Today’s Schedule – 05/14/10

• CNN Student News

• 29.2 Vocab Check

• 29.2 Part PPT: History and Culture of Mainland Southeast Asia

• HW:– 29.3 Vocabulary– Complete Website

Southeast Asia has been inhabited for a long time The earliest ancestors of today’s people arrive at least 1.5 million years

ago.

Modern humans have lived there for at least 40,000 years.

People began farming and domesticating animals in about 3000 BC.

The culture of the region was deeply impacted by influences from China and India.

Hinduism and Sanskrit writing moved in from India.

Over the centuries many people from China moved to this region.

A group called the Khmer, based in Cambodia, established a kingdom

controlling most of the region.

They built a huge temple complex called

Angkor Wat

It reflects their advanced civilization and their Hindu religion.

In the 1200’s Hinduism was replaced by Buddhism.

Most of the region was colonized by European countries.

Myanmar (called Burma) was colonized by Britain.

Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos were colonized by France – this area was called French Indochina.

Thailand was the only country never colonized.

The entire region was

taken over by Japan in

World War II, except for parts of Burma.

After the war, nationalist groups tried to end colonialism.

Gaining independence was not easy. Eventually four countries emerged from this area.

In Vietnam, independence led to a civil war involving the U.S.

After years of fighting the French, the Vietnamese defeated them in 1954. Vietnam was divided into two countries – North and South – communist and pro-western.

Communist groups began to fight to control South Vietnam.

The US entered in 1964 to support the South Vietnamese troops.

More than 2 million Vietnamese were killed in the war,

And 58,000 American soldiers.

US forces left in 1974,

And the North Vietnamese communists took over all of Vietnam. They changed the name of Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City – in honor of their leader.

There are three main language groups in the region:

• In Myanmar – they speak a Sino-Tibetan language similar to Chinese.

• In Thailand and Laos – they speak languages from the Tai language family.

• In Vietnam and Cambodia – they speak languages from the Austro-Asiatic family.

The religion’s dominant religion is Buddhism.

• It shapes the culture and society.

Ethnicities• Vietnamese Highlands

– Many ethnic groups live here– Most have maintained traditional ways of life

• Animism• Cut off from mainstream society

• 14% of Thailand’s population is ethnic Chinese

Food• Fast food restaurants are growing in popularity

• Rice is a staple

• Also– Fish (whole and sauce)– Vegetables and Fruits

• Bananas, citrus, durian

– Spices• Chili peppers, lemon grass, coconut milk, peanuts, limes