Southeast Asia
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225549556
2008-07-14T07:18:24Z
Jonathan Cardy
4071608
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<big>'''South East Asia'''</big>
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[[Image:Southeast asia.jpg|180px|center|[[Topography]] of Southeast Asia.]]
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{| style="background: transparent; text-align: left; table-layout: auto; border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0; font-size: 100%;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Area
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 4,523,000 km²
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Population
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 568,300,000
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Density
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 126 per km²
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Countries
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 11
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Territories
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 13
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! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | GDP
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | $900 billion ([[exchange rate]]) <br/>$2.8 trillion ([[purchasing power parity]])
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | GDP per capita
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | $1,584 ([[exchange rate]]) <br/>$4,927 ([[purchasing power parity]])
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Languages
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | [[Malay language|Malay]], [[Bahasa Indonesia language|Indonesian]], [[Filipino language|Filipino]], [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]],[[Thai language|Thai]], [[Burmese language|Burmese]], [[Khmer language|Khmer]], [[Lao language|Lao]], [[Tetum language|Tetum]], [[Nicobarese languages|Nicobarese]], [[Mandarin (linguistics)|Mandarin]], [[English language|English]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Hindi language|Hindi]], [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]], [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]], [[Cebuano language|Cebuano]], [[Ilokano language|Ilokano]], [[Hiligaynon language|Hiligaynon]], [[Bikol language|Bikol]], [[Waray-Waray language|Waray-Waray]], [[Kapampangan language|Kapampangan]], [[Pangasinan language|Pangasinan]], [[Arabic language|Arabic]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Javanese language|Javanese]], [[Sundanese language|Sundanese]], [[Madura language|Madura]], [[Cantonese (linguistics)|Cantonese]], [[Min (linguistics)|Min]], [[Taiwanese (linguistics)|Taiwanese (Min Nan)]], and [[Languages of Asia|many others]]
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Time Zones
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | UTC +9:00 (Indonesia) to UTC +5:30 (Andaman and Nicobar Islands)
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! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Largest Cities
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | [[Jabodetabek|Jakarta]]<br/>[[Metro Manila|Manila]]<br>[[Bangkok]]<br/>[[Ho Chi Minh City]]<br/>[[Surabaya]]<br/>[[Kuala Lumpur]]<br/>[[Singapore]]<br/>[[Hanoi]]<br/>[[Bandung]]<br/>[[Medan]]<br/>[[Yangon]]
|-
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'''South East Asia''' or '''Southeastern Asia''' is a [[subregion]] of [[Asia]], consisting of the countries that are geographically south of [[China]], east of [[India]] and north of [[Australia]]. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic and volcanic activity.
South East Asia consists of two geographic regions: the Asian mainland, and [[island arc]]s and [[archipelago]]es to the east and southeast. The [[Indochina|mainland]] section consists of [[Cambodia]], [[Laos]], [[Myanmar]], [[Thailand]] and [[Vietnam]]; the population of which are primarily [[Tai peoples]] and [[Austro-Asiatic languages|Austroasiatic peoples]]; the dominant religion is [[Buddhism]], followed by [[Christianity]]. The [[Maritime Southeast Asia|maritime]] section consists of [[Brunei]], [[East Timor]],<ref>[http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/maplib/worldregions.htm United Nations]</ref> [[Indonesia]], [[Malaysia]], the [[Philippines]] and [[Singapore]]. [[Austronesian people]]s predominate in this region; the dominant religion is [[Islam]], followed by [[Christianity]].
==Divisions==
===Political===
South East Asia frequently refers to the area consisting of these following countries, although in general and certain specific usage, the area it refers to can be narrower or broader, smaller or larger.
* {{BRU}}
* {{CAM}}
* {{ETM}}
* {{IDN}}
* {{LAO}}
* {{MYS}}
* {{MYA}}
* {{PHL}}
* {{SGP}}
* {{THA}}
* {{VIE}}
All of the above are members of the [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations]] (ASEAN), except [[East Timor]], which is an ASEAN candidate state. The area, together with part of [[South Asia]], was previously known as the [[Indies|East Indies]] or simply [[Indies]].
Although politically external territories of Australia, [[Christmas Island]] and the [[Cocos (Keeling) Islands]] are culturally part of South East Asia. Meanwhile, certain [[South China Sea Islands|islands in the South China Sea]] are currently disputed. [[Papua]], however, is politically part of Southeast Asia through Indonesia, although geographically it is often considered as part of [[Oceania]].
===Geographical===
[[Image:LocationSoutheastAsia.PNG|thumb|Location of Southeast Asia.<ref> This map primarily indicates ASEAN member countries, and therefore does not mark the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]], which are also geographically a part of Southeast Asia. </ref>]]
[[Image:Koh Samui Lipa Noi2.jpg|thumb|Beach on [[Ko Samui]] [[Thailand]]]]
[[Image:Mayon1984.jpg|thumb|Mayon Volcano in the [[Philippines]] overlooks a pastoral scene.]]
South East Asia is geographically divided into two regions, namely [[Mainland Southeast Asia]] (or [[Indochina]]) and the [[Maritime Southeast Asia]] (or the [[Malay Archipelago]]) ([[Indonesian language]]: ''[[Nusantara]]).
[[Mainland Southeast Asia]] includes:
* [[Cambodia]]
* [[Laos]]
* [[Myanmar]]
* [[Thailand]]
* [[Vietnam]]
[[Maritime Southeast Asia]] includes:
* [[Brunei]]
* [[East Timor]]
* [[Indonesia]]
* [[Malaysia]]
* [[Philippines]]
* [[Singapore]]
The eastern parts of Indonesia and East Timor (east of Wallace line) are considered to be geographically parts of Oceania.
The [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] of India are considered part of South East Asia. [[Hainan Island]] is sometimes considered both [[East Asian]] and South East Asian.
==History==
{{Main|History of Southeast Asia}}
[[Image:Borom That Chaiya.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Architecture in the [[Srivijaya]]n style. [[Surat Thani Province|Surat Thani]] [[Thailand]]]]
Solheim and others have shown evidence for a ''Nusantao'' (''Nusantara'') maritime trading network ranging from [[Vietnam]] to the rest of the archipelago as early as 5000 BCE to 1 CE.<ref>Solheim, ''Journal of East Asian Archaeology'', 2000, '''2''':1-2, pp. 273-284(12)
</ref>
The peoples of Southeast Asia, especially those of [[Austronesian]] descent, have been seafarers for thousands of years, some reaching the island of [[Madagascar]]. Their vessels, such as the [[vinta]], were ocean-worthy. [[Ferdinand Magellan|Magellan's]] voyage records how much more manœuvrable their vessels were, as compared to the European ships.<ref name="Bergreen.L_Magellan">Laurence Bergreen, Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe, HarperCollins Publishers, 2003, hardcover 480 pages, ISBN 0-06-621173-5</ref>
Passage through the [[Indian Ocean]] aided the colonization of Madagascar by the [[Malay race]], as well as commerce between [[West Asia]] and Southeast Asia. Gold from [[Sumatra]] is thought to have reached as far west as [[Rome]].
Originally most people were [[animist]]. This was later replaced by Brahmanic Hinduism. [[Theravada Buddhism]] soon followed in 525. In 1400s, Islamic influences began to enter. This forced the last Hindu court in Indonesia to retreat to [[Bali]].
In Mainland South East Asia, Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand retained the Theravada form of Buddhism, brought to them from Sri Lanka. This type of Buddhism was fused with the Hindu-influenced Khmer culture.
===Indianized kingdoms===
{{main|Indianized kingdom}}
[[Image:AngkorWat Westview Keiwo.JPG|thumb|[[Angkor Wat]], in [[Siem Reap]], [[Cambodia]], is the largest religious temple in the world and possibly the largest pre-industrial city in the world]]
Very little is known about Southeast Asian religious beliefs and practices before the advent of Indian merchants and religious influences from the second century BCE onwards. Prior to the 13th century, [[Buddhism]] and [[Hinduism]] were the main religions in Southeast Asia.
The [[Jawa Dwipa]] Hindu kingdom in [[Java (island)|Java]] and [[Sumatra]] existed around 200 BCE.
The history of the Malay-speaking world begins with the advent of Indian influence, which dates back to at least the 3rd century BC. Indian traders came to the archipelago both for its abundant forest and maritime products and to trade with merchants from China, who also discovered the Malay world at an early date. Both Hinduism and [[Buddhism]] were well established in the [[Malay Peninsula]] by the beginning of the 1st century CE, and from there spread across the archipelago.
[[Cambodia]] was first influenced by Hinduism during the beginning of the [[Funan]] kingdom. Hinduism was one of the [[Khmer Empire]]'s official religions. Cambodia is the home to one of the only two temples dedicated to [[Brahma]] in the world. [[Angkor Wat]] is also a famous Hindu temple of Cambodia.
The [[Majapahit Empire]] was an [[Indianized kingdom]] based in eastern [[Java (island)|Java]] from 1293 to around 1500. Its greatest ruler was [[Hayam Wuruk]], whose reign from 1350 to 1389 marked the empire's peak when it dominated other kingdoms in the southern [[Malay Peninsula]], [[Borneo]], [[Sumatra]], [[Bali]] and the [[Philippines]]. The rest of the Philippines also did tributes to the empire.
The [[Cholas]] excelled in maritime activity in both military and the mercantile fields. Their raids of [[Kedah]] and the [[Srivijaya]], and their continued commercial contacts with the [[Chinese Empire]], enabled them to influence the local cultures. Many of the surviving examples of the [[Hinduism in Southeast Asia|Hindu cultural influence]] found today throughout the Southeast Asia are the result of the Chola expeditions.<ref name="prambanan">The great temple complex at [[Prambanan]] in [[Indonesia]] exhibit a number of similarities with the South Indian architecture. See Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. ''The CōĻas'', 1935 pp 709 </ref>
===Chinese trade===
{{see also|List of tributaries of Imperial China}}
Chinese merchants have traded with the region for a long time as evidence of Magellan's voyage records that [[Brunei]] possessed more [[cannon]] than the European ships so it appears that the Chinese fortified them.<ref name="Bergreen.L_Magellan"/>
Malaysian legend has it that a Chinese Ming emperor sent a princess, [[Han Li Po]] to Malacca, with a retinue of 500, to marry [[Sultan Mansur Shah]] after the emperor was impressed by the wisdom of the sultan. Han Li Po's well (constructed 1459) is now a tourist attraction there, as is [[Bukit Cina]], where her retinue settled.
The strategic value of the [[Strait of Malacca]], which was controlled by [[Sultanate of Malacca]] in the 15th and early 16th century, did not go unnoticed by [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] writer [[Duarte Barbosa]], who in 1500 wrote ''"He who is lord of Malacca has his hand on the throat of [[Venice]]".''
[[Image:StraitOfMalacca2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Strait of Malacca]], (narrows).]]
===Western colonization===
{{see also|Imperialism in Asia}}
[[Western world|Western]] influence started to enter in the 1500s, with the arrival of the Portuguese and Spanish in [[Moluccas]] and the [[Philippines]]. Later the Dutch established the [[Dutch East Indies]]; the French [[Indochina]]; and the British [[Strait Settlements]].
European explorers were reaching Southeast Asia from the west and from the east. A regular trade between the sailing ships east, from the Indian Ocean and south from mainland Asia provided goods in return for natural products such as honey and hornbill beaks from the islands of the archipelago.
Europeans brought Christianity allowing [[Christian]] missionaries to become widespread. Siam also allowed Western science and technology to enter their country.
===Present===
{{See also|Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere|Japanese foreign policy in Southeast Asia}}
Regional integration through [[ASEAN]] is one of the goals of Southeast Asian countries today.
Currently, there are various conflicting territorial and/or maritime claims, both among these countries and even involving other parties (notably both Chinas in the case of the [[Spratly Islands]]).
==Geography==
[[Image:Ha Long Bay with boats.JPG|thumbnail|[[Halong Bay|Hạ Long Bay]], a Natural World's Heritage Site in [[Vietnam]]]]
[[Image:Choco Hills.JPG|right|thumb|200px|Chocolate Hills in [[Bohol]], [[Philippines]]]]
{{See also|Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia)|List of Southeast Asian mountains}}
Geologically, the [[Indonesian archipelago]] is one of the most active [[vulcanology|vulcanological]] regions in the world. [[Geology|Geological]] [[Tectonic uplift|uplift]]s in the region have also produced some impressive mountains, culminating in [[Mount Kinabalu]] in [[Sabah]], Malaysia on the island of Borneo with a height of 4,101 metres (13,455 [[foot (unit of length)|ft]]) and also [[Puncak Jaya]] in [[Papua]], Indonesia at 4,884 metres (16,024 ft), on the island of [[Papua]].
===Boundaries===
{{See also|Austronesia}}
The [[Australasia]]n [[continental plate]] defines a region adjacent to Southeast Asia, which is also politically separated from the countries of Southeast Asia. But a cultural touch point lies between [[Papua New Guinea]] and the Indonesian region of [[Papua]], which shares the island of [[New Guinea]] with Papua New Guinea.
===Climate===
The climate of Southeast Asia is mainly tropical – hot and humid all year round. There is a lot of rainfall. Southeast Asia has a wet and dry season caused by seasonal shift in winds or [[monsoon]]. The [[tropical rain belt]] causes additional rainfall during the monsoon season. The rain forest is the second largest on earth (with the Amazon being the largest). Exception to this type of climate and vegetation is the mountain areas in the northern region, where high altitudes lead to milder temperatures and drier landscape. Some parts are like a desert.
===Environment===
{{See also|Southeast Asian coral reefs|Wallace line}}
[[Image:Indonesia-Bull.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Water Buffalo.]]
[[Image:Wallace's line.jpg|thumb|right|Wallace's hypothetical line between Australasian and Southeast Asian fauna.]]
The animals of Southeast Asia are diverse; on the islands of [[Borneo]] and [[Sumatra]], the [[Orangutan]] (man of the forest), the [[Asian Elephant]], the Malayan [[tapir]], the [[Sumatran Rhinoceros]] and the [[Bornean Clouded Leopard]] can be also found. Six subspecies of the [[Binturong]] or ''bearcat'' exist in the region, though the one endemic to the island of [[Palawan]] is now classed as vulnerable.
[[Image:Doppelhornvogel-09.jpg|upright|thumb|left|[[Great Hornbill]] - bird from Southeast Asia]]
The [[Wild Asian Water Buffalo]], and on various islands related dwarf species of [[Bubalus]] such as [[Anoa]] were once widespread in Southeast Asia, nowadays the [[Domestic Asian Water buffalo]] is common across the region, but its remaining relatives are rare and endangered.
The [[mouse deer]], a small tusked deer as large as a toy dog or cat, can be found on Sumatra, Borneo and Palawan Islands. The [[gaur]], a gigantic wild ox larger than even wild Water buffalo, is found mainly in Indochina.
Birds such as the [[peafowl]] and [[drongo]] live in this subregion as far east as [[Indonesia]]. The [[babirusa]], a four-tusked pig, can be found in Indonesia as well. The [[hornbill]] was prized for its beak and used in trade with China. The horn of the rhinoceros, not part of its skull, was prized in China as well.
The Indonesian Archipelago is split by the [[Wallace Line]]. This line runs along what is now known to be a tectonic plate boundary, and separates Asian (Western) species from Australasian (Eastern) species. The islands between Java/Borneo and Papua form a mixed zone, where both types occur, known as Wallacea.
The shallow waters of the [[Southeast Asian coral reefs]] have the highest levels of [[biodiversity]] for the world's marine ecosystems, where coral, fish and molluscs abound. The [[whale shark]] can be found in the [[South China Sea]].
The trees and other plants of the region are tropical; in some countries where the mountains are tall enough, temperate-climate vegetation can be found. These rainforest areas are currently being logged-over, especially in Borneo.
While Southeast Asia is rich in flora and fauna, Southeast Asia is facing severe [[deforestation]] which causes habitat loss for various [[endangered species]] such as orangutan and the Sumatran tiger. At the same time, [[haze]] has been a regular occurrence. The worst regional haze occurred in 1998 in which multiple countries were covered with thick haze. In reaction, several countries in Southeast Asia signed the [[ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution]] in order to combat haze pollution.
==Economy==
The region is also one of the most productive in manufacturing [[microprocessor]]s. Reserves of [[Petroleum|oil]] are also present in the region.
[[Image:Siam Paragon.jpg|thumb|right|[[Siam Paragon]], one of the biggest shopping malls in Asia and considered one of the most luxurious shopping centers in Southeast Asia.]]
Seventeen telecommunications companies have contracted to build a new submarine cable to connect Southeast Asia to the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |author=Sean Yoong |title=17 Firms to Build $500M Undersea Cable |publisher=International Business Times |date=April 27, 2007 |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20070427/malaysia-undersea-cable.htm |accessdate=2007-07-28 }}</ref> This is to avoid the disruption caused by the cutting of the undersea cable from Taiwan to the U.S. in a recent earthquake.
==Demographics==
Southeast Asia has an area of approx. 4,000,000 km² (1.6 million square miles). As of 2004, more than 593 million people lived in the region, more than a fifth of them (125 million) on the Indonesian island of [[Java (island)|Java]], the most densely populated large island in the world. The distribution of the religions and people is diverse in Southeast Asia and varies by country. Some 30 million [[overseas Chinese]] also live in Southeast Asia, most prominently in [[Christmas Island]], [[Malaysia]], [[Singapore]], [[Indonesia]] and [[Thailand]], and also, as the [[Hoa]], in [[Vietnam]].
[[Image:Southeast_Asia.JPG|thumb|250px|Pie chart showing the distribution of population among the nations of Southeast Asia and among the islands of Indonesia]]
===Ethnic groups===
{{See also|Austronesian people|Chinese ethnic groups|Eurasian (mixed ancestry)|Filipino people|Malays (ethnic group)|Negrito|Tai peoples|Southeast Asian American}}
According to a recent [[Stanford University|Stanford]] [http://hpgl.stanford.edu/publications/AJHG_2001_v68_p432.pdf genetic study], the Southeast Asian population is far from being homogeneous. Although primarily descendants of Austronesian, Tai, and Mon-Khmer-speaking immigrants who migrated from Southern China during the Bronze Age and Iron Age, there are overlays of Arab, Chinese, Indian, Polynesian and Melanesian genes.
There are also large pockets of intermarriage between indigenous Southeast Asians and those of Chinese descent. They form a substantial part of everyday life in countries such as [[Vietnam]],[[Singapore]],[[Thailand]] and the [[Philippines]]. Indonesia and Malaysia also has a few mixed Southeast Asian-Chinese populations.
===Religions===
{{refimprove|section|date=May 2007}}
{{See also|Theravada|Hinduism in Southeast Asia|Islam in Southeast Asia|Muslim Southeast Asia}}
[[Image:Ac.buddhists.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Thai [[Theravada]] [[Buddhists]] in [[Chiang Mai]], [[Thailand]]]]
Countries in Southeast Asia practice many different religions. ''Mainland'' SEA countries, which are, [[Thailand]], [[Cambodia]], [[Laos]], [[Myanmar]], and [[Vietnam]] practice predominantly [[Buddhism]]. [[Singapore]] is also predominantly Buddhist. In the Malay Archipelago, people living in Malaysia, western Indonesia and Brunei practice mainly [[Islam]]. [[Christianity]] is predominant in the Philippines, eastern Indonesia and East Timor. The Philippines has the largest Roman Catholic population followed by Vietnam, both ex-colonies of European rule.
The religious composition for each country is as follows. Some values are taken from the ''[[The World Factbook|CIA World Factbook]]'':<ref>{{cite web|title=Field Listing - Religions|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html|publisher=CIA factbook|accessdate=2007-02-24}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|Andaman and Nicobar Islands
|[[Animism]], [[Buddhism]], [[Christianity]], [[Hinduism]], [[Islam]], [[Sikhism]]
|-
|[[Brunei]]
|[[Islam]] (67%), [[Buddhism]] (13%), [[Christianity]] (10%), others (indigenous beliefs, etc) (10%)
|-
|[[Cambodia]]
|[[Theravada Buddhism]] (95%), [[Islam]], [[Christianity]], [[Animism]] other (5%)
|-
|Christmas Island
|[[Buddhism]] (36%), [[Islam]] (25%), [[Christianity]] (18%), [[Taoism]] (15%), others (6%)
|-
|[[Cocos (Keeling) Islands]]
|[[Sunni Islam]] (80%), others (20%)
|-
|[[East Timor]]
|[[Roman Catholicism]] (90%), [[Islam]] (5%), [[Protestant]] (3%), others ([[Buddhism]], [[Hinduism]], etc) (2%)
|-
|[[Hainan Island]]
|[[Animism]], [[Confucianism]], [[Mahayana Buddhism]], [[Protestant]], [[Roman Catholicism]], [[Taoism]], [[Irreligion|nonreligious]], others
|-
|[[Indonesia]]
|[[Islam]] (86.1%), [[Protestant]] (5.7%), [[Roman Catholicism]] (3%), [[Hinduism]] (1.8%), others including [[Buddhism]], or unspecified (3.4%)<ref name='indoCIA'>Indonesia - The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/id.html</ref>
|-
|[[Laos]]
|[[Theravada Buddhism]] (65%) with [[Animism]] (32.9%), [[Christianity]] (1.3%), others (0.8%)
|-
|[[Malaysia]]
|[[Islam]] (60.4%), [[Mahayana Buddhism]] (19.2%), [[Christianity]] (9.1%), [[Hinduism]] (6.1%), [[Animism]] (5.2%)
|-
|[[Myanmar]]
|[[Theravada Buddhism]] (89%), [[Islam]] (4%), [[Christianity]] (4%), [[Animism]] (1%), others (2%)
|-
|[[Philippines]]
|[[Roman Catholicism]] (81%), [[Islam]] (5%), [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]] (2.8%), [[Iglesia ni Cristo]] (2.2%), [[Philippine Independent Church]] (Aglipayan) (2%), other [[Christianity|Christian]] (4.5%), others ([[Animism]], [[Buddhism]], [[History of the Jews in the Philippines|Judaism]], nonreligious, etc) (2.5%)
|-
|[[Singapore]]
|[[Buddhism]] (42.5%), [[Islam]] (15%), [[Taoism]] (8%), [[Roman Catholicism]] (4.5%), [[Hinduism]] (4%), nonreligious (15%), other [[Christian]] (10%), others (1%)
|-
|South China Sea Islands
|[[Buddhism]], [[Christianity]], [[Confucianism]], [[Islam]], [[Taoism]], nonreligious
|-
|[[Thailand]]
|[[Theravada Buddhism]] (94.6%), [[Islam]] (4.6%), others (1%)
|-
|[[Vietnam]]
| [[Mahayana Buddhism]] (78%), [[Roman Catholicism]] (7%), [[Theravada Buddhism]] (5%), [[Cao Dai]] (2%), [[Protestant]] (1%), others ([[Animism]], [[Hoa Hao]], [[Islam]], nonreligious, etc) (7%)
|}
Religions and peoples are diverse in Southeast Asia and not one country is homogeneous. In the world's most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia, Hinduism is dominant on islands such as [[Bali]]. Christianity also predominates in [[Philippines]], [[Papua]] and [[Timor]]. Pockets of Hindu population can also be found around Southeast Asia in Singapore, Malaysia etc. [[Garuda]] (Sanskrit: Garuḍa), the [[Phoenix (mythology)|phoenix]] who is the mount (vahanam) of [[Vishnu]], is a national symbol in both [[Thailand]] and [[Indonesia]]; in the [[Philippines]], gold images of Garuda have been found on [[Palawan]]; gold images of other Hindu gods and goddesses have also been found on [[Mindanao]]. Balinese Hinduism is somewhat different from Hinduism practiced elsewhere, as Animism and local culture is incorporated into it. Christians can also be found throughout Southeast Asia; they are in the majority in East Timor and the Philippines, Asia's largest Christian nation. In addition, there are also older tribal religious practices in remote areas of [[Sarawak]] in East Malaysia and [[Papua]] in eastern Indonesia. In Myanmar, Sakka ([[Indra]]) is revered as a ''[[nat (spirit)|nat]]''. In Vietnam, Mahayana Buddhism is practiced, which is influenced by native animism but with strong emphasis on [[Ancestor Worship]].
===Languages===
{{See also|Austric languages|Austro-Asiatic languages|Austronesian languages|Hmong-Mien languages|Sino-Tibetan languages|Tai-Kadai languages}}
Each of the languages have been influenced by cultural pressures due to trade and historical colonization as well. Thus, for example, a Filipino, educated in English and Filipino, as well as in his native tongue (e.g., Visayan), might well speak another language, such as Spanish for historical reasons, or even Chinese for economic reasons; a Malaysian might well speak Malay, Chinese as well as English, again for economic reasons.
The language composition for each country is as follows: ('''The official languages have been bolded'''.)
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|Andaman and Nicobar Islands
| '''Nicobarese''', '''Bengali''', '''English''', '''Hindi''', '''Malayalam''', '''Punjabi''', '''Tamil''', '''Telugu''', Shompen, Andamanese languages, others
|-
|Brunei
|'''Malay''', English, Chinese, indigenous Borneian dialects
|-
|Cambodia
|'''Khmer''', Vietnamese, Chamic dialects, Chinese dialects, others
|-
|Christmas Island
|'''English''', Chinese, Malay
|-
|Cocos (Keeling) Islands
|'''English''', Cocos Malay
|-
|East Timor
|'''Tetum''', '''Portuguese''', Indonesian, English, Mambae, Makasae, Tukudede, Bunak, Galoli, Kemak, Fataluku, Baikeno, others
|-
|Hainan Island
|'''Mandarin (Chinese)''', Hainanese, Vietnamese, Hlai, Hmong, Tsat, Zhuang, others
|-
|Indonesia
|'''Indonesian''', Acehnese, Batak, Sundanese, Javanese, Sasak, Tetum, Dayak, Minahasa, Toraja, Buginese, Halmahera, Ambonese, Ceramese, Dutch, Papuan languages, Chinese, others
|-
|Laos
|'''Lao''', Vietnamese, Hmong, Miao, Mien, Dao, Shan, others
|-
|Malaysia
|'''Malay''', English, Mandarin, Tamil, Chinese dialects, other Indian languages, Sarawakian and Sabahan languages, others
|-
|Myanmar
|'''Burmese''', Shan, Karen, Rakhine, Kachin, Chin, Mon, Chinese dialects, Indian languages, others
|-
|Philippines
|'''Filipino''','''Tagalog''', '''English''', Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray, Ilocano, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Bicolano, Maranao, Maguindanao, Tausug, Kinaray-a, Chabacano, Lan-nang, Spanish, Arabic, other Visayan languages, and other Native Philippine languages
|-
|Singapore
|'''Mandarin (Chinese)''', '''Malay''', '''Tamil''', '''English''', other Chinese dialects, other Indian languages, Arabic dialects, others
|-
|South China Sea Islands
| '''English''', '''Filipino''', '''Malay''', '''Mandarin (Chinese)''', '''Vietnamese'''
|-
|Thailand
|'''Thai''', English, Chinese dialects, Malay, Lao, Khmer, Isaan, Shan, Lue, Phutai, Mon, Mein, Hmong, Karen, others
|-
|Vietnam
|'''Vietnamese''', Chinese dialects, Khmer, Cham, French creole, Tay, Muong, Nung, others
|}
==Culture==
{{See also|Southeast Asian cinema|Southeast Asian Games|Southeast Asian music}}
[[Image:Rice Terraces Banaue.jpg|thumb|The Banaue Rice Terraces in Luzon Island, Philippines.]]
[[Rice paddy]] agriculture has existed in Southeast Asia for thousands of years, ranging across the subregion. Some dramatic examples of these rice paddies populate the [[Banaue Rice Terraces]] in the mountains of [[Luzon]] in the Philippines. Maintenance of these paddies is very labor-intensive. The rice paddies are well-suited to the monsoon climate of the region.
[[Stilt house]]s can be found all over Southeast Asia, from Thailand and Laos, to Borneo, to Luzon in the Philippines, to [[Papua New Guinea stilt house|Papua New Guinea]].
The region has diverse metalworking, especially in [[Indonesia]]. This include weaponry, such as the distinctive [[Kris]], and musical instruments, such as the [[Gamelan]].
===Influences===
{| align="left" class="wikitable"
|-
! Calendars
|-
|
[[Buddhist calendar|Buddhist]] <br>
[[Traditional calendar of Myanmar|Burmese]] <br>
[[Chinese calendar|Chinese]] <br>
[[Gregorian calendar]]<br>
[[Hindu calendar|Hindu]] <br>
[[Indonesian calendars|Indonesian]] <br>
[[Tabular Islamic calendar|Islamic]] <br>
[[Thai lunar calendar|Thai (lunar)]] <br>
[[Thai solar calendar|Thai (solar)]] <br>
|}
The region's chief cultural influences have been from either [[Culture of China|China]] or [[Culture of India|India]] or both, with [[Vietnam]] considered by far the most [[Culture of China|Chinese-influenced]].
As a rule, the peoples who ate with their fingers were more likely influenced by the culture of India, for example, than the culture of China, where the peoples first ate with [[chopstick]]s; [[tea]], as a beverage, can be found across the region. The [[fish sauce]]s distinctive to the region tend to vary.
===The Arts===
[[Image:Mục đồng thổi sáo.JPG|thumbnail|upright|"Buffalo boy plays a flute", [[Dong Ho Painting|Đông Hồ painting]], [[Vietnam]].]]
Dance in much of Southeast Asia also includes movement of the hands, as well as the feet. Puppetry and shadow plays were also a favoured form of entertainment in past centuries. The Arts and Literature in some of South East Asia is quite influenced by Hinduism brought to them centuries ago.
In [[Indonesia]], though they converted to Islam, they retained many forms of Hindu influenced practices, cultures, arts and literatures. An example will be the [[Wayang Kulit]] (Shadow Puppet) and literatures like the [[Ramayana]]. This is also true for mainland South East Asia (excluding Vietnam). Dance movements, Hindu gods, Arts were also fused into [[Thai culture|Thai]], [[Culture of Cambodia|Khmer]], [[Culture of Laos|Lao]] and [[Burmese culture|Burmese]] cultures.
In Vietnam, the Vietnamese share many cultural similarities with the Chinese.
<br />
{| align="left" class="wikitable"
|-
! Cuisine
|-
|
[[:Category:Cambodian cuisine|Cambodia]]<br>
[[:Category:Indonesian cuisine|Indonesia]]<br>
[[Cuisine of Laos|Laos]]<br>
[[:Category:Malaysian cuisine|Malaysia]]<br>
[[Burmese cuisine|Myanmar]]<br>
[[:Category:Filipino cuisine|Philippines]]<br>
[[:Category:Singaporean cuisine|Singapore]]<br>
[[:Category:Thai cuisine|Thailand]]<br>
[[:Category:Vietnamese cuisine|Vietnam]]<br>
|}
====Music====
Traditional music in Southeast Asia is as varied as its many ethnic and cultural divisions. Main styles of traditional music can be seen: Court music, folk music, music styles of smaller ethnic groups, and music influenced by genres outside the geographic region.
Of the court and folk genres, [[Gong-chime]] ensembles and orchestras make up the majority (the exception being [[Vietnam]]). [[Gamelan]] orchestras from [[Indonesia]], [[Piphat]] ensembles of [[Thailand]] and the related [[Pinpeat]] ensembles of [[Cambodia]] , the [[Kulintang]] ensembles of the southern [[Philippines]], [[Borneo]], [[Sulawesi]] and [[Timor]] are the three main distinct styles of musical genres that have influenced other traditional musical styles in the region. String instruments also are popular in the region.
====Writing====
{{Main|Baybayin|Jawi script|S.E.A. Write Award|Thai alphabet|}}
[[Image:Balinese writing on palm leaf.jpg|thumb|right|Balinese writing on palm leaf. Artifacts can be seen in the [[Field Museum]], [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]].]]
The history of Southeast Asia has led to a wealth of different authors, from both within and without writing about the region.
Originally, [[Culture of India|India]]ns were the ones who taught the native inhabitants about writing. This is shown through [[Brahmic family|Brahmic]] forms of writing present in the region such as the [[Balinese script]] shown on split palm leaf called ''lontar'', right:
The antiquity of this form of writing extends before the invention of [[paper]] around the year 100 in [[China]]. Note each palm leaf section was only several lines, written longitudinally across the leaf, and bound by twine to the other sections. The outer portion was decorated. The alphabets of Southeast Asia tended to be [[abugida]]s, until the arrival of the Europeans, who used words that also ended in consonants, not just vowels. Other forms of official documents, which did not use paper, included Javanese copperplate scrolls. This would have been more durable in the tropical climate of Southeast Asia.
==See also==
* [[Southeast Asian Capitals]]
* [[Southeast Asian studies]]
* [[History of Southeast Asia]]
* [[Southeast Asia Treaty Organization]] (SEATO)
* [[Japanese foreign policy in Southeast Asia]]
* [[S.E.A. Write Award]]
* [[Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia)]]
* [[List of Southeast Asian mountains]]
* [[Southeast Asian Leaders]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{refimprove|date=May 2007}}
<!-- Dead note "Solheim2000": Solheim, ''Journal of East Asian Archaeology'', 2000, '''2''':1-2, pp. 273-284(12) -->
<!-- Dead note "Oppenheimer2001": Oppenheimer and Richards, ''Science Progress'' 2001, '''84''' (3), pp.157–181 -->
<!-- Dead note "Bergreen": Laurence Bergreen, ''Over the Edge of the World'': Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe, HarperCollins Publishers, 2003, hardcover 480 pages, ISBN 0-06-621173-5 -->
* Tiwari, Rajnish (2003): [http://www.rrz.uni-hamburg.de/RRZ/R.Tiwari/papers/exchange-rate.pdf ''Post-crisis Exchange Rate Regimes in Southeast Asia''] (PDF), Seminar Paper, University of Hamburg.
==External links==
{{commonscat}}
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/reference_maps/pdf/southeast_asia.pdf Topography of Southeast Asia in detail] ([[Portable Document Format|PDF]])
* [http://www.citymayors.com/government/se_asia_government.html CityMayors.com article]
* [http://www.lib.uci.edu/libraries/collections/sea/sasian.html Southeast Asian Archive] at the University of California, Irvine.
*[http://www.lib.uci.edu/libraries/collections/sea/seaexhibit/ "Documenting the Southeast Asian Refugee Experience"], exhibit at the [[University of California, Irvine]], Library.
*[http://seasiavisions.library.cornell.edu Southeast Asia Visions, a collection of historical travel narratives] Cornell University Library Digital Collection
{{Southeast_Asia}}
{{Regions of the world}}
[[Category:Regions of Asia]]
[[Category:Southeast Asia| ]]
[[ar:جنوب شرق آسيا]]
[[frp:Asia du Sud-Levant]]
[[bn:দক্ষিণ-পূর্ব এশিয়া]]
[[zh-min-nan:Tang-lâm-a]]
[[be:Паўднёва-Усходняя Азія]]
[[be-x-old:Паўднёва-Усходняя Азія]]
[[bcl:Sur-Subangan na Asya]]
[[bs:Jugoistočna Azija]]
[[bg:Югоизточна Азия]]
[[ca:Àsia Sud-oriental]]
[[ceb:Habagatang-sidlakang Asya]]
[[cs:Jihovýchodní Asie]]
[[da:Sydøstasien]]
[[de:Südostasien]]
[[et:Kagu-Aasia]]
[[es:Sureste Asiático]]
[[eo:Sud-Orienta Azio]]
[[eu:Hego-ekialdeko Asia]]
[[fr:Asie du Sud-Est]]
[[gl:Sueste asiático]]
[[ko:동남아시아]]
[[hi:दक्षिण पूर्व एशिया]]
[[hr:Jugoistočna Azija]]
[[id:Asia Tenggara]]
[[is:Suðaustur-Asía]]
[[it:Sud-est asiatico]]
[[he:דרום-מזרח אסיה]]
[[kn:ಆಗ್ನೇಯ ಏಷ್ಯಾ]]
[[ka:სამხრეთ-აღმოსავლეთი აზია]]
[[sw:Asia ya Kusini-Mashariki]]
[[lv:Dienvidaustrumāzija]]
[[lt:Pietryčių Azija]]
[[hu:Délkelet-Ázsia]]
[[ml:തെക്കുകിഴക്കേ ഏഷ്യ]]
[[ms:Asia Tenggara]]
[[nl:Zuidoost-Azië]]
[[ja:東南アジア]]
[[no:Sørøst-Asia]]
[[km:អាស៊ីអាគ្នេយ៍]]
[[pl:Azja Południowo-Wschodnia]]
[[pt:Sueste asiático]]
[[ro:Asia de Sud Est]]
[[ru:Юго-Восточная Азия]]
[[scn:Asia dû Sud-est]]
[[simple:Southeast Asia]]
[[sk:Juhovýchodná Ázia]]
[[sl:Jugovzhodna Azija]]
[[sr:Југоисточна Азија]]
[[sh:Jugoistočna Azija]]
[[fi:Kaakkois-Aasia]]
[[sv:Sydostasien]]
[[tl:Timog-silangang Asya]]
[[th:เอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้]]
[[vi:Đông Nam Á]]
[[tr:Güneydoğu Asya]]
[[uk:Південно-Східна Азія]]
[[wo:Bëj-saalum-penku Asi]]
[[zh-yue:東南亞]]
[[zh:东南亚]]