World Regional GeographyWorld Regional Geography
April 19, 2010April 19, 2010
Reading: Marston Chapter 9 pages
426-458Chapter 1 pages 18-19
Goode’s World Atlaspages 189-199, 201-213
(East, Southeast, and South Asia)
Atauro Island, East Timor
Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia
1. Political Boundaries2. History
A. Chinese/Indian InfluenceB. European ColonialismC. IndependenceD. The Vietnam WarE. Geopolitical Hotspot
3. Population Characteristics4. Environmental History
and Issues 5. Culture and Ethnicity6. Economic Development7. Gender
A. Gender EquityB. Gender & DevelopmentC. Southeast Asian Sex Trade
Garden of the Buddhas, Laos
Political BoundariesPolitical Boundaries
HistoryHistory• Chinese / Indian Influence
• Agriculture, trade, religion
• Hinduism (God-Kings)• Attractive to local chiefs
• Led to two types of cities• Port cities (trade)• Spiritual/ceremonial cities (religion)
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Temple complex dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu. Built in the early 12th century.
History: European ColonialismHistory: European Colonialism
• Mercantile Period (1500-1800)
• Industrial Period (1800-1945)
• Six colonial powers• Portugal• Spain• Netherlands• Great Britain• France• United States
• Thailand (Siam)
History: European ColonialismHistory: European Colonialism
• Important trade routes• China – India• Malacca
• Important commodities• Spices (spice islands)
• Nutmeg• Cinnamon• Cloves
• Raw materials • Tin• Rubber• Hardwoods
• Rice• Coffee• Sugar
History: IndependenceHistory: Independence
• Japanese Occupation (WWII)• Weakens European hold on region
• Peaceful Independence• Philippines (from US)• Burma & Malaysia (from Britain)
• Singapore (from Malaysia)
• Indonesia• Violent opposition to Dutch
• French Indochina• Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia• Cold war politics & war
The Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War
• Communists in French Indochina fight for independence from Japan and France.
• Cambodia and Laos achieve independence following French withdrawal (1954).
• U.N. divides Vietnam into North and South Vietnam.• China and USSR support communist regime in
the North.• US supports capitalist South Vietnam.
• US pulls out in 1973, Vietnam united under communist rule.
The Spratly IslandsThe Spratly Islands• Series of islands (largely coral atolls) in the
South China Sea.• Islands claimed by six nations
• Brunei• China• Malaysia• Philippines• Taiwan• Vietnam
• Oil/natural gas• Rights to marine resources.
• Mainland: river deltas & port cities• Islands
• Java (Jakarta)• Luzon (Manila)
Population DensityPopulation Density
Population CharacteristicsPopulation Characteristics
RegionRegionPopulationPopulation
(Millions)(Millions)Birth Birth RateRate
Death Death RateRate
Natural Natural IncreaseIncrease
(%)(%)
Net Net MigratioMigration Raten Rate
Projected Projected Pop. Change Pop. Change
(2050)(2050)
South South East AsiaEast Asia 597597 2121 77 1.41.4 00 +39%+39%
RegionRegion IMRIMR TFRTFR % Pop % Pop <15<15
% Pop% Pop
>65>65Life Life
ExpectancyExpectancy MaleMale FemalFemalee
South South East AsiaEast Asia 3030 2.52.5 2929 66 7070 6868 72
RegionRegion HIV/AIDS %HIV/AIDS % % Urban% UrbanGNI PPPGNI PPP
(US$)(US$)
South East South East AsiaAsia 0.50.5 4343 4,5204,520
• Indonesia accounts for about 1/2 of the population• HIV/AIDS rising quickly (2% in Thailand) due to sex industry• Significant income variations
• Brunei: $50,200, Myanmar: $1,290
MigrationMigration• Transmigration
(Indonesia)• Government program• From urban to rural• Cultural unity • Consolidation of
political power
• Migrant workers• Indonesians to the
Middle East• Chinese• Refugees
• War, ethnic conflict, and poverty
Environmental History & IssuesEnvironmental History & Issues
• Tropical Rain Forest • Biodiversity 2nd only to Amazon
• Wallace’s Line • Agriculture
• Wet rice• Terraces• Irrigation• Slash & Burn
• Deforestation• Agriculture and forest products• Erosion, flooding, mudslides• Ecosystem destruction
Culture & EthnicityCulture & Ethnicity
• Diversity• 500 different ethnic and language groups
• Cultural cohesion• Majority populations within national boundaries
Culture & EthnicityCulture & Ethnicity
• Religion• Buddhism: Mainland• Islam
• Indonesia• Malaysia• Brunei
• Christianity• Philippines• East Timor
• Pockets of Hinduism• Burma• Indonesia (Bali, Java)
Economic DevelopmentEconomic Development
• Import Substitution• Encourage domestic industry• Decrease dependence on primary sector
• Shift to export-oriented growth• Strong ties to major trade routes
• Rapid growth in 1980’s• Asian economic crises in 1990’s
• Debt crises• Withdrawal of foreign investments• Very high unemployment
• Socio-economic issues• Urban / Rural inequality• Labor exploitation: sweatshops• Sex trade
Gender EquityGender Equity
• Developed vs. developing world • Power
• Reproductive rights• Patriarchal family structures• Access to education
• Division of labor• Women often perform the bulk of physical labor
• Planting & harvesting• Food preparation• Child-care
• Income gap• Violence against women
• Middle east (related to rights)• India (wealth, reproduction)• Rural regions of the developed world
Development & Gender EqualityDevelopment & Gender Equality
Southeast Asian Sex TradeSoutheast Asian Sex Trade• Women and children sold into bondage
• Domestic (sex-tourism)• International (sex-trafficking)
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