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Understand the unique biogeography of Southeast Asia Learn about export-based economies, and how they fit into the global economy Become familiar with the physical, demographic, cultural, political, and economic characteristics of Southeast Asia Understand the following concepts and models:
Introduction
Southeast Asia illustrates both the promises and perils of globalization This region has long been influenced by external sources because of its resources and its strategic location Recent economic turmoil has come with increased ethnic and social tensions in many countries in the region ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, has brought a new level of regional cooperation to the area with a goal of the countries in the region to control rather than to be controlled by external global forces
Mainland Environments
Rugged uplands interspersed with broad lowlands associated with large rivers Mountains on the Thai-Burma border, and through Laos and southern Vietnam Rivers: Mekong, Irrawaddy, Red, and Chao Phraya Khorat Plateau (Thailand) has thin poor soils and water shortages Environmental Geography: A Once-Forested Region (cont.)
Island Climates
More complex than on the mainland Receives rain during the Northern Hemispheres winter Typhoons: tropical hurricanes that bring heavy rainfall to the northern reaches of insular Asia Islands experience very little seasonality because of the equatorial influence (temperatures are high year-round) Rainfall is higher and more evenly distributed throughout the year as compared to the mainland
Sparse settlement Swidden system AKA slash-and-burn agriculture or shifting cultivation is practiced in the regions uplands Mountainous area of region is often called the Golden Triangle Large opium production Population and Settlement: Subsistence, Migration, Cities (cont.) Settlement and Agriculture (cont.) Plantation Agriculture Colonial period: rice, cane sugar, rubber, and other cash crops Commercial crops today: tea and copra (dried coconut meat) Rice in the Lowlands Lowlands of mainland Southeast Asia are used for intensive rice cultivation Population and Settlement: Subsistence, Migration, Cities (cont.)
Population Contrasts
Philippines: high growth rate reflects influence of Roman Catholic Church on family planning Laos has highest TFR because of low level of development Population and Settlement: Subsistence, Migration, Cities (cont.)
Cambodia has high TFR, possibly linked to high mortality rate Thailands TFR has dropped dramatically in recent years Indonesia has the largest population of the region (225 million)
Urban Settlement
Southeast Asia is about 40% urbanized Many of the regions countries have primate cities (single, large urban settlements that overshadow all others) Efforts to encourage growth of secondary cities Urban primacy less pronounced in Vietnam and Indonesia Squatter settlements are common in this region Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) is Southeast Asias largest city Development from government and private investors produced a modern city with the Petronis Towers (the worlds tallest building when built in 1996) Singapore is a city-state, with modern infrastructure and no squatter settlements (Fig. 13.17) Cultural Coherence and Diversity: A Meeting Ground of World Cultures, cont.
Singapore
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: A Meeting Ground of World Cultures, cont. Introduction and Spread of Major Cultural Traditions, cont. Chinese Influences Vietnam had stronger influences from East Asia than South Asia (1000 A.D. established a kingdom of their own) Chinese immigration peaked in 19th and early 20th centuries Cultural Coherence & Diversity: A Meeting Ground of World Cultures (cont.) The Introduction and Spread of major cultural traditions (cont.) The Arrival of Islam Brought to Southeast Asia by Muslim merchants around 1200 C.E. By 1650, Islam dominated in Malaysia and Indonesia Indonesia is the worlds most populous Muslim country 87% of the 225 million Indonesians are Muslim Cultural Coherence and Diversity: A Meeting Ground of World Cultures, cont. The Introduction and Spread (cont.) Christianity and Tribal Cultures In late 19th and early 20th centuries, Christian missionaries brought Christianity to the region Conversion greatest among Animists in Southeast Asias highland region Religious Persecution Religious practices have been strongly discouraged in Vietnam, and Laos since communism took hold in 1975 Buddhist majority and Christians face harassment Burma's authoritarian government supports Buddhism, but monitors monks to ensure that they dont promote
democracy
Tibeto-Burman Languages
Burmese (spoken in Burma) is closely related to Tibetan and distantly to Chinese Cultural Coherence and Diversity: A Meeting Ground of World Cultures, cont. Geography of Language and Ethnicity (cont.) Tai-Kadai Languages Originated in southern China and then spread into Southeast Asia around 1200 In Thailand, Laos, uplands of Vietnam, and parts of southern China Mon-Khmer Languages Vietnamese and Khmer (national language of Cambodia) Cultural Coherence and Diversity: A Meeting Ground of World Cultures, cont.
Refugees from the region as a result, including many migrating to the U.S.
Thailands Troubles
Has freedoms and free press, but 2006 coup threatens democracy Religious, ethnic conflict (Muslims in extreme south)
Philippines was the most highly developed Southeast Asian country in the 1960s In 1980s and 1990s the Philippines population outpaced its economic growth, and living standards declined Decline attributed crony capitalism under Marcos regime Many Filipinos have sought employment in other countries Send money home (remittances) Brain drain Economic and Social Development: The Roller-Coaster Ride of Tiger Economics, cont. Uneven Economic Development (cont.) The Regional Hub: Singapore Has transformed itself from an entrept (a port city where goods are imported, stored, and transshipped) to one of the worlds most modern states Encourages investment by multinational firms, and has invested in itself The Malaysian Boom Has recently experienced rapid economic growth Began with plantation agriculture and natural resource extraction, then manufacturing in labor-intensive hightech sector Wealth of Chinese (esp. in Malaysia) led to affirmative action for Bumiputra (sons of the soil Malaysians) Economic and Social Development: The Roller-Coaster Ride of Tiger Economics, cont. Uneven Economic Development, cont. Thailand: An Emerging Tiger? Japanese companies were leading actors
in Thailands earlier economic boom Japanese factories in the region Industrialization greatest in historical core (including Bangkok) Sex tourism industry
Indonesian economy began to expand in the 1970s Fueled by oil exports and logging Multinational corporations now attracted to the low-wage labor of the region Indonesia remains poor; political instability a concern Economic and Social Development: The Roller-Coaster Ride of Tiger Economics, cont. Uneven Economic Development, cont. The Recent Rise of Vietnam As of 2006, Vietnams economy was growing at over 8% per year Vietnam follows the Chinese model of economics; embracing market economies while retaining political forms of communism Development uneven Persistent Poverty in Laos, Cambodia, East Timor Subsistence farming and foreign aid important to Laos, Cambodia Laos pinning hopes on hydropower, mining, tourism, investment from Thailand and China Cambodia face difficulties from rugged terrain, relative isolation, and ravages of war, government repression East Timor has weakest economy in Southeast Asia Recovering from its war for independence Agreement with Australia to share revenues of offshore natural gas Economic and Social Development: The Roller-Coaster Ride of Tiger Economics, cont. Uneven Economic Development, cont. Burmas Troubled Economy Low economic development, but has great potential Abundant natural resources and fertile farmland Civil war a major problem Burma beginning to trade with China and SE Asian neighbors Economic and Social Development: The Roller-Coaster Ride of Tiger Economics, cont.
Conclusions