Southeast Asia Connections to America U.S. forces beat Japan U.S. owned its only major colony (Phillipines) U.S. lost its only war U.S. worst Cold War fears (never materialized as feared they would) U.S. companies heavy investment

Shatter belt: region under constant stress, often fragmented by aggressive rivals No dominant state in SE Asia, but Indonesia has 40% of the population. Region under Arab, Hindu, and Chinese control prior to Europeans. Later Japanese European colonizers forged empires here, playing one state against another: This prevented a dominant state from arising and created great diversity in language, religion, arts, music, foods, etc.

Cultural Geography

Physical Geography Major volcanoes in Myanmar, Indonesia, Phillipines, Laos - all part of the Ring of Fire. West is covered with thick forests

2 Peninsulas & 2 Archipelagos Archipelago: large group of islands Indonesia: largest archipelago in the world – 17,000 islands (600 inhabited)

Political Geography Mainland Region (less than 45% of population) - Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, part of Malaysia Insular Region (more than 55% of population) - Indonesia, Brunei, Phillipines, Singapore, East Timor, part of Malaysia

Trivial Pursuits Myanmar is world’s 2 nd leading producer of opium – “Golden Triangle”: region where drug lords and armies control the area Cambodia’s “killing fields” – 1970’s communist government under Pol Pot: 25% of population killed Laos is Southeast Asia’s only landlocked country

Bangkok, Thailand: “Venice of Asia” – klongs are the canals in Bangkok Thailand – “sex tourism” is entrenched part of Thai culture – however, result is pandemic of AIDS affects 1/60 of people. Jakarta, Indonesia – largest city in region (10 th in world) Indonesia – largest Muslim population in world Sultan of Brunei – one of richest person in the world