Southeast Asia

Burma

Thailand

Laos

CambodiaVietnam

Malaysia

I n d o n e s i a

Philippine

East Timor

Singapore

Brunei

Mainland Southeast Asia

Insular Southeast Asia

IntroductionIntroduction

Heavily influenced by external forces Heavily influenced by external forces cultural cultural diversitydiversity

• Buddhism, Chinese immigrants, IslamBuddhism, Chinese immigrants, Islam

• European colonialismEuropean colonialism

Battleground for global ideologies after WWIIBattleground for global ideologies after WWII• Vietnam warVietnam war

Strongly felt globalizationStrongly felt globalization• Promises: economic growth in the 1980sPromises: economic growth in the 1980s

• Perils: financial crisis in the late 1990sPerils: financial crisis in the late 1990s

Environmental GeographyEnvironmental GeographyA Once-Forested Region

MainlandMainland: : deltadelta landscape landscape large river systems large river systems

InsularInsular: : volcanicvolcanic eruption eruption located in 4 plate located in 4 plate boundaries boundaries

Mainland Southeast Asia Mainland Southeast Asia

Rugged uplands interspersed with river lowlands (delta)

Mekong Mekong R.R.

Red R.Red R.

Irrawaddy R.Irrawaddy R.

Chayo PhrayaChayo Phraya

Insular Southeast AsiaInsular Southeast Asia

BorneoBorneo

SumatraSumatra

JavaJava

Celebes (SCelebes (Sulawesi)ulawesi)

New GuineaNew Guinea

Sunda ShelfSunda Shelf

Mountain spine created by a tectonic force Large expanse of shallow ocean

Mainland monsoon Insular monsoon, typhoon, equatorial effect

Monsoon: distinct dry and rainy season changing wind direction Typhoon: heavy rainfall to the northeastern reaches of Insular Asia Equatorial effect: little seasonality, year-round precipitation

Difference in animal and plant life between western and eastern islands

• Western Asian origin• Eastern Australian origin

12,000 years ago, the sea level was lower (last global ice age)

Wallace’s LineWallace’s Line

Pre-colonial period• Agricultural settlement

Colonial period• Plantation, shipbuilding

Post-colonial period• Commercial logging by

international firms

1990s• Logging ban

Deforestation of Southeast AsiaDeforestation of Southeast Asia

Population and SettlementPopulation and SettlementSubsistence, Migrations, Cities

Settlement patternsSettlement patterns

Unlike East Asia and South Asia, Southeast Asia has historically supported low population density

Why? (1) Infertile soil (2) Rugged mountains

Population is concentrated in deltas or volcanic islands due to its fertile soil

Mainland: heavily settled deltas

Insular: heavily settled volcanic landscape

Upland swidden systemUpland swidden system

Shifting cultivation (“slash-and-burn”)

Threatened by growing population and commercial logging

Switched to a cash crop like opium (eg. Burma)

Farming patterns (1):

Plantation agriculturePlantation agriculture

Specialty crops for exports during European colonization

Usually practiced in the coastal lowlands for shipping

Still widespread, but lesser dependence on plantation has been attempted

Farming patterns (2):

Lowland rice cultivationLowland rice cultivation

Lowland basins of mainland

Focused on three delta areas

• Irrawaddy (Burma)• Chao Praya (Thailand)• Mekong (Vietnam, Ca

mbodia)

Farming patterns (3):

High birthrate: Laos, Cambodia low level of economic development

Low birthrate: Singapore, Thailandhigh level of economic development, family planning

Still relatively rural despite recent industrialization

Indonesian transmigrationIndonesian transmigration

Relocating its population from densely populated area (Java) to outer islands

Pros: balanced population distribution pattern Cons: environmental degradation, ethnic conflicts

Population policy:

Urban settlementUrban settlement

BankokBankok

ManilaManila

Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur

SingaporeSingapore

Overurbanization?

• Yes

• No

Cultural Coherence and DiversityCultural Coherence and DiversityA Meeting Ground of World Cultures

Meeting ground for cultural diffusion from• South Asia – Hinduism, Buddhism, writing

system

• China – Immigration of southern Chinese

• Middle East – Islam, writing system

• Europe – Christianity

External cultural influencesExternal cultural influences

0 A.D. 20c13c12c 19c

Bali Indonesia Malaysia

Mainland Philippines Tribal areas

Chinese communities

HinduismIslam

Theravada Buddhism Chinese immigration

Christianity

Religion in Southeast AsiaReligion in Southeast Asia

Buddhism mainland

Islam insular

Catholic Philippines

Animism & Christianity in the uplandsAnimism & Christianity in the uplands

Hindu Bali

Chinese in Southeast AsiaChinese in Southeast Asia

Chinese communities all over Southeast Asia Disproportionate prosperity of the local Chinese

community

Language in Southeast AsiaLanguage in Southeast Asia

BurmanBurmanTaiTai

Mon-KhmerMon-Khmer

AustronesianAustronesianPapuanPapuan

National language in Southeast AsiaNational language in Southeast Asia

BurmeseBurmese

ThaiThai

LaoLao

VietnameseVietnameseKhmerKhmer

MalayMalay

IndonesianIndonesian

Filipino Filipino EnglishEnglish

National language is limited to the core area of densely populated National language is limited to the core area of densely populated lowlands in mainland (Burma, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia)lowlands in mainland (Burma, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia)

Use of English in Southeast AsiaUse of English in Southeast Asia

Widely spoken in the former British or U.S. colonies

• Philippine, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma

Ambivalent attitude towards the use of English

• Encouraged by pro-globalizers• Discouraged by nationalists• Emergence of hybrid tongue

Geopolitical FrameworkGeopolitical FrameworkWar, Ethnic Strife, and Regional Cooperation

Pre-colonial era• Mainland: form political states• Insular: lack political states

Colonial era• Insular (16c~): Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch• Mainland (19c~): British, French

After independence• The former French Indochina became

battleground for ideological rivalries

Colonial Southeast AsiaColonial Southeast Asia

PortuguesePortuguese

SpanishSpanish

DutchDutch

BritishBritish FrenchFrench

Insular Southeast Asia inherited territory from former colonial powers

U.S.U.S.

Ideological rivalries in the former Ideological rivalries in the former French IndochinaFrench Indochina

Battle against the French (1945 ~ 1954)• Backed by pro-communist group

Vietnam War (1954 ~ 1975)• Military conflict between communist forces of

North Vietnam and non-communist forces of South Vietnam

Communist regimes (1975 ~)• Installed in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos• Persistent political instability

Conflicts in IndonesiaConflicts in Indonesia

Transmigration triggers ethnic conflicts• Javanese (Islam) immigrants indigenous people

Ethnically/culturally distinct regions have called for autonomy or independence

Geopolitical tensions (1):

Irian JayaIrian Jaya

E.TimorE.Timor

Became the 11Became the 11thth sovereign states sovereign states in Southeast Asiain Southeast Asia

Regional tensions in the PhilippinesRegional tensions in the Philippines

Muslim separatists in the southwest Communist-oriented nationwide rebellion Rebellion of tribal groups in northern Luzon

Geopolitical tensions (2):

Ethnic conflict in BurmaEthnic conflict in BurmaGeopolitical tensions (3):

Ethnic minorities Ethnic minorities Military regime dominated by the Burmans Military regime dominated by the Burmans Insurgencies are often financed by drug trade (“Golden Triangle”)Insurgencies are often financed by drug trade (“Golden Triangle”)

Dispute over the Spratly IslandsDispute over the Spratly Islands

ChinaChina TaiwanTaiwan

PhilippinesPhilippinesVietnamVietnam

MalaysiaMalaysia

Spratly islandsSpratly islands

Geopolitical tensions (4):

ASEANASEAN(Association of Southeast Asian Nations)(Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

Originally intended as a bulwark against the spread of Communism

With the end of Cold War, communist states are admitted

Political cooperation• Prevent external influences in the region• Promote regional stability

Economic cooperation

Regional cooperation:

Economic and Social DevelopmentEconomic and Social DevelopmentThe Roller-Coaster Ride of Tiger Economies

Recent economic development• Leaders: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia

• Laggards: Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia

Economic crisis in the late 1990s• Hit most of Southeast Asian countries

• Marked dependence on foreign investment

Singapore: Regional hub Brunei: oil reserves Malaysia, Thailand: globalized economic development Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Burma: civil war

The Philippine DeclineThe Philippine Decline

Pronounced decline in living standards over the last several decades

Causes• Crony capitalism• Kleptocracy

Consequences• Exodus of labor• Uneven distribution of wealth

The Regional Hub: SingaporeThe Regional Hub: Singapore

The region’s greatest development success

Transformed from entropôt port city to high-tech industrial city

Communications and financial hub of Southeast Asia

Authoritarian capitalism• Brought fast growth, but • Limited civil liberties

The Malaysian BoomThe Malaysian Boom

The region’s second greatest development success

Development was initially concentrated in natural resource extraction, but recent growth is powered by high-tech sectors

Disparities of wealth• Geographical: west > east

• Ethnic: Chinese > non-Chinese

Thailand: An Emerging Tiger?Thailand: An Emerging Tiger?

Japanese companies was leading players in the earlier Thai boom

• Attracted by its low-waged, and well-educated population under political stability

Rapid growth under democratic government

Relatively receptive to globalization• Sex industry

Persistent Poverty in Vietnam, Persistent Poverty in Vietnam, Laos, and CambodiaLaos, and Cambodia

Attributed to• Continual warfare or fightings (1941~1990s)• Socialist economic system (1975 ~ 1990s)• The fall of the Soviet Union (1991)• Embargo imposed by U.S. (1975 ~ 1994)

Recent economic reforms in Vietnam• Embrace market while retaining the political form

s of a communist state

Southeast Asia’s global linkagesSoutheast Asia’s global linkages

With the exception of Laos, Cambodia, and Burma, Southeast Asia has achieved relatively high level of social welfare