C.J. CoxInstructor

Southeast Asia

Ten Geographic Qualities

Physical Geography

Cultural Geography

Regions & States

Ten Geographic Qualities

1. Land is fragmented into numerous peninsulas & islands

2. Cultural Fragmentation (linguistic & religious geographies)

Ten Geographic Qualities 3. Powerful Foreign

Influences

4. Political instability & conflict

5. Population strongly clustered even in rural areas

Ten Geographic Qualities 6. Poor Intraregional communications 7. Agricultural mainstay of the econonmies 8. No dominant state although China & India have

exerted powerful influence

Ten Geographic Qualities 9. Emergence of Newly Industrialized

Countries of Singapore 10. Former Colonial Domination of this region

Relative Location of Southeast Asia

Centrally located between South Asia, and the Pacific Ocean

North of Oceania Asia and south of China & Japan

Southeast Asia

Ten Geographic Qualities

Physical Geography

Cultural Geography

Regions & States

Physical Geography of Southeast Asia

Plate Tectonics Plateaus Deserts Mountains Rivers Lakes Multiple Climates

Physical Geography Plate Tectonics

– Subduction of the Eurasian, Indian and Philippine Plates have created the Philippine & Indonesian archipelago

Physical Geography of Southeast Asia

Rivers – Mekong River– Irriwaddy

Landforms – Volcanic Archipelagos - Volcanic Islands– Himalayan foothills extend into Myanmar &

Thailand

Physical Geography of Southeast Asia

Climates– Tropical Rainforest Climate

dominates Malaysia & Indonesia

– Tropical Savanna Climate dominates the northern portion of SE Asia including Thailand, Cambodia & the southern part of Vietnam

Southeast Asia Ten Geographic Qualities Physical Geography Cultural Geography Regions & States

Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia

– Population– Languages– Religion– Agriculture– Economics– Historical

Geography

Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia

Population– 1/2 billion– concentrations on

coasts & rivers – large concentration

on the island of Java

Southeast Asia Population Characteristics

– Birth rates 24/1000– Death rates 8/1000– Natural Increase 1.6. %– Infant Mortality 55/1000– Doubling Time 42yrs– Pop <15 35%– Pop > 65 4%

Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia

Languages– Sino-Tibetan

Languages of Thai, Burmese and Vietnamese dominate in the north

– Malayo Polynesian Language Family dominates in the southern portion of SE Asia

Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia Religion

– Buddhism dominates northern SE Asia

Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia

– Islam dominates Malaysia & Indonesia

– Christianity in the Philippines

Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia Religion

– Religious landscapes

Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia

Agriculture– subsistence farming

intensive rice farming

Aqua farming in Thailand

Thrashing the grains from the shafts in Northern Thailand

Economy– primary industries

dominate– resource rich

oil in Indonesia & Brunei

– manufacturing & labor source for the developed world

–

Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia

Economic Contrasts– Extreme poverty in

Laos, Myranmar & Cambodia

– Relative prosperity in Thailand and Malaysia

– Wealthy Singapore & Brunei

Cultural Geography of Southeast Asia

Historical Geography

Colonial Colonization & Trade– Important in transPacific shipping– Spain - Philippines 1571-1898– Dutch - Indonesia 17th century to 1949

spice Islands

– British - Burma (Myanmar( & Malysia)– France - Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia

Historical Geography

Japanese Empire of the 20th Century Japanese Economic Imperialism China & Japan as world powers Emergence of NIC’s known as the

lesser dragons or powers of Asia

Southeast Asia

Ten Geographic Qualities

Physical Geography

Cultural Geography

Regions & States

Political Geography

Elongated Vietnam Prorupt Burma &

Thailand Fragmented Indonesia &

Philippines Divided Malaysia

Southeast Asia

Ten Geographic Qualities

Physical Geography

Cultural Geography

Regions & States

C.J. CoxInstructor