South East Asia

Southeast Asia

CULTURE: • Diverse• hundreds of cultures, numerous

languages and dialects, and several major religions

• Malaysia• Chinese are Buddhist• Malays are Muslim• Indians are Hindu• Scattered Christians

Shatterbox

• a region caught between stronger, colliding external cultural-political forces

• Chinese, Indians, Arabs, and Europeans all contributed to the intense cultural fragmentation

• Area lacks a powerful, dominant state• Mainland Asia• China

• North America• U.S.

• South America• Brazil

Emerging Industries• location, cheap labor, and

international investing• Pacific Rim –Singapore ranks at

the top in annual tonnage shipped from its ports

• Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila could become major industrial centers

Singapore

Geography of S.E. Asia

• Islands• 2nd largest in world• New Guinea (Indonesia)

• 3rd largest in world• Borneo (*I, B, M)

• 6th largest• Sumatra (Indonesia)

• 13th largest• Java (Indonesia)

*Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia

• 1. Greenland - North America - 840,0042. New Guinea - Oceania - 312,167 3. Borneo - Asia - 287,863 4. Madagascar - Africa - 226,657 5. Baffin Island - North America - 195,9986. Sumatera (Sumatra) - Asia 7. Honshu - Asia - 87,8058. Great Britain - Europe - 84,354 9. Victoria Island - North America 10. Ellesmere Island - North America –

Source: Times Atlas of the World

Geography of S.E. Asia

• Mountainous • Ring of Fire • Borneo's Mount Kinabalu

is the tallest

Geography of S.E. Asia

• Mountainous • Ring of Fire • Mt. Pinatuboin the

Philippines.• Only 4,874 feet tall• Live volcano• An eruption in 1991

forced evacuations from the nearby city of Manila

Geography of S.E. Asia

• Mekong River courses through China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and southern Vietnam.• Dominant river • transportation and

connectivity between the mainland countries

Climate and vegetation of S.E. Asia

• Tropical Rainforest• 79 inches of rain each year,

80 degrees • Fastest disappearing

equatorial rainforests as of 2010• Logging, dams, mining,

industry main causes of disappearance

Borneo deforestation maps

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Interesting Facts:In French:Cambodia – Le CambodgeVietman - Le Viêt Nam

Overseas Chinese

• 30 million• Dominate retail (selling at stores)• Taken leadership roles in banking,

industry, shipping• Malaysian Chinese• 29% of population• 69% of capital (Cash or goods used

to generate income)• Thai Chinese• 10% of population• 81% of capital

• Has led to animosity (anger)

European Influence• France• Colonized Indochina

beginning in 19th Century• Viet Minh led by Ho Chi

Ming defeated France after W.W. II at Dien Bien Phu• Fear of communism led to

U.S. involvement and Vietnam War (1965-1973)

• Netherlands• Island region (Malaysia and

Indonesia)• Dutch East Indies Company• Forced farms to grow coffee,

pepper, cinnamon, sugar, indigo, nutmeg

• Britain• Myanmar, Malay Peninsula, northern Borneo• Mined coal, cut teak trees, grew cash crops• Disrupted traditional ways of life

• Spain• Philippines

• Forced farmers to grow tobacco and sugar plantations• Port of Manila became way-station for ships crossing Pacific to Spanish Mexico• Forced to join Roman Catholic Church• Filipinos revolted against Spain in 1896 and received help from the U.S. in 1898• Filipino’s fought against U.S. in 1899

Cambodia• Vietnam War spilled into

Cambodia creating instability• Led to takeover of Communist

regime known as Khmer Rouge• Pol Pot was leader

Cambodia

• S -21• Prison of Khmer Rouge

• Called themselves Angkar• Who did Pol Pot classify as enemies?• What tactics did Pol Pot implement when he took over Cambodia as leader?

Cambodia• Many forced to work on

farms• Led to almost 2 million

deaths (1/3 of population) from 1975-1979

Myanmar• Currently, dominated by junta

since 1988• Group of military leaders who

rule like dictators• Invalidated elections in 1990• Aung San Suu Kyi won election• Junta placed her under house

arrest• Strong military with 500,000

soldiers• Military is only job for many

• Significant inflation on food prices 400%

• Gem-rich country

Golden Triangle

• Remote region• Little

government control• Opium-poppy• ½ reaches the

Americas

Thailand and Malaysia

• Europeans smuggled rubber tree seeds from Brazil to SE Asia• 1940• 90% of world’s natural

rubber came from Asia• Still, very important to SE

Asia despite high % of rubber is synthetically made

Singapore• Trading post founded in 1819 by British• Known as an entrepot• Place where goods are stored, deposited, and distributed without any taxes

• Gained independence in 1959 • City-state—city that rules itself

• Known as Asian Tiger• High Tech industries—computers, etc.

Indonesia• Largest Muslim population in

world• “Unity in Diversity”• 250 languages

• Ethnic fighting• East Timor gained independence

in 2002

Philippines• Corruption in government has led to instability• Most Christian country in SE Asia• Muslim rebels• Abu Sayyaf• Abducted many tourists