica the Spaniards introduced various chili pep-pers that added new flavor to Southeast Asiancooking. When drinking coffee became popular inEurope during the 1600s, the Dutch began culti-vating coffee trees—originally from the ArabianPeninsula—on various Southeast Asian islands.

Population GrowthMany of Southeast Asia’s 520 million people live

in fertile river valleys or on the coastal plains. Aready supply of water, fertile land, adequate trans-portation, and available jobs have all contributed tothese concentrations of people. In general, highlandsareas have fewer people than lowlands, and ruralareas have fewer people than the cities.

Population DensityPopulation density varies widely throughout

Southeast Asia. Indonesia, the world’s fourth mostpopulous country, has more than 206 million peopleliving on 13,600 scattered islands. The Indonesianisland of Java is one of the most densely populatedislands in the world. The overall population densityof Indonesia is 280 people per square mile (108 peo-ple per sq. km). Singapore, the region’s smallestcountry in land area, has the greatest populationdensity—17,320 people per square mile (6,687 peo-ple per sq. km).

Population Growth RatesThe population of Southeast Asia is growing at

a rate of 1.6 percent per year compared with the1.3 percent average growth rate for the world. Someestimates indicate that more than 775 million peo-ple will live in the region by 2050, representingabout a 50 percent increase over the number of peo-ple living there today. Some countries, such as Thai-land, Indonesia, and Singapore, are working to slow

738 U n i t 1 0

At least 11 Southeast Asian cities now have pop-ulations of more than 1 million. In some countriesin the region, a single major city leads all othercities in attracting people, resources, and com-merce. Such a magnet is called a primate city, anurban area that serves as a country’s major port,economic center, and often its capital.

Bangkok, Thailand, and Jakarta, Indonesia, areexamples of primate cities. Rapid growth in theseand other urban areas has brought challenges aswell as benefits. Thailand’s capital, Bangkok,grew by 650 percent between 1950 and 1998, butthe city’s roads, housing, water and electric systems,and other public services could not adequatelysupport all of the new migrants. About 1 millionresidents of Bangkok live in densely populatedareas characterized by poor housing and poverty.Thailand is trying to solve these urban challengesby encouraging people to return to rural areas. TheThai government has offered incentives for indus-tries to locate outside of cities. In spite of theseefforts, however, the lure of urban jobs andlifestyles continues to drain small villages.

Indonesia also faces a movement of people fromrural to urban areas. The major attraction formigrants in Indonesia is its capital, Jakarta, a cityof more than 10 million on the densely populatedisland of Java. Some of these migrants are tempo-rary residents seeking seasonal employment in the cities.

In an attempt to reduce urban overcrowding,Indonesia’s government during the past 40 yearshas relocated 3 million people to the country’s lessdensely populated outer islands. Although reloca-tion has increased the rural population in someparts of Indonesia, it has done little to lessen over-crowding on Java. In addition, the mixing of peo-ples of different ethnic backgrounds has sparkedconflict as groups compete for jobs, housing, andsocial services.

Outward MigrationsSince the 1970s, a number of Southeast Asians

have left their homelands to settle in other parts of the world. Between 1975 and 1990, thousands of

Country Percent Urban Percent Rural Annual Urban Growth % Annual Rural Growth %

Sources: 2001 World Population Data Sheet; United Nations Population Division, 2000

Indonesia

Malaysia

Thailand

Vietnam

Philippines

Myanmar

Cambodia

Laos

Singapore

39

57

30

24

47

27

16

17

100

61

43

70

76

53

73

84

83

0

3.4

2.9

2.5

2.4

3.1

3.4

4.4

5.2

1.0

0.3

0.1

0.2

1.3

0.1

0.9

1.0

2.0

0.0

Southeast Asia: Urban and Rural Growth (Selected Countries)

CHART STUDY

2. Applying Geography Skills How might migra-tion and other human processes affect patternsof settlement in the region?1. Interpreting Charts Which country is the

most urbanized? The least urbanized?

cities have also shaped the region’s populationpatterns. In the next section, you will learn howhistorical events, such as migration and coloniza-tion, and contemporary politics have left theirmarks on Southeast Asia.

people left Vietnam toescape the widespreadeconomic distress and polit-ical oppression that grippedthe country. Since the mid-1970s, many people haveleft their homeland in Laosfor similar reasons. Manyof these Southeast Asianmigrants came to settle inthe United States. By 2000,for example, the UnitedStates population included955,264 Vietnamese, 176,148Cambodians, and 331,340people of the Hmong andLao ethnic groups. Oneeffect of these outwardmigrations is that the coun-tries of Southeast Asia loseskilled and educated work-ers who could contributesome of the valuable skillsthat their home countriesneed for sustained economic growth. Outwardmigration is only one factor that shapes the region’spopulation patterns, however.

Southeast Asia’s physical features—the manyislands and peninsulas—as well as its growing

Checking for Understanding1. Define urbanization, primate city.

2. Main Ideas On a web like the onebelow, list the factors that haveinfluenced rural and urban settle-ment patterns for each country inSoutheast Asia.

Critical Thinking3. Identifying Cause and Effect Why

have so many different peoplesmigrated to Southeast Asia over the centuries? How has thismigration influenced the region’sculture?

4. Making Inferences What do countries such as Indonesia hopeto gain by slowing populationgrowth?

5. Comparing and Contrasting How do migration patterns affect Indonesia’s urban and rural populations?

Analyzing Maps6. Location Study the political map

on page 711 and the urban/ruralgrowth chart on page 738. Arethe countries with the lowesturban populations located on the mainland or on the islands?

Settlement Patterns

7. Economic Effects Thinkabout population distribu-tion in Southeast Asia. Writea paragraph explaining howenvironmental and economicfactors have shaped settle-ment in the region.

Applying Geography

C h a p t e r 3 0 739

Yawaraj Road, in the heart of Bangkok’s busy Chinese district

Country: __________________

Guide to ReadingConsider What You KnowYour history class may have taughtyou about the period of colonial rulethat existed in Southeast Asia beforethe region’s countries gained inde-pendence. What effects might for-eign rule have on the people livingin a colony?

Read to Find Out• How did location influence

the development of empires in Southeast Asia?

• What cultural influences haveaffected the region’s peoples?

• What events led to the indep-endence of Southeast Asian countries?

Terms to Know• maritime

• sphere of influence

• buffer state

Places to Locate• Mekong River

• Gulf of Thailand

• Indochina Peninsula

• Malay Peninsula

• Angkor Wat

• Strait of Malacca

• Sunda Strait

• East Timor

740 U n i t 1 0

History andGovernment

A Geographic ViewA Mighty WaterwayFrom its source, the Mekong [River] travels about half its length in China;then it borders or moves through Myan-mar (formerly Burma), Laos, Thailand,Cambodia, and Vietnam. I would findit called by many names: River ofStone, Dragon Running River, Turbu-lent River, Mother River Khong, BigWater, the Nine Dragons. Along itempires, kingdoms, and colonialrealms have risen and fallen. . . .

—Thomas O’Neill, “The Mekong,”National Geographic, February 1993

The many names given to the Mekong River serve asreminders of Southeast Asia’s rich and colorful history. Over thecenturies the Mekong River has been a major waterway for the dif-ferent civilizations that have flourished along its banks. In this sec-tion you will learn about Southeast Asia’s ancient kingdoms, its eraof European colonial rule, and its struggles for independence anddemocracy. You will also learn about the regional conflicts thathave taken place in Southeast Asia during the past 50 years.

Early Civilizations Early peoples in Southeast Asia were highly skilled farmers. Rice

was the staple grain of these agricultural societies, as it is in SoutheastAsia today. During this early period, farmers in the region grew veg-etables and domesticated cattle and pigs. Early Southeast Asians alsowere advanced metalworkers. Bronze was first cast in Thailand in3000 B.C., nearly one thousand years before the Chinese developedthe same skill.

Boat traffic, Mekong River,Vietnam

C h a p t e r 3 0 741

Angkor Wat The temple complex at Angkor Wat forms the largest single religiousbuilding in the world. The complex covers nearly one square mile (2.6 sq. km) and issurrounded by an extensive moat. To ensure order and harmony in the universe,carvings depicting the Hindu gods and the Buddha cover the walls. At the center ofthe complex, the sanctuarystands 130 feet (40 m) high.The distinct style of Khmerarchitecture shows in theroof towers. Each pyramid-shaped tower consists of a series of tiers stacked one on top of the other,each smaller than the one beneath.

architecture of SOUTHEAST ASIA

Khmer Empire flourished along the Mekong Riverand covered most of the Indochina Peninsula andthe northern part of the Malay Peninsula. Techno-logically advanced in irrigation and agriculture,the Khmer used a complex system of lakes, canals,and irrigation channels to grow three or four ricecrops annually.

Although agriculturally advanced, the Khmerare best known for their magnificent architecture.Located in present-day Cambodia, Angkor Wat,a Khmer temple more than 800 years old, wasdesigned to resemble the home of the Hindu godsand goddesses. A mixture of Indian and local styles,Angkor Wat is both a Hindu temple and a tomb forSuryavarman II—the Khmer ruler who built it.

Srivijaya EmpireBased on the island of Sumatra, the Srivijaya

Empire controlled the seas bordering SoutheastAsia from A.D. 600 to 1300. Ancient trade routesfrom Africa and Southwest Asia to East Asia wentthrough the Strait of Malacca and the SundaStrait and linked the Indian Ocean, the Java Sea,and the South China Sea. The Srivijaya Empireused its navy to control these straits. Once itspower was established, the empire gained wealthby taxing traders whose ships passed throughthese waters.

By the 1300s, the Srivijaya Empire had declined,but its legacy shaped later maritime territories inSoutheast Asia. Today Singapore owes its economicprosperity to these same trade routes.

Many Southeast Asian cultural traditions aroseduring this period. Early Southeast Asians wor-shiped their ancestors as well as animal and naturespirits. In society, power and wealth were passeddown through the mother’s family.

Kingdoms and EmpiresMany civilizations in early Southeast Asia

developed on waterways or around strategic ports.Maritime, or seafaring, empires gained power bycontrolling shipping and trade. Land-based empiresgained wealth from crops grown in fertile soil.

FunanDuring the A.D. 100s, traders from India set

up trading posts along what is today the Gulf ofThailand (Siam). Southeast Asians living in thearea blended Indian traditions with their own. Bythe A.D. 200s, they had established the kingdom ofFunan. The people of Funan adopted Hinduismand the Indian model of a centralized govern-ment under one powerful ruler. They becameskillful goldsmiths and jewelers and developedan impressive irrigation system. As a maritimepower, Funan traded with regions as far away asIndia, China, and Persia.

KhmerAn abundance of crops grown in fertile river

valleys and deltas brought wealth to mainlandSoutheast Asia. During the A.D. 1100s and 1200s, the

742 U n i t 1 0

N

Gulfof

Siam

Java Sea

B a y o fB e n g a l

SundaStrait

Strait ofMalacca

S o u t hC h i n a

S e a

I n d i a n

O c e a n

Sumatra

Ceylon

MalayPeninsula

Isthmusof Kra

Java

AngkorWat

Penang

Malacca

I N D I A

C H I N A

20°N

30°N

10°N

10°S

0°

110°E100°E90°E80°E

EQUATOR

TROPIC OF CANCER

Miller Cylindrical projection

500

5000

0

mi.

km

MAP STUDY

Southeast Asia: Kingdoms and Trade Routes, A.D. 100s–1300s

Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

Funan A.D. 100s–500sSrivijaya A.D. 600s–1300sKhmer Empire A.D. 800s–1200sTrade routesPresent-day national boundary

Southeast Asian Empires

2. Applying Geography Skills Why do you think settlements such as Penang and Malaccaprospered?1. Analyzing Maps What regions of the world

traded with early Southeast Asian civilizations?

VietnamThe Vietnamese people controlled the Indochina

Peninsula from the Red (Hong) River delta in thenorth to coastal lands in the center. Throughout theirhistory, the Vietnamese struggled against Chineseinvaders. Finally, in 111 B.C. the Chinese emperorWudi conquered the territory. The Chinese intro-duced their writing system and ideas about religion,

philosophy, and government. Their control of theVietnamese ended during the early A.D. 900s.

IslamMuslim Arab merchants and missionaries from

Southwest Asia traded and settled in SoutheastAsian coastal areas during the A.D. 800s and 900s.Because of this influence, many coastal Southeast

C h a p t e r 3 0 743

Western rivalries for control of resources and ter-ritory, however, increased military conflict inSoutheast Asia. Western influences also alteredtraditional lifestyles. Colonial landowners andtrading companies forced Southeast Asians—whoreceived low, if any, wages—to grow cash crops,work in the mines, and cut trees for timber.

Southeast Asian agricultural workers alonecould not meet the growing Western demand forlabor. Plantation owners imported machinery, butthey also hired Indian and Chinese immigrants towork in the mines and fields. Many of the migrantlaborers and their families settled permanently inSoutheast Asia, contributing to the ethnic diversityof the region.

Struggle for FreedomDuring World War II, Japan forced Western coun-

tries out of Southeast Asia. After Japan’s defeat in1945, the Western countries tried to regain control.They met opposition, however, from SoutheastAsians determined to gain their freedom. By 1965,

Asians adopted Islamic ways and con-verted to the religion of Islam. After1400, Islam quickly spread fromcoastal to interior areas in the MalayPeninsula and neighboring islands.During the 1400s, Malacca, on theMalay Peninsula, was an importantseaport and Islamic cultural center.

WesternColonization

By the 1500s Europeans hadarrived in Southeast Asia to trade,spread Christianity, and claim terri-tory. The European powers at firstset up spheres of influence—agreed-upon areas of control. Theylater acquired Southeast Asian landsas colonies. Dividing British- fromFrench-ruled territories, the kingdom of Siam (pre-sent-day Thailand) served as a buffer state, orneutral territory between rival powers. Because ofits position, Siam was the only Southeast Asianterritory that remained free of European rule.

Western HoldingsDuring the early 1900s, the Netherlands, the

United Kingdom, France, and the United Statesdominated Southeast Asia. The Netherlandsclaimed most of the islands that today make upIndonesia. The United Kingdom controlled what isnow Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei.France governed territories in Indochina that laterbecame Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. The UnitedStates gained control of the Philippines in a warwith Spain in 1898.

Economics

Effects of Western RuleEuropeans and Americans brought widespread

changes to Southeast Asia. They built railroads,paved roads, and improved harbors to speed themovement of people and goods throughout theregion. Westerners expanded tin mining and oildrilling, and they replaced small farms with largecommercial plantations. The production of rice,rubber, coffee, and other products soared, andWesterners received enormous profits.

Islamic Influences Over half of Malaysianspractice Islam, including most ethnic Malays.Movement When did Islam spread to the Malay Peninsula?

N

S I A M

BURMA

CHINA

FRENCHINDOCHINA

MALAYASARAWAK

BRITISHNORTHBORNEO

BRUNEI

PHILIPPINEISLANDS

EAST TIMOR

D U T C H E A S T I N D I E S

P a c i f i c

O c e a nS o u t hC h i n a

S e a

100°E

20°N

10°N

10°S

0°

120°E 140°E

TROPIC OF CANCER

EQUATOR

Miller Cylindrical projection400

4000

0

mi.

km

MAP STUDY

Foreign Colonies in Southeast Asia, 1914

Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

2. Applying Geography Skills What present-daycountries were part of French Indochina?

BritishFrenchDutchU.S.PortugueseIndependent

1914 Colonies

after two decades of struggle, all of the countriesof Southeast Asia had gained independence.

Culture

Regional ConflictsAfter independence, political conflicts and wars

raged throughout Southeast Asia. Local Commu-nists fought other political groups in Indochina. In1954 communist forces defeated the French inVietnam, which was then divided into two inde-pendent parts: communist North Vietnam andnon-communist South Vietnam. Vietnamese Com-munists used force to unite all of Vietnam undertheir rule by the mid-1970s. In Laos and Cambodia,

744 U n i t 1 0

1. Analyzing Maps Which European group con-trolled most of the island areas of Southeast Asia?

Communists also fought newly independent gov-ernments for control. During the 1960s and early1970s, the United States intervened in these South-east Asian conflicts to block the spread of com-munism. The feature on pages 746–747 describesthe Vietnam War and the United States’s involve-ment in Southeast Asia.

Other Southeast Asian countries have faced ethnic conflict. In Malaysia, for example, ethnicMalays controlling the government have clashedwith the Chinese and Indian communities thatdominate the economy. The government has triedto boost Malay participation in business, an actionthat non-Malays regard as favoritism. Sometimes

Checking for Understanding1. Define maritime, sphere of

influence, buffer state.

2. Main Ideas On a table like theone below, fill in and describeinfluences of outside cultures onthe development of Southeast Asia.

Critical Thinking3. Comparing and Contrasting How

were the region’s three earlyempires alike? Different?

4. Making Inferences What physicaland human factors have shapedSoutheast Asia’s current politicalborders?

5. Predicting Consequences Howmight East Timor’s independenceinfluence the region?

Analyzing Maps6. Region Study the map on page

742. Why were the Strait ofMalacca and the Sunda Strait vital to maritime development?

ethnic and religious groups within a countryhave waged struggles for independence.East Timor, a Portuguese-ruled territoryseized by Indonesia in 1975, is an example.For 20 years East Timor’s mostly RomanCatholic population resisted being absorbedinto largely Muslim Indonesia. About200,000 of East Timor’s people died during afierce conflict. A journalist visiting EastTimor in the late 1980s described thefighting at that time:

“ The consequences [of fighting]have been devastating. . . . ‘Practicallyspeaking,’ [stated a local official],‘every family in East Timor has lostsomeone in this civil war.’”Arthur Zich, “Indonesia:

Two Worlds, TimeApart,” National Geographic, January 1989

When Indonesia’s corrupt dictatorship fell in1999, East Timor finally broke away. Pro-Indonesianforces, however, spread unrest there. UN interna-tional peacekeeping forces arrived to keep order.

Forms of GovernmentForms of government vary in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore aredemocratic republics. In 1998 Indonesia moved

Culture Influences on Southeast Asia 7. Interpreting HistoricalMaps Write a paragraphexplaining how the map offoreign colonies on page744 helps us understand theregion’s cultural diversity.

Applying Geography

C h a p t e r 3 0 745

toward democracy after years of dictatorship. Myan-mar’s military government has tried to crush theefforts of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi(AWNG SAHN SOO CHEE) to bring democracypeacefully to the country. Brunei, Cambodia,Malaysia, and Thailand are constitutional monar-chies. Communist governments rule in Laos andVietnam.

Voting forFreedom East Timorese greet a UN official sent tosupervise a 1999 election in which East Timor’s votersdecided to separate their territory from Indonesia.

Place How did religion affect East Timor’s relationshipwith Indonesia?

THE LONG WAR:AMERICA IN VIETNAM

Soldiers in Vietnam battled harshterrain, as well as the enemy.

▲

THE LONG WAR:AMERICA IN VIETNAM

AND

GEOGRAPHYHISTORY

WITHIN THE JUNGLES OFVIETNAM, slim shafts of lightpenetrate the dense vegeta-tion. In the 1960s and 1970s,American soldiers fought a

war in these jungles, while their nation’sleaders struggled over how to end it.

The United States became concernedabout Vietnam after World War II, when theCold War split the world’s nations into twogroups—those favoring the democraticUnited States, and those aligned with theSoviet Union and communism. Each sidefeared the other’s dominance, and U.S.President Truman vowed to help anycountry threatened by communism.This policy, expanded by PresidentsEisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson,led America to war in Vietnam.

America IntervenesFrance ruled Vietnam from 1877 to theearly 1940s. Japan occupied Vietnamduring most of World War II.After the war, the United States supportedFrance as it tried to resume rule. ButHo Chi Minh, a Communist and aSoviet ally, organized a revolt in north-ern Vietnam. In 1954 the Vietnamese woncontrol, ending French rule. All partiessigned a peace agreement, and Vietnamwas divided into Communist NorthVietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh, and non-Communist South Vietnam, eventually led by Ngo Dinh Diem.

Saigon(Ho ChiMinh City)

Hanoi

NorthVietnam

SouthVietnam

Gulfof

Tonkin

Gulfof

Thailand

N

400

4000 mi.

0 km

746 U n i t 1 0

1954 Ho Chi Minh (photoabove) and Communistfighters defeat France

1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident;U.S. bombs NorthVietnam

1965 U.S. sends groundforces to aid SouthVietnam

1967–1972War continues;Americans protest(background photo)

1973 Paris Accords establishcease-fire; U.S. troopswithdraw

1975 North Vietnam con-quers South Vietnam

1978–1980sBoat people flee

1995 U.S. normalizes relations with Vietnam

A former soldier demonstrates atrapdoor in the network of tun-nels near Saigon (now Ho ChiMinh City). Today the tunnelsare a tourist attraction.

▲

U n i t 1 0 747

Diem proved unpopular,and rebel groups formed.Having North Vietnam’s sup-port, the rebels were calledViet Cong, or “VietnameseCommunists.” In 1963 a mili-tary coup overthrew Diem.After U.S. President Lyndon

Johnson announced that North Vietnam had attacked American shipsin the Gulf of Tonkin, the United States took action. Soon Americanplanes were bombing North Vietnam. In 1965 the first Americantroops landed to support South Vietnam.

A Losing BattleAmerican pilots flew B-52 bombers in air strikes against NorthVietnam. In the south, Americans used helicopters, tanks, and well-armed ground troops to seek out Viet Cong. Chemicals, such as AgentOrange, were sprayed to kill the thick jungle vegetation. Modernweaponry, however, did not deter the Communist forces.Viet Congand North Vietnamese fighters relied on guerrilla tactics, on knowl-edge of the terrain, and on weapons from the Soviet Union andChina. Viet Cong hid out and attacked from 200 miles (320 km) ofunderground tunnels. Many American soldiers lost their lives tryingto infiltrate the jungles and tunnels of Vietnam.

As the war dragged on, antiwar protests erupted in the UnitedStates. Under pressure to end the war, U.S. President Nixon beganwithdrawing troops.The last American forces left Vietnam in 1973.By war’s end in 1975, more than 50,000 Americans and as many as 2million Vietnamese were dead. By 1976 Vietnam was reunited, andHanoi imposed harsh reforms on Saigon, which was renamed Ho ChiMinh City. In the following decade, more than a million refugees fledVietnam’s shores by boat.Tragically, half of these “boat people”died.

Today Americans still study lessons of the war. In Vietnam, northand south remain vastly different, with little economic developmentin the north and foreign investment pouring into the south.

Looking Ahead

The United States established diplomatic ties with Vietnamin 1995. What role might the United States play in Vietnam’seconomic recovery?

Guide to ReadingConsider What You KnowSoutheast Asia is a culturally diverseregion. Increasingly, Southeast Asiancultural influences are present in theWestern world. What foods, clothing,or religions do you know of that arefrom Southeast Asian cultures?

Read to Find Out• What makes Southeast Asia such

an ethnically diverse region?

• How have outside influencesaffected the arts in SoutheastAsia?

• How do people’s lifestyles reflectSoutheast Asia’s diversity?

Terms to Know• wat

• batik

• longhouse

Places to Locate• Irrawaddy River

• Kuala Lumpur

Cultures andLifestyles

A Geographic ViewRural ProgressThailand’s economic success is mostobvious in the cities, but it filters intothe countryside as well. Where familiesonce tended small [rice] paddies justoutside Bangkok, large tractors nowgroom sweeping fields of commercialfarms. . . . On the quiet side roadswhere I once slowed for water buffalo, I now dodged motorcyclespiloted by young Thai men in lovewith speed.

—Noel Grove, “The Many Faces of Thailand,”National Geographic, February 1996

Throughout their history, Southeast Asians have suc-cessfully adapted new ideas and practices to indigenous cultural traditions. Today the peoples of Southeast Asia are learning to blendtheir cultural heritage with the fast-paced changes brought by theregion’s participation in a global economy. In this section you willlearn about Southeast Asia’s many cultures and lifestyles.

Cultural DiversityCultures in Southeast Asia reflect the region’s ethnic diversity.

In Vietnam, for example, a number of cultural traditions—Chinese, Hmong, Tai, Khmer, Man, and Cham—exist alongside thepredominant Vietnamese culture. Indonesia has the region’s largestnumber of ethnic and cultural groups. About 300 ethnic groups withmore than 250 distinct languages live on Indonesia’s many islands.Since independence, the Indonesian government has struggled tohold the country together. The collapse of its dictatorship

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Shrimp farm outside Bangkok, Thailand

C h a p t e r 3 0 749

ReligionsBecause of the many cultures that exist in South-

east Asia, nearly all of the world’s major religionsare represented in the region. Buddhism is themajor religion of Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia,Laos, and Vietnam. Many people living inMalaysia and Indonesia practice Islam. The major-ity of people in the Philippines are RomanCatholic. This Christian influence began whenthe Philippines came under the control of Spainduring the 1500s. A great number of Southeast

and the breaking away of EastTimor have encouraged inde-pendence movements in otherparts of Indonesia to increasetheir demands.

History

LanguagesHundreds of languages and

dialects are spoken in SoutheastAsia. Most of the region’s languages stem from threemajor language families––Malayo-Polynesian, Sino-Tibetan,and Mon-Khmer.

Many of the languages spo-ken in Southeast Asia are theresult of migration or coloniza-tion. In the Philippines, forexample, Pilipino, English,and Spanish are the majorlanguages. Pilipino, an officiallanguage of the Philippines,belongs to the Malayo-Polynesianlanguage family and evolvedfrom the speech of earlymigrants. Spanish was broughtto the Philippines during theyears of rule by Spain. English,the second official language,came later with rule by theUnited States.

Chinese, Malay, Tamil, andEnglish are the official languagesof Singapore, reflecting theimportance of global trade to thistiny island country. In Malaysia,where British influence wasstrong during the 1800s and early 1900s, English isthe language most often used in business and dailylife. Affirming the country’s traditional culture, how-ever, the Malaysian government has made Malay thecountry’s official language, especially in schools anduniversities. In Vietnam urban residents speak Vietnamese, Chinese dialects, French, or English. Thepresence of the three non-Vietnamese languages is adaily reminder of the influence that China, France,and the United States have had on Vietnam’s historyand culture.

CHINA

MYANMARLAOS

THAILAND

CAMBODIAVIETNAM

M A L A Y S I ABRUNEI

PHILIPPINES

I N D O N E S I A

SINGAPORE

N

30°N

15°N

0°

105°E 120°E 135°E

TROPIC OF CANCER

EQUATOR

Mercator projection

1,000

1,0000

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mi.

km

MAP STUDY

Southeast Asia: Religions

Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

BuddhistChristianHinduMuslimLocal

MajorReligions

1. Analyzing Maps In which countries of the region is Buddhism the dominant religion?

2. Applying Geography Skills Look at the physical map of South-east Asia on page 710. By what means might Islam have spreadthroughout Indonesia?

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ArchitectureMany beautiful examples of religious architec-

ture exist throughout Southeast Asia. ElaborateChinese-style pagodas and Indian-style wats, ortemples, dot the landscape. Thousands of thesereligious buildings are located on the IndochinaPeninsula alone.

Borobudur, a Buddhist shrine in Indonesia, is astunning example of Southeast Asian religiousart and architecture. Built of gray volcanic stonearound A.D. 800 on the island of Java, this templeis larger than Europe’s great cathedrals. A largetower shaped like a bell tops the pyramid-shapedmonument. The shrine’s three levels, connectedby stairs, represent the three stages of the Bud-dha’s journey to enlightenment.

music of SOUTHEAST ASIA

World Music: A Cultural Legacy Hear music of this region on Disc 2,

Student Web Activity Visit the Glencoe World GeographyWeb site at tx.geography.glencoe.com and click on Student WebActivities—Chapter 30 for an activity about Malaysia.

Asians—mainly those of Chinese ancestry—fol-low Confucianism or Daoism.

These different religious beliefs not only coexistbut also mingle throughout Southeast Asia. In Vietnam people blend Buddhism, Confucian-ism, and, in some cases, Catholicism. A house-warming ceremony in Thailand might includeblessings by a Buddhist monk and a Hindu priest,followed by offerings to ancestors and nature spirits.Hinduism, influenced by Buddhism and indigenousreligions, is the basis for elaborate ceremonies on theIndonesian island of Bali.

The ArtsThe civilizations of early India and China signif-

icantly shaped Southeast Asia’s cultural develop-ment. Over the centuries, local artists and writerscreatively adapted Indian and Chinese styles totheir own needs. Hinduism and Buddhism alsoinspired literature, art, and architecture in South-east Asia. During the era of Western colonization,European artistic and literary styles began to influ-ence Southeast Asian arts and literature.

A variety of instruments, chants, vocalstyles, and dances are found throughoutSoutheast Asia. The use of bronze andbamboo instruments is common in Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines,Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Instrument SpotlightA metal gong known as a gamelanis the most popular instrument ofIndonesia. These bronze gongs aremade in many shapes and sizesand are usually featured inensembles along with drums,percussion, flutes, singers, anddancers. Gamelans originated inJava prior to the 1400s, and bythe 1700s they were an impor-tant part of the royal courts.From Java this music traditionspread to Bali and otherneighboring islands.

C h a p t e r 3 0 751

they dye the fabric. The dyes form a pattern, col-oring only the untreated parts of the cloth. Finally,the cloth is boiled to remove the wax. A colorfulpattern or picture remains.

LiteratureEarly literature in Southeast Asia consisted of folk-

tales, legends, and love stories passed orally fromgeneration to generation. Indian, Chinese, andIslamic literature later had a great influence on localwriters, whose works still showed their own distinctcharacter. For example, in Arjunavivaha, a storyabout the life of a king in Java, the court poet MpuKanwa modified the Indian epic Mahabharata to fitSoutheast Asian circumstances.

In recent times Southeast Asian authors have usedWestern styles and themes in their works. Many

An Emperor’s Tomb With French backingEmperor Khai Dinh ruled Vietnam from 1916 to1925. His tomb blends French and Vietnamesestyles.

Place What important crafts are produced inSoutheast Asia?

The royal city of Pagan (puh•GAHN) in Myanmar was the ancient capital of an earlyBurmese empire. From A.D. 1044 to about 1300, kingsand commoners honored the Buddha by buildingmore than 5,000 pagodas. More than 2,000 pagodasstill stand along 8 miles (13 km) of the IrrawaddyRiver. Many of these ancient structures remain inexcellent condition.

Christianity and Islam also have influencedSoutheast Asian architecture. In the Philippinesyou can find Roman Catholic churches built in theSpanish colonial style. In Malaysia, Brunei, andIndonesia, where Islam is the major religion, theminarets of many beautiful mosques are prominent.

Modern architecture dominates the skyline ofmajor Southeast Asian cities, such as Bangkok,Jakarta, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. KualaLumpur, Malaysia’s capital, has an area called theGolden Triangle that includes luxury hotels, mul-tistoried office buildings, and a development proj-ect known as the Kuala Lumpur City Center(KLCC). The KLCC has one of the world’s tallestoffice buildings, the Petronas Twin Towers.

CraftsThe rich cultures of Southeast Asia have produced

many fine crafts. Artisans in Myanmar and Vietnamproduce glossy lacquerware. Boxes, trays, dishes,and furniture are covered with many layers of resinfrom the Asian sumac tree. Colored powders areused to paint designs on the pieces.

Creating lacquerware is time-consuming. Severalweeks must pass between applications of layers oflacquer, and a piece may take up to a year to com-plete. An observer explains the state of mind an arti-san requires to create this traditional craft:

“ Good lacquer requires a mood of timeless-ness that even the visitor senses. Workers’time clocks, if such existed, would bemarked in months, not hours.”W. E. Garrett, “Pagan, on the Road

to Mandalay,” National Geographic,March 1971

Using a method known as batik (buh•TEEK),Indonesians and Malaysians produce beautifuldesigns and patterns on cloth. First, they use waxor rice paste to create designs on the cloth. Then,

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of the region’s writers, however, have translatedclassic Southeast Asian literature into modernforms of language that can be read and understoodby people today.

Culture

Dance and DramaPerformance arts remain immensely popular in

Southeast Asia. Dance and drama are combined toretell legends or re-create historical events.

Traditional dances often make use of religiousthemes. On the island of Bali, in Indonesia, youngwomen perform a dance called the Legong. Makinggraceful gestures, the dancers reenact episodes fromthe Ramayana, an ancient Indian story. Dances canalso serve as reminders of the region’s agriculturalroots. In Cambodia, when the monsoon rains arelate, dancers perform a type of rain dance called theLeng Trot.

Puppet plays are popular in many parts of South-east Asia. These plays use historical and religiouscharacters to perform tales. Sometimes a humandancer who imitates a puppet’s movement per-forms the play.

LifestylesSoutheast Asia’s ethnic diversity leads to a wide

variety of lifestyles in the region. Yet as global con-tacts have increased, similarities have also devel-oped among the ways people in Southeast Asia live.

Health and EducationSince achieving independence, many Southeast

Asian countries have enjoyed an improved quality oflife. Industry has spread throughout the region, andper capita incomes have risen. Singapore’s per capitagross domestic product (GDP) of $26,300 is compa-rable to that of the United States. The per capitaGDPs of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, however, areall lower than $2,000.

Life expectancy and infant mortality rates alsohave improved. The general levels of health inSoutheast Asia still vary widely, with Singaporehaving the best overall health conditions. For exam-ple, average life expectancy is 78 years in Singapore,compared with only 52 years in Laos.

Since 1945, literacy has increased dramatically inthe region, although educational opportunities arestill limited in many areas. Governments continueefforts to make education available to everyone.Thailand has the highest literacy rate in the region(95 percent), and Laos has the lowest (57 percent).

HousingHousing in Southeast Asia varies throughout the

region, depending on physical geography. In cities,people often live in traditional brick or woodenhouses. Some urban residents make their homes inhigh-rise apartments. Although many SoutheastAsians still live in poor conditions, government-funded housing projects have improved the situa-tions in some places.

Despite rapid urban growth, many SoutheastAsians still live in small farming villages. A typicalvillage consists of about 25 to 30 homes made ofbamboo or wood. These houses are built to suit theenvironment. Most have roofs made of tiles, corru-gated iron, or tin to keep out heavy rains. Most ofthese dwellings lack running water and electricity.

In some rural areas of Indonesia and Malaysia,people live in longhouses—elevated one-storybuildings that house up to 100 people. Elevating thehouses on poles helps ventilate and cool the struc-tures and offers protection from insects, animals, and

CrampedHousing Thousands of people live aboard floating homesin Sabah, a region of Malaysia.

Region What are typical farming communities like in South-east Asia?

Checking for Understanding1. Define wat, batik, longhouse.

2. Main Ideas In a graphic organizerlike the one below, list culturalgroups that migrated to theregion in one column and theircontributions in the other.

Critical Thinking3. Making Generalizations What cul-

tural features reflect SoutheastAsia’s ethnic diversity?

4. Problem Solving How might a new art museum ensure that itreflects Southeast Asia’s culture?

5. Comparing and Contrasting Howmight standards of living differbetween rural and urban South-east Asia?

Analyzing Maps6. Location Look at the map of

Southeast Asia’s religions on page749. In which country is Christianitythe predominant religion?

Cultural CulturalGroup Contribution

7. Diversity Trace the spread offoreign influences in South-east Asia. How have theseinfluences shaped SoutheastAsian life and culture?

Applying Geography

flooding. The residents of longhouses are usuallymembers of several extended or related families.

Food, Recreation, and Celebrations Most rural Southeast Asians live on the food

they raise themselves. Throughout the region riceis the staple food and is usually served with spicyfish, chicken, vegetables, and sauces. Various coun-tries have their own specialties. Some use curryand other spices; some make use of coconut milk.

Southeast Asians enjoy a variety of leisure activ-ities. In large cities, such as Bangkok, Jakarta, andSingapore, people visit museums, theaters, parks,restaurants, and nightclubs. In rural areas peopleenjoy visiting their neighbors and celebrating fam-ily occasions such as weddings and birthdays.

People throughout the region enjoy sports suchas soccer, basketball, and badminton. Traditionalsports and pastimes are also popular. In Myanmar,people play a game called chinlon, in which play-ers form a circle and try to keep a rattan ball in theair without using their hands. Indonesians prac-tice a combination of dancing and self-defenseknown as silat. Thais enjoy a form of “kick” boxingthat uses the feet as well as the hands.

Many Southeast Asian holidays are tied to reli-gious observances. For example, Thailand cele-brates Songkran, or the Water Festival, during theBuddhist New Year. People bathe statues of theBuddha and bless one another with a sprinkling ofwater. In January or February, Vietnam celebrates itsNew Year, called Tet. The celebration begins at thestart of the lunar year and lasts three days.

C h a p t e r 3 0 753

Thailand’s Monkey Feast Thais regardmonkeys as symbols of good fortune. At a yearlyfestival in their honor, monkeys are provided with an abundance of food.

Region What kinds of celebrations do SoutheastAsians enjoy?

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The Glencoe Skillbuilder Interactive Workbook,

Level 2 provides instruction andpractice in key social studies skills.

Understanding CartogramsOn most maps, land areas are drawn in proportion to their

actual surface areas on the earth. A cartogram is a map inwhich size is based on some characteristic other than land area,such as population or economic factors.

Research the gross domestic prod-uct (GDP) of each country inSoutheast Asia. Then create a car-togram that compares the GDP ofthese countries. Include a key forthe symbols you use.

Learning the SkillA cartogram provides clear

visual comparisons of the char-acteristic it measures. To read acartogram, apply the followingsteps:

• Read the map title and keyto identify the kind of infor-mation presented in the cartogram.

• Look for relationships amongthe countries. Determinewhich countries are largestand smallest.

• Compare the cartogram witha standard land-area map.Determine the degree of distortion of particular countries.

• Study these relationships and comparisons. Identify themost important informationpresented in the cartogram.

Practicing the SkillUse the cartogram on this

page to answer the followingquestions.

1. What data determine the relative sizes of countries on this cartogram?

2. What characteristics deter-mine the color of the squareson this cartogram?

3. Compare the cartogram with the standard land-areamap on page 721. How hasthe relative size of Singaporebeen changed on the

cartogram? How would youexplain this change?

4. From the information in this cartogram, would youexpect Laos to have moresquares than Vietnam in acartogram based on 2010data? Explain.

5. Suppose you want to com-pare the population densi-ties of two countries in thisregion. Can this cartogramhelp you make this compari-son? Explain.

2–2.9%1–1.9%

POPULATIONGROWTH RATE(excluding effects

of migration)

Each square representsone million people.2001 data

78,700,000

47,800,000 5,400,000

62,400,000

206,100,000

77,200,000

13,100,000

4,100,000

300,000

22,700,000 I N D O N E S I A

SINGAPORE

BRUNEI

MYANMAR

VIETNAM

THAILAND

LAOS

CAMBODIA

PHILIPPINES

MALAYSIA

800,000 EAST TIMOR

Southeast Asia: Population Cartogram

C h a p t e r 3 0 755

Key Points• Southeast Asia has a diversity of ethnic and cul-

tural groups.

• Most Southeast Asians live either in river valleylowlands or on coastal plains.

• Southeast Asian cities are growing rapidly as aresult of migration from rural to urban areas.

• Since the 1970s, large numbers of SoutheastAsians have migrated to escape politicaloppression and economic distress.

Organizing Your NotesUse a web like the one below to help you organize the notesyou took as you read this sec-tion. Fill in information aboutthe population patterns ofSoutheast Asia.

Terms to Know• maritime• sphere of influence• buffer state

Key Points• Southeast Asia’s early empires and kingdoms

controlled shipping and trade that linked EastAsia, South Asia, and Southwest Asia.

• European countries colonized all of SoutheastAsia except Thailand (Siam). All of the region’scountries are now independent.

• During the late 1900s, political conflict betweencommunist and noncommunist forces dividedmuch of Southeast Asia.

Organizing Your NotesUse a cause-effect chart like theone below to help you organizethe information you read in thissection.

Terms to Know• urbanization• primate city

Terms to Know• wat• batik• longhouse

Key Points• Southeast Asian culture reflects the ways of life

of peoples who migrated from other regions as well as those of indigenous peoples.

• Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam greatly influ-enced Southeast Asian art, architecture, drama,and celebrations.

• In spite of rapid population growth, SoutheastAsia’s economic development has led to manyimprovements in the region’s quality of life.

Organizing Your NotesUse an outline like the onebelow to help you organizeinformation in this section aboutcultures and lifestyles.

SECTION 1 Population Patterns (pp. 735–739)

SECTION 2 History and Government (pp. 740–745)

SECTION 3 Cultures and Lifestyles (pp. 748–753)

SUMMARY & STUDY GUIDE

Kingdoms andEmpires

WesternColonization

Cause Effects

I. Cultural DiversityA. Languages

1. Hundreds of languages2.

Population Patterns

2. Problem Solving Identify Southeast Asia’sgreatest challenge, and propose a solution.

3. Identifying Cause and Effect Com-plete a flowchart like the one below to showthe history of Southeast Asia from coloniza-tion to independence.

Reviewing Key TermsWrite the key term that best completes each of thefollowing sentences. Refer to the Terms to Know inthe Summary & Study Guide on page 755.

1. Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia’s __________.

2. A(n) __________ often houses a large,extended family.

3. Western countries set up __________ inSoutheast Asia.

4. Southeast Asian __________, or seafaring,empires controlled shipping and trade.

5. Southeast Asian architecture includes__________, or temples inspired by India.

6. A neutral territory called a(n)__________ can prevent conflictbetween rival powers.

Reviewing FactsSECTION 1

1. What geographic factors influ-ence where Southeast Asianslive?

2. Describe the characteristics of the region’s urban and ruralpopulations.

SECTION 23. Why did the early Southeast

Asian kingdoms prosper?

4. How did colonization by West-ern countries affect the region?

SECTION 35. What foreign influences can be

seen in Southeast Asia’s arts?

6. How has the quality of life inSoutheast Asia improved?

Critical Thinking1. Making Generalizations

Why are small farms unable tocompete with plantations?

ASSESSMENT & ACTIVITIES

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Locating PlacesSoutheast Asia: Physical-Political Geography

Match the letters on the map with the places and physical features of Southeast Asia. Write your answers on a sheet of paper.

1. Cambodia2. Bangkok3. Hanoi4. Strait of Malacca

5. Gulf of Thailand6. Manila7. Sumatra8. Kuala Lumpur

9. Indian Ocean10. South China Sea

N30°N

20°N

10°N

0°

100°E 110°E 120°E 130°E 140°E

TROPIC OF CANCER

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A

B

J

D

E

F

G

H

I

C

Mercator projection

1,000

1,0000

0

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km

Using the Regional AtlasRefer to the Regional Atlas on pages 710–713.

1. Region What areas of Southeast Asia arethe most densely populated?

2. Location What Southeast Asian citieshave populations of more than 2 million?What geographic factors do most of thesecities have in common?

Europeans arrive

C h a p t e r X 757

Think about what major religions are practiced in Southeast Asia. Theanswer that includes the cultures

where those religions originated probably is the cor-rect answer.

Consider how cultures from other worldregions established a spice trade inSoutheast Asia. Watch for key words

such as except, not, and only that greatly affect whatthe question is asking. The question is asking for theexception. Therefore, answer choices that do reflectthis important point of history can be eliminated.

Self-Check Quiz Visit the Glencoe WorldGeography Web site at tx.geography.glencoe.comand click on Self-Check Quizzes—Chapter 30 toprepare for the Chapter Test.

Thinking Like a GeographerUse your textbook, library sources, and the Inter-net to answer the following questions aboutSoutheast Asia: What geographic factors mighthave drawn foreigners to the region? How mightforeign influences have shaped forms of govern-ment in the region?

Problem-Solving ActivityContemporary Issues Case Study Pushfactors, such as unemployment or famine, are theunsatisfactory features of a place that cause peo-ple to emigrate. Pull factors, such as fertile soil orbetter job opportunities, are a place’s attractivefeatures that draw migrants from other areas.Research Southeast Asia’s national and interna-tional migration patterns, and write a reportexplaining how push, pull, or both push-and-pullfactors shape Southeast Asian migration today.

GeoJournalDescriptive Writing Using the details youlogged in your GeoJournal as you read this chap-ter, write a letter to a friend or relative about onecultural element in the region. Imagine that youare visiting the region and you want your friendor relative to have a vivid picture of the placesyou describe. Include word pictures that appealto as many of the five senses as possible. Explainhow this cultural element differs from that foundin different parts of the United States.

Technology ActivityDeveloping Multimedia Presenta-

tions Use the Internet or the library to conductresearch about one typical example of SoutheastAsian religious architecture. Create a multimediapresentation about your temple or wat that usesnarration, music, and images. Be sure to cite allthe sources that you used to prepare your pre-sentation, including print and Internet sourcesfor text and photographs.

Choose the best answer for each of the follow-ing multiple-choice questions. If you havetrouble answering the questions, use theprocess of elimination to narrow your choices.

1. Which countries’ cultures most influ-enced Southeast Asia’s religions?

A Japan and KoreaB China and the United StatesC India and ChinaD Arabia and India

2. Southeast Asia is a region of highlydiverse cultures for all of the followingreasons EXCEPT:

F Trade and colonization from many regionsspread new ideas.

G Diverse physical geography separatedpeoples who created their own traditions.

H High population density in many areascauses a variety of traditions.

J War and conquest by countries from out-side the region forced changes in culture.

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5

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