Asia

Southeast Asia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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(or

) 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.
Southeast Asia consists of two geographic regions: the Asian mainland (Indochina) and island
arcs and archipelagoes to the east and southeast (Malay Archipelago). The mainland section
consists of Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia while
themaritime section consists of Brunei, East Malaysia, East Timor, Indonesia, the Philippines,
andSingapore.[1] Papua New Guinea is an observer in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,
as is East Timor.
Geographically speaking southern China, Hong Kong[2][3] , Macau[4], and Taiwan[5] are sometimes
grouped in the Southeast Asia subregion, although politically they are rarely grouped as such. The
same is true for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India,[6][7] and occasionally regions of
the Seven Sister States such as Manipur.[citation needed]
Austronesian peoples predominate in this region. The major religions are Buddhism and Islam,
followed by Christianity. However, a wide variety of religions are found throughout the region,
including many Hindu and animist-influenced practices.[citation needed]

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[edit]Divisions
[edit]©
Definitions of "Southeast Asia" vary, but most definitions include the area represented by the
countries and territories listed below. All of the countries excluding East Timor are members of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The area, together with part of South Asia,
was widely known as the East Indies or simply the Indies until the 20th century. Christmas
Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are considered part of Southeast Asia though they are
governed by Australia. Sovereignty issues exist over some islands in the South China Sea. Papua
New Guinea has stated that it might join ASEAN, and is currently an observer.[8][9]
[edit]

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Location of Southeast Asia.[15]
Compare Regions of Asia described byUN: North Asia Central Asia Southwest Asia South Asia East
Asia
Southeast Asia is geographically divided into two subregions, namely Mainland Southeast
Asia (or Indochina) and Maritime Southeast Asia (or the similarly defined Malay Archipelago)
(Indonesian: è antara).
Mainland Southeast Asia includes:
Õ Burma
Õ Cambodia
Õ Laos
Õ Thailand
Õ Vietnam
Õ Peninsular Malaysia
Maritime Southeast Asia includes:
Õ East Malaysia
Õ Brunei
Õ Indonesia
Õ Philippines
Õ Singapore
Õ Timor-Leste
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India are geographically considered part of Southeast
Asia.Bangladesh and the Seven Sister States of India are culturally part of Southeast Asia and
sometimes considered both South Asian and Southeast Asian. The Seven Sister States of Indiaare
also geographically part of southeast Asia. Hainan Island and several other southern
Chineseregions such as Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi are considered both East Asian and
Southeast Asian. The rest of New Guinea is sometimes included so are Palau, Guam, and
the Northern Mariana Islands, which were all part of the Spanish East Indies.
The eastern parts of Indonesia and East Timor (east of Wallace Line) are considered to be
geographically parts of Oceania.
[edit]History
Dain article: Hitory of So theat Aia
Designs on Dong Son drum belonging to Iron Age prehistoricDong Son culture locating on Red River Delta, Vietnam.
Homo apien reached the region by around 45,000 years ago.[16] Homo floreieni seems to have
shared some islands with modern humans until only 12,000 years ago, when they became
extinct.[17]Austronesian people, who form the majority of the modern population in Indonesia,
Malaysia, Brunei, East Timor and the Philippines, migrated to South East Asia from Taiwan. They
arrived in Indonesia around 2000 BCE, and as they spread through the archipelago, confined the
native Melanesian peoplesto the far eastern regions.[18]
Contrary to the popular belive as depicted above, studies presented by HUGO (Human Genome
Organization) through genetic studies of the asian races, scientifically points out to a single Asian
migration from South East Asia travelling northwards slowly populating Southern parts of East Asia
and then East Asia itself instead of the other way around. [19]
Solheim and others have shown evidence for a è antao (è antara) maritime trading network
ranging from Vietnam to the rest of the archipelago as early as 5000 BCE to 1 CE.[20] 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. Magellan's voyage records how much more maneuvreable their vessels were, as compared
to the European ships.[21]
Passage through the Indian Ocean aided the colonization of Madagascar by the Austronesian
people, as well as commerce between West Asia and Southeast Asia. Gold from Sumatra is thought
to have reached as far west as Rome, while a slave from the Sulu Sea was believed to have been
used in Magellan's voyage as a translator.
Originally most people were animist. This was later replaced by Hinduism. Theravada
Buddhism soon followed in 525. In 15th century, Islamic influences began to enter. This forced the
last Hindu court in Indonesia to retreat to Bali.
In Mainland Southeast Asia, Burma, 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.
Architecture in the Srivijayanstyle, Surat Thani, Thailand
[edit]

Dain article: Greater India
Very little is known about Southeast Asian religious beliefs and practices before the advent of Indian
merchants and religious influences from the 2nd century BCE onwards. Prior to the 13th century
CE,Hinduism and Buddhism were the main religions in Southeast Asia.
The Jawa Dwipa Hindu kingdom in 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 BCE. 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.
Angkor Wat, in Siem Reap, Cambodia, is the largest religious temple in the world andAngkor the largest pre-industrial
city in the world
Cambodia was first influenced by Hinduism during the beginning of the Funan kingdom. Hinduism
was one of theKhmer 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.
TheChampa civilization was located in what is today centralVietnam, and was a highly indianized
Hindu Kingdom.
The Majapahit Empire was an Indianized kingdom based in eastern 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, andBali.
Various sources such as the Nagarakertagama also mention that its influence spanned over parts of
Celebes, the Moluccas islands, and some areas of western Papua, making it the largest empire to
ever exist in Southeast Asian history.
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 Hindu cultural
influence found today throughout the Southeast Asia are the result of the Chola expeditions.[22]
[edit]

See alo: Spread of Ilam in Indoneia
In the 11th century, a turbulent period occurred in the history of Maritime Southeast Asia,
the Indian Chola navy crossed the ocean and attacked the Srivijaya kingdom of Sangrama
Vijayatungavarman in Kadaram (Kedah), the capital of the powerful maritime kingdom was sacked
and the king was taken captive. Along with Kadaram, Pannai in present day Sumatra and Malaiyur
and the Malayan peninsula were attacked too. Soon after that, the king of Kedah Phra Ong
Mahawangsa became the first ruler to abandon the traditional Hindu faith, and converted
to Islam with the Sultanate of Kedah established in year 1136. Samudera Pasai converted to Islam
in the year 1267, the King of Malacca Parameswara married with princess of Pasai, the son became
the first sultan of Malacca, soon Malacca became the center of Islam study and maritime trade, other
rulers followed suit. Indonesian religious leader and Islamic scholar Hamka (1908±1981) wrote in
1961:"The development of Ilam in Indoneia and Dalaya i intimately related to a Chinee D lim,
Admiral Zheng He."[23]
There are several theories to the Islamization process in Southeast Asia. The first theory is trade.
The expansion of trade among West Asia,India and Southeast Asia helped the spread of the religion
as Muslim traders brought Islam to the region. The second theory is the role of missionaries or Sufis.
The Sufi missionaries played a significant role in spreading the faith by syncretising Islamic ideas
with existing local beliefs and religious notions. Finally, the ruling classes embraced Islam and that
further aided the permeation of the religion throughout the region. The ruler of the region's most
important port, Malacca Sultanate, embraced Islam in the 15th century, heralding a period of
accelerated conversion of Islam throughout the region as the religion provided a unifying force
among the ruling and trading classes.
[edit]Trade and colonization

[edit]
See alo: Lit of trib tarie of Imperial China and Imperialim in Aia
Chinese merchants have traded with the region for a long time as evidence of Magellan's voyage
records that Brunei possessed more cannonthan the European ships so it appears that the Chinese
fortified them.[21]
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 writer Duarte Barbosa, who in 1500
wrote "He who is lord of Malacca has his hand on the throat of Venice".
Strait of Malacca, (narrows).
[edit]

Western influence started to enter in the 16th century, 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. All southeast Asian countries were colonized
except for Thailand.
European explorers were reaching Southeast Asia from the west and from the east. Regular trade
between the ships sailing 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. Thailand also
allowed Western science and technology to enter its country.
[edit]R
See alo: Greater Eat Aia Co-Properity Sphere, Slavery in Japan, Japanee occ pation of
Indoneia, and Japanee war crime
During World War II, the Imperial Japan invaded most of the former western colonies. The Shōwa
occupation regime committed violent actions against indigenous civilians such as the Manila
Massacre and the implementation of a system of forced labor, such as the one involving 4 to 10
million rom ha in Indonesia.[24] A later UN report stated that four million people died in Indonesia as
a result of famine and forced labour during the Japanese occupation.[25]
The Keppel Container Terminal in the Port of Singapore. The Port of Singapore is the
busiesttransshipment and container port in the world, and is an important transportation and shipping hub in
Southeast Asia.
[edit]©

See alo: Japanee foreign policy in So theat Aia
Most countries in the region enjoy national autonomy. Democratic forms of government and the
recognition of human rights are taking root. ASEAN provides a framework for the integration of
commerce.
Conflicting territorial and maritime claims continue to exist, including the conflicting claims
by Taiwan,China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines over the Spratly Islands.
[edit]Geography
Mayon Volcano in the Philippinesoverlooks a pastoral scene.
See alo: Golden Triangle (So theat Aia) and Lit of So theat Aian mo ntain
Geologically, the Indonesian archipelago is one of the most active vulcanological regions in the
world.Geological uplifts in the region have also produced some impressive mountains, culminating
in Puncak Jaya in Papua, Indonesia at 5,030 metres (16,024 ft), on the island of New Guinea, it is
the only place where ice glacier can be found in Southeast Asia. While the second tallest peak
is Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia on the island of Borneo with a height of 4,101 meters
(13,455 ft). The tallest mountain in the Southeast Asia is Hkakabo Razi at 5,967 meters and can be
found in northern Burma. The largest archipelago in the world by size is Indonesia (according to
the CIA World Factbook)
[edit][

See alo: A troneia
The Australian continent 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 and West Papua, which shares the island ofNew
Guinea with Papua New Guinea.
[edit]
The climate in Southeast Asia is mainly tropical±hot and humid all year round with plentiful 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). An 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. Other parts fall out of this climate because they are desert like.
[edit]

See alo: So theat Aian coral reef and Wallace line
Wallace's hypothetical line between Australasian and Southeast Asian fauna.
Great Hornbill - bird from Southeast Asia
All of Southeast Asia falls within the warm, humid tropics, and its climate generally can be
characterized as monsoonal. The animals of Southeast Asia are diverse; on the islands
of Borneoand Sumatra, the Orangutan (man of the forest), the Asian Elephant, the Malayan tapir,
the Sumatran Rhinoceros and theBornean 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.
Tigers of three different subspecies are found on the island of Sumatra (the Sumatran tiger), in
peninsular Malaysia (the Malayan tiger), and in Indochina (the Indochinese tiger); all of which are
endangered.
The Komodo Dragon is the largest living species of lizard and inhabits the islands
of Komodo, Rinca,Flores, and Gili Motang in Indonesia.
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. As the pace of development accelerates and populations continue to expand in
Southeast Asia, concern has increased regarding the impact of human activity on the region's
environment. A significant portion of Southeast Asia, however, has not changed greatly and remains
an unaltered home to wildlife. The nations of the region, with only few exceptions, have become
aware of the need to maintain forest cover not only to prevent soil erosion but to preserve the
diversity of flora and fauna. Indonesia, for example, has created an extensive system of national
parks and preserves for this purpose. Even so, such species as the Javan rhinoceros face
extinction, with only a handful of the animals remaining in western Java.
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. According to Conservation
International, marine surveys suggest that the marine life diversity in the Raja Ampat area is the
highest recorded on Earth.[1] Diversity is considerably greater than any other area sampled in the
Coral Triangle composed of Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea. The Coral Triangle is
the heart of the world's coral reef biodiversity, making Raja Ampat quite possibly the richest coral
reef ecosystems in the world. The whale shark, the world's largest species of fish and 6 species
of pawikans can also be found in the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean territories of
the Philippines.
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 variousendangered species such as orangutan and the Sumatran tiger.
Predictions have been made that more than 40% of the animal and plant species in Southeast Asia
could be wiped out in the 21st century.[26] At the same time, haze has been a regular occurrence.
The two worst regional hazes were in 1997 and 2006 in which multiple countries were covered with
thick haze, mostly caused by "slash and burn" activities in Indonesia. In reaction, several countries in
Southeast Asia signed the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in order to combat
haze pollution.
[edit]Economy
Singapore is a major economic center of the region
Even prior to the penetration of European interests, Southeast Asia was a critical part of the world
trading system. The Ryukyu Kingdom often participated in maritime trade in Southeast Asia. A wide
range of commodities originated in the region, but especially important were such spices as pepper,
ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. The spice trade initially was developed by Indian and Arabmerchants,
but it also brought Europeans to the region. First Spaniards (Manila galleon) andPortuguese, then
the Dutch, and finally the British and French became involved in this enterprise in various countries.
The penetration of European commercial interests gradually evolved into annexation of territories, as
traders lobbied for an extension of control to protect and expand their activities. As a result, the
Dutch moved into Indonesia, the British into Malaya, the French intoIndochina and the Spanish and
the U.S. into the Philippines.
While the region's economy greatly depends on agriculture, manufacturing and services are
becoming more important. An emerging market,Indonesia is the largest economy in this
region. Newly industrialized countries including Malaysia, Thailand, and
the Philippines whileSingapore and Brunei are affluent developed economies. The rest of Southeast
Asia is still heavily dependent on agriculture, but Vietnam is notably making steady progress in
developing its industrial sectors. The region notably manufactures textiles, electronic high-tech
goods such as microprocessors and heavy industrial products such as automobiles. Reserves
of oil are also present in the region.
Seventeen telecommunications companies have contracted to build a new submarine cable to

connect Southeast Asia to the U.S.[27] This is to avoid disruption of the kind recently caused by the
cutting of the undersea cable from Taiwan to the U.S. in a recent earthquake.
Tourism has been a key factor in economic development for many Southeast Asian countries,
especially Cambodia. According to UNESCO, ³tourism, if correctly conceived, can be a tremendous
development tool and an effective means of preserving the cultural diversity of our planet.´[28] Since
the early 1990s, ³even the non-ASEAN nations such as Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Burma,
where the income derived from tourism is low, are attempting to expand their own tourism
industries.´[29] In 1995, Singapore was the regional leader in tourism receipts relative to GDP at over
8%. By 1998, those receipts had dropped to less than 6% of GDP while Thailand and Lao PDR
increased receipts to over 7%. Since 2000, Cambodia has surpassed all other ASEAN countries and
generated almost 15% of its GDP from tourism in 2006.[30]
Indonesia is the only member of G-20 major economies and considered as the largest economy in
the region.[31] Indonesia's estimated gross domestic product (nominal) for 2008 was US$511.7 billion
with estimated nominal per capita GDP was US$2,246, and per capita GDP PPP was US$3,979
(international dollars).[32]
Stock markets in Southeast Asia have performed better than other bourses in the Asia-Pacific region
in 2010, with the Philippines' PSEleading the way with 22 percent growth, followed by
Thailand's SET with 21 percent and Indonesia's JKSE with 19 percent.[33][34]
[edit]Demographics
Pie chart showing the distribution of population among the nations of Southeast Asia and among the islands of
Indonesia
Southeast Asia has an area of approximately 4,000,000 km 2 (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, the most densely populated large island in the world. Indonesia is the
most populous country with 230 million people and also 4th most populous country in the world. The
distribution of the religions and people is diverse in Southeast Asia and varies by country. Some 30
million overseas Chinese, not including the heritage, also live in Southeast Asia, most prominently
in Christmas Island, Malaysia, thePhilippines, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand, and also, as
the Hoa, in Vietnam.
[edit]D

Õ Sijori Growth Triangle (Singapore/Johor Bahru), Singapore-Malaysia-

Indonesia
Õ Jabodetabek (Jakarta/Bandung), Indonesia
Õ Bangkok Metropolitan Region (Bangkok/Samut Prakan), Thailand
Õ Metro Manila (Manila/Quezon), Philippines
Õ Klang Valley (Kuala Lumpur/Subang Jaya), Malaysia
Õ Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area (Ho Chi Minh City/Vung Tau), Vietnam
Õ Yangon Region (Yangon/Thanlyin), Myanmar
[edit]

Dain article: ethnic gro p of So theat Aia
See alo: A troneian people, Chinee ethnic gro p, Overea Indian, E raian (mixed
ancetry), Filipino people, Dalay (ethnic gro p), Khmer people, èegrito, and Tai people
According to a recent Stanford 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 mixed
Southeast Asian-Chinese populations.
Ati woman ± the Negritoswere the earliest inhabitants of Southeast Asia

Remnants of the Mon group are found in parts of Burma and Thailand; the ethnic mixture there has
been produced by overlaying Tibeto-Burman and Tai, Lao, and Shan peoples. The contemporary
Vietnamese population originated from the Red River area in the north and may be a mixture
of Tai and Malaypeoples.[citation needed] Added to these major ethnic groups are such less numerous
peoples as the Karens,Chins, and Nagas in Burma, who have affinities with other Asiatic peoples.
Insular Southeast Asia contains a mixture of descendants of Proto-Malay (Nesiot) and Pareoean
peoples who were influenced by Malayo-Polynesian and other groups. In addition, Arabic, Indian,
and Chinese influences have affected the ethnic pattern of the islands.
In modern times, the Javanese are the largest ethnic group in Southeast Asia, with more than 86
million people, mostly concentrated in Java, Indonesia. In Burma, the Burmese account for more
than two-thirds of the ethnic stock in this country, while ethnic Thais and Vietnamese account for
about four-fifths of the respective populations of those countries. Indonesia is clearly dominated by
the Javanese and Sundaneseethnic groups, while Malaysia is more evenly split between
the Malays and the Chinese. Within the Philippines, the Tagalog, Cebuano,Ilocano, and Bicol groups
are significant.
Malay family from Malaysia
[edit]
See alo: B ddhim in So theat Aia, Hind im in So theat Aia, Ilam in So theat Aia,D lim
So theat Aia, and Chritianity in Aia
Thai Theravada Buddhists inChiang Mai, Thailand
Islam is the most widely practiced religion in Southeast Asia, numbering approximately 240 million
adherents which translate to about 40% of the entire population, with majorities
in Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. Countries in Southeast Asia practice many different
religions. Dainland Southeast Asian countries, which
are, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos,Burma, Vietnam and Singapore practice predominantlyBuddhism.
Ancestor worship and Confucianism is also widely practiced in Vietnam and Singapore. In Maritime
Southeast Asia, people living in Malaysia, western Indonesia and Brunei practice
mainly Islam. Christianity is predominant in the Philippines because of Spanish colonization for more
than 300 years, eastern Indonesia and East Timor. The Philippines has the largest Roman Catholic
population followed very distantly by Vietnam. East Timor is also predominantly Roman Catholic due
to a history of Portuguese rule.
The religious composition for each country is as follows. Some values are taken from the CIA World
Factbook:[35]
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, New Guinea and Timor. Pockets of Hindu population
can also be found around Southeast Asia in Singapore, Malaysia etc. Garuda (Sanskrit: Garu a),
the 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 Burma, Sakka (Indra) is revered as anat. In Vietnam, Mahayana Buddhism is
practiced, which is influenced by native animism but with strong emphasis on Ancestor Worship.
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[edit]u
See alo: Sino-Tibetan lang age, A tro-Aiatic lang age, A troneian lang age, Hmong-Dien
lang age, and Tai-Kadai lang age
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 language (e.g. Visayan), might well speak another language, such as Spanish for historical
reasons, or Chinese, Korean, or Japanese for economic reasons; a Malaysian might well speak
English, Chinese, Tamil as well as Malay as a second language.
The language composition for each country is as follows: (official languages are in .)
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[edit]Culture
See alo: So theat Aian cinema, So theat Aian Game, and So theat Aian m ic
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 houses can be found all over Southeast Asia, from Thailand and Laos, to Borneo, to Luzon in
the Philippines, to 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.
[edit]
The region's chief cultural influences have been from either China or India or both,
with Vietnamconsidered by far the most Chinese-influenced. Burma can be said to be influenced
equally by both India and China. Western cultural influence is most pronounced in the Philippines,
derived particularly from the period of Spanish and American rule.
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 chopsticks; tea, as a
beverage, can be found across the region. The fish sauces distinctive to the region tend to vary.
[edit]¦

"Buffalo boy plays a flute",Đông Hӗ painting, Vietnam.
A Thai boy plays the khim, a traditional Thai instrument similar to the yangqin from China.*Khimaudio
The arts of Southeast Asia have no affinity with the arts of other areas. Dance in much of Southeast
Asia also includes movement of the hands, as well as the feet to express the emotion and meaning
of dance upon the story that the ballerina going to tell the audience. Most of Southeast Asian
confirmed the Dance into their court, according to Cambodian royal ballet represent them in earlier
of 7th century before Khmer Empire which highly influenced by Indian Hinduism. Apsara Dance,
famous for its strongly hand and feet movement, is a great example of Hindism symbol dance.
Puppetry and shadow plays were also a favoured form of entertainment in past centuries as the
famous one known as Wayang from Indonesia.The Arts and Literature in some of Southeast Asia is
quite influenced by Hinduism brought to them centuries ago.
The Tai, coming late into Southeast Asia, brought with them some Chinese artistic traditions, but
they soon shed them in favour of the Khmer and Mon traditions, and the only indications of their
earlier contact with Chinese arts were in the style of their temples, especially the tapering roof, and
in their lacquerware.
In Indonesia, despite conversion to Islam opposed to certain forms of art, 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 Southeast
Asia (excluding Vietnam). Dance movements, Hindu gods, arts were also fused
into Thai, Khmer, Lao and Burmesecultures. It has been pointed out that Khmer and Indonesian
classical arts were concerned with depicting the life of the gods, but to the Southeast Asian mind the
life of the gods was the life of the peoples themselves²joyous, earthy, yet divine.
[edit]D
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 lowland areas of Vietnam). Gamelan orchestras
from Indonesia, Piphat /Pinpeat ensembles ofThailand & Cambodia and the K lintang ensembles of
the southern Philippines, Borneo, Sulawesi andTimor 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.
[edit]÷

Dain article: Baybayin, Jawi cript, S.E.A. Write Award, and Thai alphabet
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, Indians were the ones who taught the native inhabitants about writing. This is shown
through 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
inChina. 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 abugidas, 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.
[edit]See also
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, also known as

, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which
comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities (ee below), also includes the
adjoining countries on the west and the east. Topographically, it is dominated by the Indian Plate,
which rises above sea level as the Indian subcontinent south of the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush.
South Asia is surrounded (clockwise, from west) by Western Asia, Central Asia, Eastern
Asia, Southeastern Asia and the Indian Ocean. According to the United Nations geographical
region,[2] South Asia comprises the countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal,
Maldives, Afghanistan, Iran and Sri Lanka.
South Asia is home to well over one fifth of the world's population, making it both the most populous
and most densely populated geographical region in the world.[3] The South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation is an economic cooperation organization in the region.

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[edit]Definitions
Various definitions of South Asia.
UN Subregion of Southern Asia.
Along with a number of core countries, South Asia differs in inclusion by different clubbing of
countries, though essentially it mostly encompasses countries that were part of the former British
Indian Empire,[4] including the current territories of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh at the core, but
also including Ceylon(now Sri Lanka), Burma (officially Myanmar) andSikkim (now a state of
India).[5] The Aden Colony,British Somaliland and Singapore, though administered at various times
under the Raj have not been proposed as any part of South Asia.[6]
The Raj also encompassed the 562 protected princely states that were not directly ruled by the
Raj,[7] some of which joined the Union of India (including Hyderabad State, Kingdom of
Mysore, Baroda, Gwalior and a part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir), while some joined
the Dominion of Pakistan (including Bahawalpur, Kalat, Khayrpur, Swat and parts of the princely
state of Jammu and Kashmir ).[8][9] Sikkim joined India in 1975.[10] One part of Jammu and Kashmir
became a part of China.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), a contiguous block of countries,
started in with seven countries ² Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri
Lanka ² when it was established in 1985, but was extended to includeAfghanistan as an eighth
member in 2006.[11] The World Bank grouping includes only the original seven members of SAARC,
and leaves Afghanistan out.[12] This bloc of countries include three independent countries that were
not under the British rule - Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan. The South Asia Free Trade
Agreement endorsed by SAARC has been signed by the seven original members of the
organization, though it has a special provision for the Maldives.[13]
The United Nations Population Information Network (POPIN) includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Burma, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as part of South Asia, while Maldives, in view of
its characteristics, was admitted as a member country of the Pacific POPIN subregional network in
principle.[14] Culturally, though not politically, Tibet has been identified as a part of South
Asia,[15] while the British Indian Ocean Territory has been connected to the region for security
considerations.[16] The United Nations scheme of sub-regions include all eight members of the
SAARC as part of Southern Asia, along with Iran,[17] while the Hirschmann-Herfindahl Index
of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific for the region includes
only the original seven signatories of SAARC.[18]
Afghanistan is otherwise considered as Central Asian or Middle-Eastern, Burma as Southeast Asian,

and Tibet is otherwise consideredCentral Asian or East Asian.[19] A lack of coherent definition for
South Asia has resulted in not only a lack of academic studies, but also in a lack interest for such
studies.[20] Identification with a South Asian identity was also found to be significantly low among
respondents in a two-year survey across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.[21]
See alo: So th Aian Aociation for Regional Cooperation and So th Aian Economic Union
[edit]
Dain article: Indian bcontinent
The "Indian subcontinent" is a semantic term referring to the large, self-contained landmass which covers most of
South Asia.
The term "Indian subcontinent" refers to a large, self-contained landmass which is geographically
separated from the rest of the Asian continent.[22] Due to similar scope, the terms "South Asia" and
"Indian subcontinent" are used by some academics interchangeably.[22][23][24] Due to political
sensitivities, some prefer to use the terms "South Asian Subcontinent",[25] the "Indo-Pak
Subcontinent",[26] or simply "South Asia"[27] or "the Subcontinent" over the term "Indian subcontinent".
According to some academics, the term "South Asia" is in more common use in Europe and North
America, rather than the terms "Subcontinent" or the "Indian Subcontinent".[28][29] Indologist Ronald
B. Inden argues that the usage of the term "South Asia" is getting more widespread since it clearly
distinguishes the region from East Asia.[30] However, this opinion is not shared by all.[31]
By dictionary entries, the term subcontinent signifies "having a certain geographical or political
independence" from the rest of the continent,[32] or "a vast and more or less self-contained
subdivision of a continent."[33] It may be noted that geophysically the Tsang Po river in Tibet is
situated at the outside of the border of the Subcontinental structure, while the Pamir
Mountains inTajikistan is situated inside that border.[34]
According to one clubbing of countries, it includes most parts of South Asia, including those on
the continental crust (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan), an island country on
thecontinental shelf (Sri Lanka), and an island country rising above the oceanic
crust (theMaldives).[35] Another clubbing includes only Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, the mainstay
of the British Raj, as the Subcontinent.[36]
This version also includes the disputed territory of Aksai Chin, which was part of British Indian
princely state Jammu and Kashmir, but is now administered as a part of Chinese autonomous region
of Xinjiang. A booklet published by the United States Department of State in 1959 includes
Afghanistan, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), India, Nepal, and Pakistan as part of the "Subcontinent of South
Asia".[37] When the term Indian Subcontinent is used to mean South Asia, the islands countries of Sri
Lanka and the Maldives are sometimes not included,[38] while Tibet and Nepal are included[39] and
excluded[40] intermittently, depending on the context.
[edit]î

See alo: Indology
When the Centre of South Asian Studies at the University of Cambridge established in 1964, it was
primarily responsible for promoting within the University the study of India, Pakistan, Sri
Lanka, Bangladesh, the Himalayan Kingdoms (Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim [41]), and Burma (now
officially Myanmar). But, over the years it has also extended its activities to
include Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam,Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia,
the Philippines and Hong Kong.[42] The Centers for South Asian Studies at both University of
Michigan andUniversity of Virginia list Tibet along with seven members of SAARC as a South Asian
country, leaving the Maldives out.[43][44] The South Asian Studies Program of Rutgers University and
the University of California, Berkeley Center for South Asia Studies do the same without leaving out
the Maldives,[45][46] while the South Asian Studies Program of Brandeis University defines the region
as comprising "India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and in certain contexts
Afghanistan, Burma, Maldives and Tibet".[47] The similar program of Columbia University also
includes Tibet, but leaves out both Afghanistan and the Maldives.[48]
[edit]Geography
United Nations geoscheme for Asia: North Asia Central Asia Southwest Asia East Asia Southeast
Asia
While the South Asia had never been a coherent geopolitical region, it has a distinct geographical
identity.[49] The boundaries of South Asia vary based on how South Asia is defined. South Asia's
north, east, and west boundaries vary based on definitions used. South Asia's southern border is
the Indian Ocean. The UN subregion of Southern Asia's northern boundary would be the Himalayas,
its western boundary would be made up of the Iraq-Iran border, Turkey-Iran border, Armenia-Iran
border, and the Azerbaijan-Iran border. Its eastern boundary would be the India-Burma border and
the Bangladesh-Burma border.
Natural vegetation zones of South Asia, loosely based on a Grolier map[50]
Most of this region is a subcontinent resting on the Indian Plate (the northerly portion of the Indo-
Australian Plate) separated from the rest of Eurasia. It was once a small continent before colliding
with the Eurasian Plate about 50-55 million years ago and giving birth to the Himalayan range and
the Tibetan plateau. It is the peninsular region south of the Himalayas and Kuen Lunmountain
ranges and east of the Indus River and the Iranian Plateau, extending southward into the Indian
Ocean between the Arabian Sea (to the southwest) and the Bay of Bengal (to the southeast).
The region is home to an astounding variety of geographical features, such

as glaciers,rainforests, valleys, deserts, and grasslands that are typical of much larger continents. It
is surrounded by three water bodies ² the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.
The climate of this vast region varies considerably from area to area from tropical monsoon in the
south to temperate in the north. The variety is influenced by not only the altitude, but also by factors
such as proximity to the sea coast and the seasonal impact of themonsoons.
Southern parts are mostly hot in summers and receive rain during monsoon period(s). The northern
belt of Indo-Gangetic plains also is hot in summer, but cooler in winter. The mountainous north is
colder and receives snowfall at higher altitudes of Himalyan ranges. As the Himalayas block the
north-Asian bitter cold winds, the temperatures are considerably moderate in the plains down below.
For most part, the climate of the region is called theMonsoon climate, which keeps the region humid
during summer and dry during winter, and favors the cultivation of jute, tea, rice, and various
vegetables in this region.
[edit]History
F rther information: Hitory of So th Aia
Map of South Asia illustrating stability and historical permanency of the regional cultural frontiers and areas.
The remote pre-history of South Asia culminates in the Indus Valley Civilization, which is followed by
the legends of ancient Vedic period and the sketchy references to the rise and fall
of Mahajanapadas - the precursors of regional kingdoms and later ancient empires - ending in the
historical accounts of medieval empires and the arrival of European traders who later became the
rulers.
Almost all South Asian countries were under direct or indirect European Colonialsubjugation at some
point. Much of modern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar were gradually occupied by Great
Britain - starting from 1757, reaching their zenith in 1857 and ruling till 1947. Nepal and Bhutan were
to some extent protectorates of Great Britain until after World War II. In the millennia long history of
South Asia, this European occupation period is rather short, but its proximity to the present and its
lasting impact on the region make it prominent.
The network of means of transportation and communication as well as banking and training of
requisite workforce, and also the existing rail, post, telegraph, and education facilities have evolved
out of the base established in the colonial era, often called the British Raj. As an aftermath of World
War II, most of the region gained independence from Europe by the late 1940s.
Tibet at times has governed itself as an independent state and at other times has had various levels
of association with China,[51][52] it came under Chinese control in the 18th century[52][53][54][55] in spite
of British efforts to seize possession of this Chinese protectorate at the beginning of the 20th
century.[56] Tibetan and Chinese views on the Sino-Tibetan relation vary significantly. The Tibetans
saw the Dalai Lama's relation with the Manchu emperor in more of a religious light than what would
be considered political.[54]
Since 1947, most South Asian countries have achieved tremendous progress in all spheres.[citation
needed]
Most notable achievements are in the fields of education; industry; health care; information
technology and other services based on its applications; research in the fields of cutting edge
sciences and technologies; defence related self-reliance projects; international/global trade and
business enterprises and outsourcing of human resources. Areas of difficulty remain, however,
including religious extremism, high levels of corruption, disagreements on political boundaries, and
inequitable distribution of wealth.
[edit]Territory and region data

2009 referenced population figures except where noted.
[edit]

This region covers about 4,480,000 km (1,729,738 mi ) or 10 percent of the Asian continent, and
accounting for about 40 percent of Asia's population.

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[edit]Demographics
[edit]

Dain article: So th Aian ethnic gro p
Map of South Asia in native languages.
South Asia, which consists of the nations of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal,Pakistan,
and Sri Lanka, is ethnically diverse, with more than 2,000 ethnic entities with populations ranging
from hundreds of millions to small tribal groups. South Asia has been invaded and settled by many
ethnic groups over the centuries - including various Dravidian,Indo-Aryan and Iranian groups - and
amalgamation of Dravidian, Indo-Aryan and native societies has produced composite cultures with
many common traditions and beliefs. But, the traditions of different ethnic groups in South Asia have
diverged throughout earlier times, sometimes giving rise to strong local traditions such as the
distinct South Indian culture.
Other ethnic groups, successively streaming in later mainly from Central Asia and Iran,
e.g.Sakas, Kushans, Huns etc. influenced pre-existing South Asian cultures. Among the last of these
new arrivals were the Arabs followed by the Turks, the Pashtuns and the Moghuls. However, Arab
influence remained relatively limited in comparison to that of the Turks, Pashtuns and Moghuls, who
brought in much cultural influence and contributed to the birth of Urdu, a syncretic language of
combined Indo-Persian heritage, which is widely spoken today. Ethnic Englishmen and
other Britons are now practically absent after their two centuries long colonial presence, although
they have left an imprint of western culture in the elite society.
[edit]u
See alo: Lang age of So th Aia
The largest spoken language in this region is now Hindi, its speakers numbering almost 422
million;[63] the second largest spoken language is Bengali, with about 210 million speakers.[64] Urdu is
also a major language spoken in the subcontinent, especially in Pakistan and India, and is similar
linguistically to Hindi; Hindi and Urdu together make up Hindustānī. Hindi is spoken is some states
of India, and is similar linguistically to Urdu. Many people are not aware of the fact that most of the
Indians speak local languages and are not familiar with Hindi. Other languages of this region fall into
a few major linguistic groups: the Dravidian languages and the Indo-Aryan languages, a sub-branch
of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages.
The other great sub-branch of Indo-Iranian, the Iranian languages, also have significant minority
representation in South Asia, with Pashtuand Baluchi being widely spoken along the northwestern
fringes of the region, in modern-day Pakistan. Many Tibeto-Burman ethnic groups, who are speakers
of their language-group, are found in northeast India, Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan. Other small groups,
speaking Austro-Asiatic languages, are also present in South Asia. English is another language
which dominates South Asia, especially as a medium of advanced education and government
administration.
Most of South Asia writes using various abugidas of Brāhmī origin while languages such as Urdu,
Pashto, and Sindhi use derivatives of thePerso-Arabic script. Not all languages in South Asia follow
this strict dichotomy though. For example, Kashmiri is written in both the Perso-Arabic script and in
the Devanagari script. The same can be said for Punjabi, which is written in
both Shahmukhi and Gurmukhī. Dhivehi is written in a script called Tāna that shows characteristics
of both the Arabic alphabet and of an abugida.
[edit]
F rther information: Religion in Bangladeh, Religion in Bh tan, Religion in India, Religion in
èepal, Religion in Pakitan, and Religion in Sri Lanka
In South Asia Hinduism and Islam and in some of its countries Buddhism are the dominant religions.
Other Indian religions and Christianityare practiced by significant number of people.
Historically, fusion of Indo-Aryan Vedic religion with native South Asian non-
Vedic Shramana traditions and other Dravidian and local tribal beliefs gave rise to the ancient
religions of Hinduism and Jainism. As a consequence, these two religions share many similar
cultural practices, festivals and traditions.
Arabs brought the Abrahamic religion of Islam to South Asia, first in the present day Kerala and
the Maldive Islands and later in Sindh,Balochistan and much of Punjab. Subsequently, Muslim
Turks/Pashtuns/Moghuls furthered it not only among the Punjabi and Kashmiri people but also
throughout the Indo-Gangetic plains and farther east, and deep south up to the Deccan.
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See alo: Y-DèA haplogro p in So th Aian pop lation
[edit]Economy
F rther information: Economy of Bangladeh, Economy of India, Economy of èepal, Economy of

Pakitan, and Economy of Sri Lanka
The Skyline in Mumbai. Mumbai is the city with the highest GDP of any city in South orCentral Asia.[78].
South Asia is the poorest region on the earth after Sub-Saharan Africa, and it has the lowest GDP
per capita. Poverty is commonly spread within this region. According to the poverty data of world
bank, there was more than 40% of the population in this region lived on less than $1.25 per day in
2005, compared to 50% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa.[79]
Bhutan has the highest GDP per capita in the region, while Nepal has the lowest. India is the largest
economy in the region; it is the world's 11th largest or 4th largest by purchasing power adjusted
exchange rates. Pakistan has the next largest economy and the 5th highest GDP per capita in the
region,[80] followed by Bangladesh. If Iran is counted, it is the richest economy and the second
largest in region. According to a World Bank report in 2007, South Asia is the least integrated region
in the world; trade between South Asian states is only 2% of the region's combined GDP, compared
to 20% in East Asia.[81]
[edit]Politics
India is the dominant political power in the region.[82] It is contributed by the fact that it is by far the
largest country in the covering around three-fourths the land area of the subcontinent.[83] It also has
the largest population of around three times the combined population of the 6 other countries in the
subcontinent.[84] India is also the most populous democracy in the world[85] and is a nuclear power.
The second largest country in the subcontinent area-wise and population-wise is Pakistan and has
traditionally maintained the balance of power in the region due to its strategic relationships with
nearby Arab states[86] and neighbouring China.[87] Pakistan is the 6th[88] most populous country in the
world and is also a nuclear power. Bangladesh is the third largest populous country in the region and
identified as Next Eleven. Largest contributor of UN peace corps is currently is Bangladesh followed
by Pakistan.
[edit]Health and nutrition

According to the World Bank, 70% of the South Asian population and about 75% of South Asia's
poor live in rural areas and most rely on agriculture for their livelihood.[89] According to the Global
Hunger Index, South Asia has one of the highest child malnutrition rates in the world.[90] In a latest
report published by UNICEF in 2008 on global hunger shows that the actual number of child deaths
was around 2.1 million.[91] As of 2008 India is ranked 66th on the global hunger index.[92] The 2006
report stated that "the low status of women in South Asian countries and their lack of nutritional
knowledge are important determinants of high prevalence of underweight children in the region".
Corruption and the lack of initiative on the part of the government has been one of the major
problems associated with nutrition in India. Illiteracy in villages has been found to be one of the
major issues that need more government attention. The report mentioned that, although there has
been a reduction in malnutrition due to the Green Revolution in South Asia, there is concern that
South Asia has "inadequate feeding and caring practices for young children".[93]
East Asia
For other e, ee Eat Aia (diambig ation).

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(the latter form preferred by the United Nations) is
a subregion ofAsia that can be defined in
either geographical[3] or cultural[4] terms. Geographically and geo-politically, it covers about
12,000,000 km 2 (4,600,000 sq mi), or about 28 percent of the Asiancontinent, about 15 percent
bigger than the area of Europe.
More than 1.5 billion people, about 38% of the population of Asia or 22% of all the people in the
world, live in geographic East Asia. This is about twice the population that Europe has. The region is
one of the world's most populated places, with a population density of 133 inhabitants per square
kilometre (340 /sq mi), being about three times the world average of 45 /km 2 (120 /sq mi),
although Mongolia has the lowest population density of a sovereign state.[5] Using theUN
subregion definitions, it ranks second in population only to Southern Asia.
Historically, many societies in East Asia have been part of the Chinese cultural sphere, and East
Asian vocabulary and scripts are often derived from Classical Chinese and Chinese script.
Sometimes Northeast Asia is used to denote Japan, North Korea, and South Korea.[6]
Major religions include Buddhism (mostly Mahayana), Confucianism or Neo-

Confucianism,Taoism, Chinese folk religion in
China, Shinto in Japan, Shamanism in Korea, Mongolia and other indigenous populations of
northern East Asia[7][8], and more recently Christianity[9] inSouth Korea. The Chinese Calendar is the
root from which many other East Asian calendarsare derived.

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[edit]Uses of the term East Asia

The UN subregion of Eastern Asia and other common definitions[3] of East Asia contain the entirety
of the People's Republic of China[10] (including all SARs and autonomous regions),Republic of
China[11] (commonly known as "Taiwan"), Japan, North Korea, South Korea, andMongolia[3].
Chinese-speaking regions (including the cultures of mainland China, Hong

Kong, Macau andTaiwan), Japan, Korea, and Vietnam are commonly seen as being encompassed
by
:[12][13][14][15]
[edit]

There are mixed debates around the world whether these countries or regions should be considered
in east Asia or not.
Õ Certain parts of Western China: Tibet and Xinjiang (considered either

East Asia or Central Asia or South Asia in the case of Tibet[16]²here
the primary question is cultural, with geography also an issue)
Õ Vietnam (considered either East Asia or Southeast Asia²here the
primary question is geographic due to it being part of the Sinosphere)
Õ Siberia [17](considered either East Asia or North Asia²here the
primary question is political, with culture and geography also at issue)
In business and economics, Eat Aia has been used to refer to a wide geographical area covering
ten countries in ASEAN[citation needed], People's Republic of China, Japan, South Korea, and
the Republic of China (Taiwan)[11] for the purpose of economic and political regionalism and
integration[d bio ± dic ]
. The tendency of this usage, perhaps, started especially since the
publication of World Bank on The East Asian Miracle in 1993 explaining the economic success of
the Asian Tiger and emerging Southeast Asian economies (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and
Thailand).[citation needed]}
In addition, this usage has also been driven[ay who?] by Asia-wide economic interconnectedness
since the co-operation between ASEAN and its three dialogue partners was institutionalized under
the ASEAN Plus Three Process (ASEAN+3 or APT) in 1997. The idea of East Asian
Community arising from ASEAN+3 framework is also gradually shaping the term East Asia to cover
more than greater China, Korea, and Japan. This usage however, is unstable: the East Asian
Summit, for instance, includes India and Australia.
East Asia is considered to be a part of the Far East, which describes the region's geographical
position in relation to Europe rather than its location within Asia. However, in contrast to theUnited
Nations definition, East Asia commonly is used to refer to the eastern part of Asia, as the term
implies. Observers preferring a broader definition of 'East Asia' often use the termNortheast Asia to
refer to the greater China area, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan, withSoutheast Asia covering the
ten ASEAN countries. This usage, which is increasingly widespread in economic and diplomatic
discussion, is at odds with the historical meanings of both 'East Asia' and 'Northeast
Asia'.[18][19][20] The Council on Foreign Relations defines Northeast Asia as Japan and Korea.[6]
[edit]Territory and region data

[edit]î

Dain article: Demographic of Eat Aia
See alo: Ethnic gro p of Eat Aia

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Dain article: Citie of Eat Aia
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[edit]See also
Compare Regions of Asia described byUN: North Asia Central Asia Southwest Asia South Asia East
Asia Southeast Asia

Middle East
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"The Diddle Eat" redirect here. For other meaning, ee Diddle Eat (diambig ation).
See alo: Wetern Aia
The D (from a European perspective)[1] is a region that encompasses

southwesternAsia and Egypt. In some contexts, the term has recently been expanded in usage to
sometimes include Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Caucasus and Central Asia, and North Africa. It's
often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East. The corresponding adjective
isDiddle-Eatern and the derived noun is Diddle-Eaterner.
The history of the Middle East dates back to ancient times, and throughout its history, the Middle
East has been a major centre of world affairs. When discussing ancient history, however, the term
Near East is more commonly used. The Middle East is also the historical origin of major religions
such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Baha'i Faith. The Middle East generally has an arid and hot
climate, with several major rivers providing for irrigation to support agriculture in limited areas. Many
countries located around the Persian Gulf have large quantities of crude oil. In modern times the
Middle East remains a strategically, economically, politically, culturally and religiously sensitive
region. The Middle East expected economic growth rate is at about 4.1% for 2010 and 5.1% in
2011.[2]

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Etymology
The term "Middle East" may have originated in the 1850s in the British India Office.[3] However, it
became more widely known whenAmerican naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan used the term in
1902[4] to 'designate the area between Arabia and India'.[5][6] During this time the British and Russian
Empires were vying for influence in Central Asia, a rivalry which would become known as The Great
Game. Mahan realized not only the strategic importance of the region, but also of its center,
the Persian Gulf.[7][8] He labeled the area surrounding the Persian Gulf as the Middle East, and said
that after the Suez Canal, it was the most important passage for Britain to control in order to keep
the Russians from advancing towards British India.[9] Mahan first used the term in his article "The
Persian Gulf and International Relations," published in September 1902 in the èational Review, a
British journal.
The Middle East, if I may adopt a term which I have not seen, will some day need its Malta, as well
as its Gibraltar; it does not follow that either will be in the Persian Gulf. Naval force has the quality of
mobility which carries with it the privilege of temporary absences; but it needs to find on every scene
of operation established bases of refit, of supply, and in case of disaster, of security. The British
Navy should have the facility to concentrate in force if occasion arise, about Aden, India, and the
Persian Gulf.[10]
Mahan's article was reprinted in The Time and followed in October by a 20 article series entitled
"The Middle Eastern Question," written by Sir Ignatius Valentine Chirol. During this series, Sir
Ignatius expanded the definition of Diddle Eat to include "those regions of Asia which extend to the
borders of India or command the approaches to India."[11] After the series ended in 1903, The
Time removed quotation marks from subsequent uses of the term.[12]
Until World War II, it was customary to refer to areas centered around Turkey and the eastern shore
of the Mediterranean as the "Near East", while the "Far East" centered on China,[13] and the Middle
East then meant the area from Mesopotamia to Burma, namely the area between the Near East and
the Far East.[citation needed] In the late 1930s, the British established the Middle East Command, which
was based in Cairo, for its military forces in the region. After that time, the term "Middle East" gained
broader usage in Europe and the United States, with the Middle East Institute founded
in Washington, D.C. in 1946, among other usage.[14]

Traditional definition of the Middle East G8 definition of the Greater Middle East Central Asia (sometimes associated with
the Greater Middle East)

Many have criticized the term Diddle Eat due to its implicit Eurocentrism.[15][16] In contemporary
English-language academic & media venues, the term is used by both Europeans and non-
Europeans.
The description Diddle has also led to some confusion over changing definitions. Before the First
World War, "Near East" was used in English to refer to the Balkansand the Ottoman Empire, while
"Middle East" referred to Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia, Turkestan, and the Caucasus. In
contrast, "Far East" referred to the countries of East Asia (e.g. China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong,
etc.). Some critics usually advise using an alternative term, such as "Western Asia", which is the
official designation of the UN.
With the disappearance of the Ottoman Empire in 1918, "Near East" largely fell out of common use
in English, while "Middle East" came to be applied to the re-emerging countries of the Islamic world.
However, the usage of "Near East" was retained by a variety of academic disciplines,
including archaeology and ancient history, where it describes an area identical to the term Diddle
Eat, which is not used by these disciplines (see Ancient Near East).
The first official use of the term "Middle East" by the United States government was in the
1957 Eisenhower Doctrine, which pertained to the Suez Crisis. Secretary of State John Foster
Dulles defined the Middle East as "the area lying between and including Libya on the west
and Pakistan on the east, Syria and Iraq on the North and the Arabian peninsula to the south, plus
the Sudan and Ethiopia."[13] In 1958, the State Department explained that the terms "Near East" and
"Middle East" were interchangeable, and defined the region as including
only Egypt, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar.[17]
The Associated Press Stylebook says that Near East formerly referred to the farther west countries
while Middle East referred to the eastern ones, but that now they are synonymous. It instructs:
Use Diddle Eat unless èear Eat is used by a source in a story. Dideat is also acceptable,
but Diddle Eat is preferred.[18]
At the United Nations, the numerous documents and resolutions about the Middle East are in fact
concerned with the Arab±Israeli conflict, in particular the Israeli±Palestinian conflict, and, therefore,
with the four states of the Levant. The term Near East is occasionally heard at the UN when referring
to this region.
¦

There are terms similar to èear Eat and Diddle Eat in other European languages, but since it is a
relative description, the meanings depend on the country and are different from the English terms
generally. In German the term èaher Oten (Near East) is still in common use (nowadays the
term Dittlerer Oten is more and more common in press texts translated from English sources, albeit
having a distinct meaning) and in Russian Ȼɥɢɠɧɢɣ ȼɨɫɬɨɤ or Blizhniy Votok, Bulgarian Ȼɥɢɡɤɢɹ
ɂɡɬɨɤ, Polish Bliki Wchód or Croatian Bliki itok(meaning èear Eat in all the four Slavic
languages) remains as the only appropriate term for the region. However, some languages do have
"Middle East" equivalents, such as the French Moyen-
Orient, Swedish Mellanöstern, Spanish Oriente Medio or Medio Oriente, and theItalian Medio
Oriente.[19]
Perhaps due to the influence of the Western press, the Arabic equivalent of Diddle Eat, ςγϭϷ΍ ϕήθϟ΍
(ah-harq-l-awat), has become standard usage in the mainstream Arabic press, comprehending
the same meaning as the term ³Middle East´ in North American and Western European usage. The
designation, Dahriq, also from the Arabic root for eat, also denotes a variously defined region
around theLevant, the eastern part of the Arabic-speaking world (as opposed to the Daghreb, the
western part).[20] The Persian equivalent for Middle East is ϩ ϥ΍ ̵ϡέ ϭ΍ Υ(Khāvarmiyāneh).
Territories and regions

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History
Dain article: Hitory of the Diddle Eat
See alo: Lit of conflict in the Diddle Eat
The Temple Mount in Jerusalem

The Imam Ali Mosque, an important shrine in Najaf
The Middle East lies at the juncture of Eurasia and Africa and of the Mediterranean Sea and
the Indian Ocean. It is the birthplace and spiritual center of the Christianity, Islam,Judaism, Yezidi,
and in Iran, Mithraism, Zoroastrianism,Manichaeism and the Bahá'í Faith. Throughout its history the
Middle East has been a major center of world affairs; a strategically, economically, politically,
culturally, and religiously sensitive area.
The earliest civilizations, Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, originated in the Fertile
Crescent and Nile Valley regions of theancient Near East, as well as the civilizations of
the Levant,Persia, and Arabian Peninsula. The Near East was first unified under the Achaemenid
Empire followed later by the Macedonian Empire and later Iranian empires, namely
the Parthian and Sassanid Empires. However, it would be the Arab Caliphates of the Middle Ages,
orIslamic Golden Age, that would first unify the entire Middle East as a distinct region and create the
dominant ethnic identity that persists today. The Turkic Seljuk, Ottoman and Safavid empires would
also later dominate the region.
The modern Middle East began after World War I, when the Ottoman Empire, which was allied with
the defeated Central Powers, waspartitioned into a number of separate nations. Other defining
events in this transformation included the establishment of Israel in 1948 and the departure of
European powers, notably Britain and France. They were supplanted in some part by the rising
influence of the United States.
In the 20th century, the region's significant stocks of crude oil gave it new strategic and economic
importance. Mass production of oil began around 1945, with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, and the
United Arab Emirates having large quantities of oil.[25] Estimated oil reserves, especially in Saudi
Arabia and Iran, are some of the highest in the world, and the international oil cartel OPEC is
dominated by Middle Eastern countries.
During the Cold War, the Middle East was a theater of ideological struggle between the two
superpowers: the United States and the Soviet Union, as they competed to influence regional allies.
Of course, besides the political reasons there was also the "ideological conflict" between the two
systems. Moreover, as Louise Fawcett argues, among many important areas of contention, or
perhaps more accurately of anxiety, were, first, the desires of the superpowers to gain strategic
advantage in the region, second, the fact that the region contained some two thirds of the world's oil
reserves in a context where oil was becoming increasingly vital to the economy of the Western world
[...][26]Within this contextual framework, the United States sought to divert the Arab world from Soviet
influence. Throughout the 20th and into the 21st century, the region has experienced both periods of
relative peace and tolerance and periods of conflict and war. Current issues include the
US Occupation of Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Demographics

See alo: Demographic of the Arab Leag e
Various ethnic and religious types in the Middle East, 19th century
The Middle East is home to numerous ethnic groups,

including Arabs, Turks, Persians,Jews, Kurds, Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriacs, Armenians, Azeris, Circa
ssians, Greeks andGeorgians.

Dain article: Religion in the Diddle Eat and Chritianity in the Diddle Eat
The Middle East is very diverse when it comes to religions, many of which originated there.Islam in
its many forms is by far the largest religion in the Middle East, but other faiths, such
as Judaism and Christianity, are also important. There are also important minority religions
like Bahá'í, Yazdânism, Zoroastrianism.
u
The three top languages, in terms of numbers of speakers, are Arabic, Persian and Turkish,
representing Afro-Asiatic, Indo-European, andTurkic language families respectively. Various other
languages are also spoken in the Middle East.
Arabic is the most widely spoken language in the Middle East, being official in all the Arab countries.
It is also spoken in some adjacent areas in neighbouring Middle Eastern non-Arab countries. It is a
member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic languages.
The second-most widely spoken language is Persian. While it is confined to Iran and some border
areas in neghbouring countries, the country is one of the region's largest and most populous. It
belongs to the Indo-Iranian branch of the family of Indo-European languages. It is much influenced
by Arabic (through Islam) and Aramaic (the pre-Arabic lingua franca of the Middle East).
The third-most widely spoken language, Turkish, is confined to Turkey, which is also one of the
region's largest and most populous countries. It is present in areas in neighboring countries. It is a
member or the Turkic languages, which have their origins in Central Asia.
Other languages spoken in the region include Syriac (a form

of Aramaic), Armenian, Azerbaijani, Berber, Circassian, smaller Iranian
languages, Hebrew, Kurdish, smaller Turkic languages, Greek, and several Modern South Arabian
languages.
English is commonly spoken as a second language, especially among the middle and upper classes,
in countries such as Egypt, Jordan,Israel, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab
Emirates and Kuwait.[27][28] It is also a main language in some of the Emirates of the United Arab
Emirates. French is spoken in Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, and Tunisia. Urdu is
widely spoken in many Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia(where 20-25% of the
population is South Asian), the United Arab Emirates(where 50-55% of the population is South
Asian), Israel, and Qatar, which have large numbers of Pakistani and Indian immigrants. The
largest Romanian-speaking community in the Middle East is found in Israel, where as of
1995 Romanian is spoken by 5% of the population.[29][30][31] Russian is also spoken by a large portion
of the Israeli population, due to emigration in the late 1990s.
Economy
Dain article: Economy of the Diddle Eat and Diddle Eat economic integration
Middle Eastern economies range from being very poor (such as Gaza and Yemen) to extremely
wealthy nations (such as Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia). Overall, as of 2007, according to the CIA
World Factbook, all nations in the Middle East are maintaining a positive rate of growth.
According to the World Bank's World Development Indicator database published on July 1, 2009,
the three largest Middle Eastern economies in 2008 were Turkey ($ 794,228,000,000), Saudi Arabia
($ 467,601,000,000) and Iran ($ 385,143,000,000) in terms of Nominal GDP.[32] In regards to
nominal GDP per capita, the highest ranking countries are Qatar ($93,204), the UAE ($55,028),
Kuwait ($45,920) and Cyprus ($32,745).[33] Turkey ($ 1,028,897,000,000), Iran ($ 839,438,000,000)
and Saudi Arabia ($ 589,531,000,000) had the largest economies in terms of GDP-PPP.[21] When it
comes to per capita (PPP)-based income, the highest-ranking countries are Qatar ($86,008), Kuwait
($39,915), the UAE ($38,894), Bahrain ($34,662) and Cyprus ($29,853). The lowest-ranking country
in the Middle East, in terms of per capita income (PPP), is the autonomous Palestinian Authority of
Gaza and the West Bank ($1,100).
The economic structure of Middle Eastern nations are different in the sense that while some nations
are heavily dependent on export of only oil and oil-related products (such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE
and Kuwait), others have a highly diverse economic base (such as Cyprus, Israel, Turkey and
Egypt). Industries of the Middle Eastern region include oil and oil-related products, agriculture,
cotton, cattle, dairy, textiles, leather products, surgical instruments, defence equipment (guns,
ammunition, tanks, submarines, fighter jets, UAVs, and missiles). Banking is also an important
sector of the economies, especially in the case of UAE and Bahrain.
With the exception of Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon and Israel, tourism has been a relatively
undeveloped area of the economy, due in part to the socially conservative nature of the region as
well as political turmoil in certain regions of the Middle East. In recent years, however, countries
such as the UAE, Bahrain, and Jordan have begun attracting greater number of tourists due to
improving tourist facilities and the relaxing of tourism-related restrictive policies.
Unemployment is notably high in the Middle East and North Africa region, particularly among young
people aged 15±29, a demographic representing 30% of the region¶s total population. The total
regional unemployment rate in 2005, according to the International Labor Organization, was
13.2%,[34] and among youth is as high as 25%,[35] up to 37% in Morocco and 73% in Syria.[36]

Asia

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Southeast Asia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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[edit]Territory and region data

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Map of South Asia in native languages.

See alo: Lang age of So th Aia

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F rther information: Economy of Bangladeh, Economy of India, Economy of èepal, Economy of

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