Southeast AsiaBy: Willy Rios, Danya Jimenez, Matt Banas

Migration• The early inhabitants of

Southeast Asia most likely migrated there from China and South Asia

• Slowly overtime many people with different ethnic backgrounds moved to the Southeast region from Central Asia and southern China

• People such as Mons, Khmers, and Thais settled along the peninsula’s rich river valley’s and fertile plains

Indian Influence • By the first century many

kingdoms started to prosper in the region through various rich and powerful kingdoms

• Merchants were attracted by the wealth in these regions

• These merchants brought monks from different religious groups such as Hinduism and Buddhism

• The people of the region adopted these religions and began to build temples, palaces, and monasteries as a place of worship

• The culture of this region strongly recommended that young boys enter the monastery and maybe later become monks themselves

Muslim Influence• Sometime between the

1200s and the 1400s traders from Arabia and India brought Islamic religion to the region

• Islam spread from the islands of Indonesia to the southern Philippines

• Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism became the most important religions in the region

• Islam brought people together in the surrounding countries

Chinese Influence• Many Chinese people migrated

to this region but they had little impact

• They believed in not exporting their culture because they thought of themselves superior to the so called barbarian people in the region

• Chinese did not influence any part of the region until they conquered Vietnam in 100 B.C.

• The Chinese influenced their language, religious beliefs, art, government, and agriculture

Mr. Remmell’s Notes: the people seen below are actually Japanese and not Chinese…

Silks, Spices, and Precious Metals• Portuguese, Spanish,

Dutch, British, and French traders arrived in Southeast Asia to create trading post and gain access to these objects

• Three changes in Europe caused these nations’ colonies to expand deeper into Southeast Asia

Reasons for Change• The Europeans liked coffee

and tea which only grew in tropical areas

• The populations was growing rapidly in Europe and more and more people were in need for these products

• The Industrial Revolution caused Europeans to look at the Southeast for raw materials for factory goods, as well as markets for these products

Colonizing• The Europeans had colonized all through

Southeast Asia because of these markets • The Europeans wanted to take advantage of the

great fertile land and decided to clear vast areas of land to start plantations, farms, to grow cash crops such as tea, coffee, tobacco, and latex

• The Europeans farms were so big that no other farmer could compare with their produce that other farmers had no choice but to join their farms and work for the Europeans

Colonizing• The produce that these

European farms made were sold to their colonies

• The Europeans also began to make clothes, tools, and other products more cheaply which also caused artisans to quit their business and work for them

• As a result, the economies of Southeast Asia became dependent on the industrialized nations for manufactured goods

• The Europeans began to build roads and railroads which attracted many people causing cities to grow rapidly

Myanmar• There are 100 languages

spoken in this country and 68% of Myanmar’s people belong to the Burman Ethnic group and speak Burmese

• The British took control of the region in the 1800s and combined the Myanmar people into a single political unit but they didn’t try to unify them culturally

• Myanmar lacked unity when it gained independence in 1968

• Many ethnic groups fought Myanmar’s government for power

Thailand• Even though the

population is divided up with different groups, most of the people speak Thai

• Thailand has a long history of freedom and has a strong national identity.

Map of Thailand

Thailand

Preserving Independence

• Thailand is the only country that was not colonized by the Europeans.

• Maintained independence by signing treaties with the U.S. and European nations.

• When threatened by the Communist’s, Thailand joined alliance with U.S.

• Since then Thailand has had strong political ties with the U.S. Flag of Thailand

Thailand

Progress Brings Change • Strongest economies in

Southeast Asia. • In the beginning Thailand's

economy depended on agriculture, but now Thailand has many industries that help its economy such as cement industries and food products.

• Tourism has become a major source of income.

Bangkok

Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos

• All three countries are different ethnically

• Cambodian people belong to the Khmer ethnic group

• Laos is ethnically diverse

• All three countries were influenced by India

• Most of these people are Buddhist

Vietnam

Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos

• This three region country was known as Indochina

• The French had a great influence on all three countries

• In 1945, Vietnam’s leader declared independence from France

Cambodia

Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos

• After the war for independence, a peace conference was held which caused Vietnam to split into two countries, North and South Korea

• The two countries wanted to reunite but the US stepped in hoping to keep South Vietnam free from communist control

Laos

Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos• Communist later took control of Vietnam once the

US pulled out of the fighting• The communist also took control of Cambodia and

Laos’ governments • They killed any non-communist• All three countries’ economies have grown and

continue to grow rapidly every year

Southeast Asian Countries-Indonesia and Philippines

Indonesia • Population of Indonesia is

more than 228 million people which inhabit the islands.

• Indonesia’s military is backed up by the military which means that they have maintained unity by terms of violating human rights.

• Indonesia income has raised because if the oil resources and as a result the illiteracy dropped dramatically.

(highlighted part is Indonesia)

Southeast Asian Countries-Indonesia and Philippines

Philippines• The Philippines experienced a

time of colonial rule by the Spaniards which lasted for about 300 years.

• Colonial rule ended when the U.S. defeated the Spaniards in 1898.

• About 83% of the Philippines religion is Roman Catholic.

• The U.S. impacted the Philippines by teaching English in the country and introducing democracy.

• Currently recovering from economic slowdown.

Map of the Philippines

Singapore

• Even though it is Southeast Asia’s smallest country, it casts a big shadow because of its economic and political power

• Its location at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula places it in the center of the trade route between Europe and East Asia

Singapore

Singapore

• Singapore became an independent country in 1965

• Its former leaders kept wages low to attract foreign companies

• Singapore is now one of the worlds most important manufacturing and trade centers in the world

Flag of Singapore

Southeast Asian Countries-Malaysia and Brunei

Brunei• Two of the most wealthiest

countries in southeast Asia.• 50% of Brunei’s wealth

comes from large reserves of oil and natural gas.

• Because of these resources, Brunei was modernized and villages now have electricity and water.

• The government of Brunei provides free schooling and medical care for the citizens.

Malaysia• Malaysia has many

economic activities.• The leading exports

are oil, machinery, and other raw materials.

• Malaysia uses its oil to help improve agriculture along with developing manufacture.

Brunei Malaysia

Papua New Guinea

• Papua New Guinea has 700 ethnic groups and is part of Southeast Asia and Oceana

• The people of this country are still engaged in agriculture

• 1 person in every 113 people has a telephone and there are no roads to travel to far away villages

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea

• Electricity only reaches a small percent of people in this nation

• Even with these struggles, this nation still has modern goods such as canned beef, rice, and sugar

• They also have modern machines to mine gold and copper

Flag of Papua New Guinea

Sources• World Geography Text Book• Google Images