The largest country in South East Asia. Countries of Southeast Asia: a list for tourists. Countries of Southeast Asia. India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore

Southeast Asia is a sub-region of Asia with an area of 5 million km2. About 600 million people live in this region. The map of Southeast Asia is different, but basically it includes 11 countries located between China, India and Australia.

Geologically, the countries of Southeast Asia are located in one of the most volcanic regions of the planet. But it makes up for it tropical climate, diverse nature, which captures with its variety and number of exotic plants and animals.

Southeast Asia is an important part of the global trading system. The economies of the countries of the region are heavily dependent on agriculture, with manufacturing and services constantly evolving, displacing the agricultural market. Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia, while Singapore and Brunei are the countries with the richest developed economies. At the same time, tourism is a key factor in the development of the countries of the region.

The population of Southeast Asia is about 600 million people, and more than 1/5 of them live on the island of Java (Indonesia), the most densely populated island in the world. Indonesia is considered the most densely populated country, with a population of 230 million people. About 30 million people in the region are Chinese immigrants living in Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.

The peoples of Southeast Asia are diverse. Basically, you can meet Malays, Lao, Thais, Vietnamese, Semangs, Burmese, Filipinos, Indonesians, Javanese, as well as many other less numerous peoples.

The main religion of Southeast Asia is Islam, with about 240 million followers. Buddhism is practiced in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Singapore and Vietnam. Confucianism is also found in Singapore and Vietnam. And in some territories you can meet Protestants and Catholics.

The culture of Southeast Asia is mainly a mixture of Indian and Chinese. And in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese cultures also have an influence. All these regions had, first of all, an impact on the culture of food. In all countries it is customary to eat with chopsticks, the cult of tea is widespread, which can be found in any corner of the region.

The peculiarities of the culture of this or that country of the region can be traced on the example of painting or music, which differs slightly, but still differs in each ethnic group.

Southeast Asia is one of the most dynamic regions in the world. Here are very different countries. they are united not only by the proximity of their geographical location, but also by an intensive search for ways to further the effective development of society. This is not always possible. Hence the acute problems and conflicts. Indonesia is the regional leader.

Indonesia

General information. The official name is the Republic of Indonesia. The capital is Jakarta (over 10 million people). Area -1900000 km 2 (15th place in the world). Population - more than 230 million people (4th place). The official language is Indonesian. The monetary unit is the Indonesian rupiah.

Geographical position. Indonesia is the most island country in the world. It occupies completely such large islands as Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, most of the island of Kalimantan and half of the island New Guinea. In addition, Indonesia owns thousands of small islands located between the Indian and Pacific oceans. On land, Indonesia directly borders Malaysia and papua new guinea. The geographical position is generally favorable for the development of the economy. Indonesia is on sea routes between the Indian and Pacific oceans, where the powerful states of the world are now located - the USA, China, Japan and India.

History of origin and development. About 2 thousand years ago, the Hindus brought Buddhism to the Indonesian islands. From the 7th to the 13th century n. e. there was an empire under the leadership of the Hindus. At this time, the island of Java gradually became the center of the creation of Indonesian statehood. At the beginning of the XVI century. first the Portuguese and Spaniards appeared in the Malay Archipelago, and then the Dutch. In the latter, they managed to conquer the local Muslim states, from which they created a colony. During World War II, Indonesia was invaded by Japan. After the defeat of Japan in 1945, a republic was proclaimed. In the future, Indonesia experienced more than one crisis. There were massive violations of human rights, abuses of power, corruption flourished, which led to riots in 1998

State structure and form of government. Indonesia is a unitary state, a presidential republic. The head of state and government is the president. Legislative power belongs to the Council of People's Representatives. His term of office is 5 years. The highest body of state power is the People's Consultative Congress. The country is divided into 28 provinces, 2 special regions, 1 special district.

Natural conditions and resources. In the geological sense, Indonesia is a young, seismically active region, where the process of mountain building continues. There are more than 100 volcanoes, devastating earthquakes occur, which are often accompanied by tsunamis. In 1883 Krakatoa volcano exploded here. It was the largest eruption in human history.

More than half of the country is covered by mountains. The highest point in Indonesia, the city of Jaya (5029 m) is located on the island of New Guinea.

The equatorial and subequatorial climate prevails. Throughout the year, the average monthly temperature ranges from +25 ° C to +27 ° C. From 2000 to 4000 mm of precipitation falls annually. There are two monsoons in winter and summer (northwest and southeast).

There are no major rivers. They are short, but full-flowing. Almost 2/3 of the territory is covered with moist equatorial forests. They have many valuable species of trees. Diverse and rich wildlife, represented by elephants, rhinos, tigers, monkeys.

Indonesia has significant reserves of various minerals. There are energy carriers - oil and gas, coal and brown coal. Deposits of ore minerals are being developed - iron and manganese ores, bauxite, copper, tin, uranium, cobalt, thorium, silver and gold. Among non-metallic minerals, sulfur, phosphorites, asbestos, table salt stand out.

population. Indonesia, like many other countries, has a very unevenly distributed population. At medium density more than 120 people per 1 km 2, individual islands are almost uninhabited, and on the island of Java, the population density approaches 1000 people per 1 km 2. There is no other country in the world where the population would be so torn apart from each other on different islands and on large distances. With a high birth rate and low mortality, there is a significant natural increase in the population (16% o). The urban population is a minority (40%). Many millionaire cities. In addition to the capital Jakarta, it is also Surabaya (more than 3 million people), Bandung (about Out of a million people), Medang (more than 2 million people).

Indonesia is an extremely diverse national composition. None of the nationalities has an absolute majority: Javanese - 33%, Sunds - 15 Minangkabau - 12%, etc. In total, there are more than 500 peoples living on their ethnic lands. Sunni Muslims predominate among believers (88%). There are also Christians (8%), Hindus (2%), Buddhists (1%).

Economy. Indonesia is an agro-industrial power. Almost 70% of the economically active population is employed in agriculture. Small farms predominate. The area of large plantations is growing. Agricultural land occupies only 8% of the country's territory. The main crops are rice (the country ranks 3rd in the world in terms of cultivation), coffee (4th), tea (5th). They also grow sugar cane, coconuts, tobacco, and oil palm. The traditional occupations of the peasants are the collection of natural rubber (2nd place in the world), sisal (agave), copra. The main food products are rice, corn, cassava, soybeans, etc. Animal husbandry plays a supporting role. Fishing and harvesting of valuable tree species (sandalwood, teak, etc.) are more common.

The leading industry is mining, primarily the extraction of oil and natural gas, which is carried out by foreign companies, mainly Japanese. This industry provides up to 60% of foreign exchange earnings. Indonesia is the world's largest producer of liquefied natural gas, which is transported to Japan. Among the energy carriers, the extraction of hard and brown coal also stands out. The production of non-ferrous metals, gold and diamonds is growing.

Light and food industries are traditionally developed. The first is now dominated by textile, clothing and footwear. Crafts are very common. Unique are the famous hand-painted batik fabrics, woven mats, ivory carvings, etc.

Over the past decades, modern industries have been developing quite rapidly in Indonesia: aerospace, radio electronics, shipbuilding, automotive, etc. Production in the chemical and petrochemical industries is growing at a faster pace. The industry is rapidly diversifying. New industries are emerging and old ones are being reconstructed and expanded. Indonesia now produces paper, tires, matches, glass, cement, bricks, etc.

The island nature of the country determines the dominance of maritime transport in it. Indonesia has a huge number of seaports and marinas. The fleet has more than 2 thousand ships. In terms of the length of railway lines (7 thousand km), Indonesia is inferior to even small states in terms of area and population. Length highways is more than 300 thousand km. Increasing value air transport in both domestic and international traffic.

Culture and social development. Indonesian cultural and historical heritage is extremely rich and varied. For example, on famous island Bali has more than 20 thousand (!) Temples. Traditional holidays and ceremonies take place here more than 200 days a year. In the largest cities unique museums, for example, in the capital Jakarta, the Museums of Indonesian and Javanese culture. Lots of great art galleries and exhibitions. On the island of Java, world famous temple complexes: Hindu - Pram - banana and Buddhist - Borobudur. In Indonesia, 85% are literate. The average life expectancy is 67 years.

The Republic of Indonesia recognized Ukraine on December 28, 1991 Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on June 11, 1992 by signing a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations. The Embassy of Indonesia has been working in Kyiv since April 1994

Questions and tasks

1. How insular position Indonesia affects the development of the country?

2. Give a description natural conditions and resources of Indonesia.

3. Name and show on the map Largest cities Indonesia.

4. Which sectors of the Indonesian economy use its historical and cultural heritage?

conclusions

Asia is a part of the world, colorful in every sense, where yesterday, today and the future are intricately intertwined. Here stand out the largest number regions (6). Each of them has one or more regional leaders.

The regions of Transcaucasia and Central Asia are represented by the former republics of the Soviet Union, they are trying to solve many hereditary problems and get rid of colonial dependence on Russia.

Southwest Asia has concentrated on its territory the most acute political problems of the world. The confrontation between Israel and the Islamic world, the national liberation struggle of peoples, the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, the conflict between Iran and the United States, Israel are far from complete list local contradictions.

South and East Asia is experiencing rapid economic growth and modernization in all spheres of life. Regional leaders China, Japan and India in terms of GNP are now consecutively the second, third and fourth countries in the world. In Southeast Asia, the most Islamic country on our planet, Indonesia, is changing rapidly.

Test control

1. The countries of Transcaucasia include:

a) Turkmenistan;

b) Georgia;

c) Afghanistan;

e) Armenia;

e) Azerbaijan.

2. Georgia borders on the following countries:

a) Turkey;

b) Russia;

c) Uzbekistan;

d) Moldova;

d) Azerbaijan;

e) Iraq.

3. Which of these statements are correct:

a) most of Georgia lies in the subtropical climate zone;

b) the largest natural wealth of Georgia is recreational resources;

c) the capital of Georgia is the city of Kutaisi?

4. The countries of Central Asia include:

a) Azerbaijan;

b) Pakistan;

c) Turkmenistan;

d) Tajikistan; d) Kyrgyzstan;

e) Uzbekistan.

5. In Uzbekistan, the population is:

a) 45 million people;

b) more than 25 million people;

c) 125 million people.

6. Specify the correct statements:

a) Uzbekistan is a unitary state, a presidential republic;

b) the climate of Uzbekistan is maritime;

c) length railways Uzbekistan 90 thousand km.

7. The countries of Southwest Asia include:

c) Afghanistan;

d) Saudi Arabia;

e) Thailand.

8. monetary unit Iraq are:

9. Which statements are true:

a) the capital of Iran is Tehran;

b) there are many large rivers in Iran;

c) Is pig breeding predominating in Iran's animal husbandry?

10. The countries of South Asia include:

a) Sri Lanka;

b) Myanmar;

d) Cambodia;

d) Maldives;

e) Pakistan.

11. What place does India occupy in terms of population in the world:

a) the first;

b) second;

c) third?

12. India gained independence in:

13. East Asian countries include:

a) Republic of Korea;

b) Philippines;

c) Vietnam;

d) Mongolia;

14. The area of China is:

a) 3300000 km 2;

b) 9600000 km 2;

c) 3800000 km 2.

15. Indicate the correct statement in your opinion:

a) the largest river in China is the Yangtze;

c) China ranks 5th in the world in terms of wheat cultivation.

16. Japan land borders with the following countries:

a) Russia;

b) Korea;

17. The countries of Southeast Asia include:

a) Bangladesh;

c) Myanmar;

d) Philippines; d) Mongolia; D) North Korea.

18. What climate prevails in Indonesia:

a) tropical;

b) subtropical and temperate;

c) equatorial and subequatorial?

Every year the popularity of recreation in the southeastern territories of Asia is growing. Unusual natural landscapes, historical monuments, great amount sacred places- all this contributes to the growth of popularity of southern Asian countries among those who want to relax. What states are included in this category? What are their geographical, economic and other features?

Southeast Asian countries: list

The total area of this region is about 3.8 million square meters. km. Residents of Russia can visit almost every one of these countries without a visa. Full list countries of Southeast Asia includes the following states: Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, East Timor, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei.

A number of Asian countries have united in the Asia-Pacific Economic Community (APEC). More than 40% of the world's population lives in 18 of them. It is here that more than half of the world's GDP is produced. The core of the APEC community is precisely the countries of Southeast Asia. Their characteristics in terms of economic indicators are among the leading in the world. These states account for up to 46% of the total world trade turnover.

When is the best time to visit South Asian countries?

You can travel to this region at least all year round - however, the experience of many tourists shows that, first of all, it is necessary to correctly determine the country. For example, in January it is good to relax in countries such as India and Vietnam. You can have a good rest in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Sri Lanka. In January, there is practically no rainfall.

The list of Southeast Asian countries to visit in February includes India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia. A trip to the Philippine Islands will also be successful. It is good to have a rest in Indonesia and Vietnam in the spring. Summer is known to be rainy throughout the South Asian region. This season is usually recommended for Malaysia, Indonesia, as well as trips to China. autumn the best place for recreation will be the island of Hainan.

The most popular countries among Russian tourists

Studies show that the list of countries in Southeast Asia that are especially popular among Russian tourists, includes India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam. Azure ocean landscapes clean sand, waterfalls and mysterious caves- all this awaits vacationers in this paradise planets.

Sri Lanka - a paradise for vacationers

Sri Lanka is located only 800 km from the equator. Bright colors, variety flora, sandy beaches and reefs - all this amazes the imagination of tourists, who flock here more and more every year. Until 1972, this island was known as Ceylon. Sri Lanka today is a separate island nation in the South Asian region. This island was first inhabited about 100 thousand years ago. Already in those ancient times, more and more representatives of various races and nationalities flocked here. This not only made life in Ceylon more diverse, but also led to various conflicts and wars. Now most of the population of Sri Lanka is represented by Buddhists. State language is Sinhalese, but the vast majority of the population speaks English.

Many tourists choose for themselves not one country, but several at once. The message "Philippines - Singapore" is quite popular. Workers from the Philippines use this air transport every day. Flights depart from the Philippine city of Manila.

Thailand is the favorite country of Russian travelers

Of all the countries of Southeast Asia, Thailand enjoys undoubted popularity from year to year. The state is located simultaneously on two islands - Indochina and Malacca. Thailand is bordered by the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand. On northern territories countries grow vast forests. The south is rich luxurious beaches. The official language of Thailand is Thai, but English, Chinese and Malay are also spoken. The vast majority of the population are Buddhists.

Peoples of the region

The peoples of Southeast Asia belong to the most diverse ethnic groups. They can differ significantly in anthropological characteristics. These are Vietnamese, Burmese, the peoples of Cambodia and Indonesia, the so-called Lao, Khmer ethnic groups, Ache Malays, Bataks, Balinese and many others. It also has a large number of immigrants from India and China. For example, on Philippine Islands there are more than 320 thousand Chinese. Most of them are from southern regions China.

The peoples of Southeast Asia are distinguished by unusual traditions. For example, in many countries there is a belief that you should not touch another person's head or shoulders with your hands. Locals believe that good spirits live there, and touching them can frighten them away. There is an unusual tradition in Vietnam - it is customary to hang mirrors outside the front door. It is believed that if a dragon wants to come into the house, he will be afraid of himself and run away. The Vietnamese are generally very superstitious people. They consider it a bad omen to meet a woman on the street when you leave the house at the beginning of the day. And also the Vietnamese never lay out cutlery on the table for one person, considering this a bad sign.

The material contains data on the sub-region of Asia. Tells about its specifics and growth rates in terms of the main factors of development and development of territories in their modern form and condition. The article gives an idea of what caused such rapid progress in individual countries of Southeast Asia.

Sub-region of Asia

This is a kind of macroregion. It covers the territories of continental and island type, which are located between China, India and Australia.

Rice. 1. Southeast Asia on the map.

From a geological point of view, the region is considered a volcanic part of the planet. However, this is offset by tropical climatic conditions and unique nature, which captures the number of exotic representatives of flora and fauna.

The region stretched for 3.2 thousand km in the direction from north to south and for 5.6 thousand km in the direction from west to east. Almost a hundred nationalities live here, which make up almost 8% of the total population of the Earth.

Especially densely populated is the island of Java, which is recognized as the most populated area on the planet.

List of countries in Southeast Asia

Vietnam;
Cambodia;
Laos;
Myanmar;
Thailand;
Brunei;
East Timor;
Philippines;
Malaysia;
Indonesia;
Singapore.

Currently, countries, like their capitals, are progressing intensively. This is indicated by the high positions they occupy in modern world. New industrial powers are developing extremely rapidly. Here, the main importance is attached to: the level of education of the population, as well as the development of the economy and the creation of new production capacities.

In terms of the human development index, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia occupy a leading position in the world.

Rice. 3. Night Singapore.

The main feature of such countries is the transparency of the economy, the formation of industries based on high technologies, the high level of the service sector, tourism orientation, attractiveness for foreign investors, and significant investments in their own economy.

Southeast Asia (SEA) is a vast region of the world, where 11 sovereign states are located with an area of about 4.5 km2. It is, as it were, sandwiched between two ancient centers of civilization, demographic (and now economic!) giants - China and India. This circumstance somehow affected the processes of settlement, economic development, and the formation of the ethnic, religious and cultural image of the region.

By the way, the expression “between two giants” in the title is in essence a reflection of the toponym “Indochi-tai”. The region under consideration was destined to remain aloof from early civilizations, but later it was gradually drawn into their orbit. Migration routes from China and culture routes from India ran through Indochina.

Of course, Indonesia, the Philippines, and other countries are not Indo-China, but classic Southeast Asia (Figure 6.1). However, even in these countries, the cultural and economic influence of China and India is very tangible.

Geographical location and natural conditions

The region includes two parts: continental(Indochina peninsula) and island-smooth(numerous islands of the Malay Archipelago). Southeast Asia seems to "sew" the mainland of Eurasia and Australia and is the border of the basins of the Pacific and Indian oceans. The most important sea and air communications pass through the countries of the region. Strait of Malacca in terms of importance for maritime navigation, it is comparable to Gibraltar, the Suez and Panama Canals.

key geographical position at the crossroads of the most important sea routes, a variety of natural resources, a fertile climate - all this, like a magnet, attracted Europeans here during the colonial period. (Only Thailand remained formally independent as a buffer zone between British India and French Indochina.)

Current geographic location countries of Southeast Asia are made up of the following factors:

The position between the world economic and political centers — Western Europe, the USA, Japan, which determine the global development strategy and the main regional political trends;

The position between India and China, the world's largest states in terms of population, major economic and influential political powers;

The position between two oceans (Pacific and Indian), which makes it possible to control the strategically important straits connecting them - Malacca and Sunda.

The Strait of Malacca is located between the Peninsula of Malacca and about. Sumatra, his
length 937 km, minimum width about 15 km, fairway depth from 12 to
1514 m. A particularly intensive movement of ships and
ships.

The Sunda Strait is located between the islands of Sumatra and Java in Indonesia, its length is 130 km, the minimum width is 26 km, and the depth in the fairway is 28 m.

Peninsular Southeast Asia is dominated by mountain ranges, which in the form of a fan diverge over its territory, separated from each other by river valleys. The mountains are higher in the north and west than in the south and east. The mountains divide the mainland region of the region into several separate parts, land communications between which are difficult. All the islands of the Malay Archipelago also have a mountainous character. There are many volcanoes here, a number of which are active. (More than 80% of all recorded tsunamis are formed in the Pacific Ocean, including in Southeast Asia. The explanation for this is simple - out of 400 active volcanoes on Earth, 330 are located in the Pacific Ocean. More than 80% of all earthquakes are observed there .)

Only in the east of Sumatra and along the banks of Kalimanta-na are there relatively extensive low-lying spaces. Due to the abundance of heat and moisture, Southeast Asia as a whole is distinguished by the diversity and richness of the flora and fauna, soil fertility.

The climate of this region is hot, subequatorial and equatorial, with a total precipitation of up to 3,000 mm per year. Tropical cyclones are frequent guests here - typhoons, possessing great destructive power, not to mention the increased seismic danger that awaits the population of most countries. Although most of Southeast Asia is covered with humid tropical evergreen forests (hence the second place in the world after Brazil in terms of tropical timber reserves), savannahs dominate in inner Indochina. The river network is dense, rivers (Me-Kong, Salween, Irrawaddy etc.) - full-flowing.

Tsunami(from Japanese hieroglyphs - “go 7”, which means harbor, And "us"— a big wave) called giant waves arising on the surface of the ocean as a result of underwater earthquakes or eruptions of underwater and island volcanoes. In rare cases, a tsunami can also be caused by a fall into the World Ocean and space objects - meteorites, asteroids, etc. And although no historical evidence of such events, fortunately, has been recorded, scientists believe that the likelihood such a case not so small (according to some estimates - up to 1%). According to calculations, the fall of a relatively small asteroid 300-600 m into the ocean will generate a tsunami, far exceeding all hitherto known.

* The most famous and devastating in its consequences was the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano on about. Rakata in the Sunda Strait in 1883. As a result of its explosion, giant waves (up to 30 m high) formed on the sea, which rushed to the shores of Sumatra and Java, washing away everything in their path. Then up to 40 thousand people died and luxurious tropical vegetation disappeared everywhere. These waves circled the entire globe, reached Europe and caused floods in many places. Volcanic ash from Krakatoa was raised to a height of several tens of kilometers and also spread throughout the planet.

The strength (or magnitude) of the earthquake in Southeast Asia that caused the 2004 tsunami was about 9 on the Richter scale, which happens relatively rarely. A powerful break in the earth's crust, the total length of which was about 1300 km, occurred at the junction between three tectonic plates- Indian and Australian ("big shimi") and Burmese microplate. The epicenter of the earthquake was in the open sea, near Indonesia. The earthquake caused a sharp deformation of the ocean floor, as a result of which huge energy was released, equivalent to 200 million tons of trinitrotoluene (which is 4 times more powerful than the hydrogen bomb tested in the USSR).

A wave hump formed above the epicenter of the earthquake, which provoked the most powerful wave crests that reached Africa. The province of Aceh in Indonesia suffered more than others, where the wave reached 15–20 m and went 10–15 km deep into the island. Great destruction was struck by the elements on south coast Bay of Bengal, the east coast of Sri Lanka, a number of islands in Thailand (including the popular tourist island of Phuket), and many small islands in Indian Ocean for a while they just went under the water.

This natural disaster not only resulted in the death of about 300 thousand people, but also destroyed entire nationalities. So, most likely, the nationality is completely destroyed ongy, lived in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and numbered only 100 people before the tsunami.

The significance of Southeast Asia is also determined by the presence here of large stocks of the most important species raw materials And fuel. The region is especially rich in non-ferrous metal ores: tin (in terms of its reserves, the region surpasses all countries of the world), nickel, copper, and molybdenum. Large reserves of iron and manganese ores, chromites. There are significant deposits of oil and natural gas, there is brown coal, uranium. Natural wealth is valuable tree species of tropical and equatorial forests. On the whole, Southeast Asia is a hard-to-replace world source of many strategic resources.

Within the region, representatives of natural geography usually distinguish the following physical and geographical areas:

1) peninsula Indochina, forming the southeastern periphery of the mainland (Southeast Asia) and dissecting the basins of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There are no latitudinal orographic barriers here, therefore, in the north of Indochina,
there is a “breathing” of continental air masses. The main mass of moisture is brought by the southwestern equatorial monsoons;

2) Malay archipelago, associated with Indonesia and including the islands of Greater and Lesser Sunda, Moluccas and about. Ceram. The region is distinguished by its colossal natural specificity. Its equatorial and insular position determines
the dominance within its limits of equatorial and marine tropical air, uniformity of temperatures, constantly high humidity and an abundance of precipitation. Kingdom of tropical rainforests;

3) Philippine Islands, sometimes included in the Malay Archipelago, but physically and geographically representing an independent region. It is located in the belt of subequatorial and partially equatorial climate with abundant rainfall.

Population

The peoples of Southeast Asia are characterized by a combination of Mongoloid and Australoid features (on this basis, they are sometimes referred to as South Asian minor race). The ethnic composition is extremely diverse - about 500 indigenous peoples, many people from China (huaqiao), but few Europeans.

In the most populous country in the region, Indonesia (slightly less than 50% of the population of Southeast Asia), Malay Peoples, in Thailand - Thai etc. For example, 75% of the total population of Thailand is formed by the Thai people (or Siamese) and the Lao people (Thai live mainly in southern half states, Lao - in the northern and northeastern, including plateaus); in Malaysia, Malays and Chinese make up almost equal parts local population, the remaining 10-11% are Indians; the bulk of the population of Singapore are Chinese (up to 80%).

Residents profess Islam, Buddhism, Christianity (Philippines), Hinduism, and most Chinese - Confucianism and Taoism. The highest population density is observed in regions with fertile and irrigated lands, as well as in port centers.

Political history of the region

The region of Southeast Asia (SEA) includes the Indochinese and Malay Peninsulas, as well as the Malay Archipelago, the largest archipelago in the world*. Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar are located on the Indochinese Peninsula. Malacca is occupied by Malaysia and Singapore. Indonesia, Brunei, East Timor and the Philippines are located on the Malay Archipelago (Table 6.1).

In the past, Southeast Asia was called the Back or Far Indies, as well as Indo-China. The last name reflects not so much the natural resemblance of this part of the continent in the west to India, and in the east to China, as transitional ethnocultural state of the region. The earliest was the Indian penetration into Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, the Indian "civilizers" did not colonize the region. They brought here their learned language (Sanskrit), writing and literature, methods of political and social life (elements of the caste system), techniques of their art. Under Indian influence, various states of Southeast Asia were formed.

* The Malay Archipelago accounts for more than a third total area all islands the globe. Some of the islands of the archipelago (for example, Su-matra) are larger than many European states. In total, more than three states such as France can fit within the archipelago. There is reason to believe that in remote geological epochs, the Malay Archipelago was a wide isthmus connecting Asia with Australia. Gradually, it turned into remote groups of islands, which, in the expression E. Reclus, are like piles of a collapsed bridge.

The formation of the political map of the region took place in difficult historical conditions. The first colonizers who invaded Southeast Asia were immigrants from Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands. The first country enslaved by Europeans was Indonesia, which became the Dutch colony "Netherlands Indies" at the beginning of the 17th century. The activities of the colonialists at that time abounded with "unsurpassed pictures of betrayal, bribery, murder and meanness" *. Later, the British, French, and Americans invaded the region.

Formally, the number of colonies did not include Thailand, which retained the status independent state due to the confrontation between Great Britain and France (and with the support of Russia). During the Second World War, all Southeast Asian countries were occupied by Japan.

After the war, the states of the region achieved sovereignty. In 1984, the British protectorate of Brunei gained independence, in 2002 East Timor was proclaimed independent, becoming the 192nd sovereign state in the world.

The political situation in the region is largely determined by the diversity of the national, religious and social composition of the population. characteristic feature Southeast Asia is the presence in it of a multimillion-strong group of people of Chinese nationality (the so-called huaqiao).

The main social support of modern state regimes in the countries of Southeast Asia is the growing national bourgeoisie. Internal and foreign policy states, as a rule, is aimed at creating favorable conditions for accelerated capitalist modernization. The process of political and economic integration is actively taking place in the region. At the same time, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the most mature grouping of this nature among the peripheral countries.

The peculiarity of countries

It is usually said about the countries of Southeast Asia that epochs and styles are mixed here, Europe, America and Asia meet here, luxury and poverty coexist. At the same time, each country in the region has its own unique characteristics. So, modern industrial Thailand ( old name Siam - hence: Siamese twins, Siamese cats, etc.) with its 27 thousand Buddhist temples, with the fantastic buildings of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and countless "houses of spirits" (amazing monuments of "small architecture") is not at all like to the largest country in the region under consideration - Indonesia, where there are no pagodas, since the population professes Islam.

Lagging behind in its development, agrarian Laos bears little resemblance to Singapore - the "economic tiger", an oasis of economic well-being and prosperity, one of the world's largest financial centers; and the predominantly Christian country of the Philippines, striving to develop knowledge-intensive industries, is strikingly different from Laos, a state of Buddhist culture, where agriculture completely determines its economic “face”. The Sultanate of Brunei, which has become "rich" on petrodollars, is somewhat "private".

Historical and geographical circumstances had a significant impact on the current development of the states of the region. So, the geographical position of Singapore was one of the most important factors of its advanced, in comparison with neighboring territories, development. Since ancient times, Singapore has acquired the reputation of a major trade and distribution center in southern Asia, serving the foreign trade relations of India and China, European countries and Indonesia. Initially, Singapore served as a transshipment point, and then, with the expansion of world trade, the creation of a plantation (in particular, rubber) economy and the development of the tin industry in Malaya, Indonesia and other countries of Southeast Asia, Singapore became a major world market for tin and rubber .

For a very long time, the countries of Southeast Asia existed in co-knowledge Soviet people as a kind of stronghold of social backwardness. However, at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. some of them (Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore) have become so-called new industrial countries ("Asian tigers" or "little dragons"). At the same time, 80% of the exports of the mentioned countries are products of the manufacturing industry (offshore drilling platforms, video recorders, air conditioners, electronic components, magnetic disks, toys, etc.).

The rapid rise of these countries is the result of choosing the right long-term economic strategy, the ability to absorb scientific and technological achievements and create their own areas of excellence in the main areas of international exchange. We should also not forget about the cheapness of local labor and the performing discipline and diligence inherent in the population of the East. IN last years the countries of the region are increasing oil production (Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia). The most economically backward are Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

The historical attraction of Thailand (Siam) to the commonwealth with Russia has old roots. Eshe at the end of the 19th century. King Rama IV of Siam visited Russia and skillfully used its influence in Europe to get rid of colonial enslavement by powerful France and England. In recognition of the merits of Russia to his homeland, the king introduced a Russian uniform in his army (the full dress uniform - a white tunic with aiguillettes - is Russian to this day). The music for the royal anthem was written by the Russian composer P.A. Shurovsky.

The basis of agriculture in the countries of Southeast Asia is subtropical agriculture, which is completely dominated by rice(in the Philippines up to 90% of all cultivated land, in Indonesia - more than half). The region has long been famous for growing spices (red and black pepper, ginger, vanilla, cloves). Natural rubber is produced (Malaysia, thanks to plantations hevea), coconut oil, copra and abaca or manila hemp (Philippines), tea, coffee, cinchona bark (Indonesia), etc. The weak level of development of animal husbandry is partly offset by river and sea fisheries.

A significant part of the best land and irrigation systems belongs to large owners (often foreigners). Modern agricultural technology and scientific methods of farming are used only on large plantations. Despite the fact that the agricultural sector employs the bulk of the economically active population, there is a shortage of food in many countries of the region.

A fast growing industry is industry. The development of minerals stands out: tin (almost 60% of global production), tungsten, chromium, nickel, and copper. A prominent place is given to oil production *. Developed is the processing of valuable wood. Other industries are being created.

Russia and countries of Southeast Asia

About the dynamism of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, which includes a huge triangle - from the Russian Far East and Korea in the northeast to Australia in the south and Pakistan in the west, is well known. We are talking about the real socio-economic progress of a whole group of once backward states that have achieved tremendous success thanks to a carefully thought-out economic strategy and internal discipline. Many of them are clothed in a single fabric of economic, humanitarian and other ties.