Chapter 33— Southeast Asia

• Barbarian: person w/out manners/civilized customs

1. How has the migration of people into Southeast Asia over the centuries affected the culture of that region?
• Cultures of India, China, Southwest Asia, + West all influenced Southeast Asia—rich variety blended with the
cultures of native Southeast Asians to create a diverse + distinct region
• Indian Influence
o No single group ever united the entire region, but various rich + powerful kingdoms developed
o Through their interactions w/people of Southeast Asia, traders + monks greatly influenced life in the
region
o Over centuries, Indian culture + religion gradually blended w/ culture of South East Asia—absorbed
Hinduism + Buddhism, but rejected caste system
o Rulers built palaces + temples in the Indian architectural style + dedicated them to Hindu gods
o Buddhist influences remain strong—monasteries + temples often center of village life
• Muslim Influence
o Bet. 1200s + 1400s traders from Arabia + India brought Islam—spread quickly along trade routes
o Islam created strong ties among peoples of Malaysia, Indonesia, + southern Philippines
• Chinese Influence
o Little impact on region—not interested in exporting their culture
o Considered foreigners to be barbarians
o 1 exception—China took control of northern part of Vietnam—for over 1000 years language, religious
beliefs, art, gov. + agri. affected
2. How did Europeans change the economy, environment, and political boundaries of Southeast Asia?
• Economy
o Encouraged rich, local landlords to grow rice for export
o Farmers forced to leave land + work on foreign-owned plantations of wealthy Southeast Asians
o Europeans sold factory-made goods to colonieseconomies couldn’t compete + became dependent on
industrialized nations for manufactured goods
o Europeans financed construction of inland roads + railroadsslow sleepy port cities began to grow
rapidly + attracted large #’s of people form China + India… tensions sometimes dev. between new
immigrants + indigenous
• Environment
o To take adv. Of nat. resources, drastically changed physical + human geography—cleared vast areas +
forest + est. plantations to grow cash crops
o Paddies spanned rivers as fart as the eye could see
• Political boundaries
o When Europeans arrive din the region and carved out their colonies, they paid little attention to existing
ethnic boundaries
o Hostile groups often were united into one colony, while others, which had lived together peacefully for
centuries, were separated. When the colonies finally became independent countries after WW2, many of
them inherited deep ethnic conflicts
3. Use the map on p.703.
a) What part of Southeast Asia was colonized by the United States?
• Philippines
b) What country had the most colonies in Southeast Asia?
• Dutch
4. Why does Myanmar struggle with its national identity?
• 100+ lang. spoken
• 68% people are members of Burman ethnic group + speak Burmese
• Sometimes people living in villages only miles apart may belong to completely different ethnic groups
 • Under British control, people combined into single political unit but made little attempt to unify culturally—allowed
great deal of autonomy—when gained ind. In 1948, new country lacked unity
5. Using the map on p.707, what country is located on two different landforms?
• Malaysia
6. How was Thailand able to maintain its independence during European imperialism?
• Maintained indep. By signing treaties w/US + European nations
• Like bamboo that bends in wind: flexible when dealing w/ foreigners
7. What are some of the elements of Thailand’s economic success?
• Ability to bend like winds brought 1 of strongest eco. in Southeast Asia
• Diversified economy from agriculture in 1960s
• Foreign companies operated plants that assemble machinery + electronic equipment
• Manufactured goods now contribute twice + as much to the aco. as agri. products
• Tourism grown significantly
• Capital has become trans. Hub for entire Southeast Asian region
8. How has conflict impacted the countries of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia?
• Vietnam
o France’s attempt to return to power in Indochina marked beg. of long + bloody wars
o 1945—Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam ind. from France—won bitter + fierce war against French
o Peace conference in Switzerland laid foundation for more fighting by dividing Vietnam into communistic
North Vietnam + pro-Western South Vietnam
o U.S. stepped in + war began, hoping to keep South Vietnam free of Communist control
• Laos + Cambodia
• Drawn into fighting when Communists in those countries provided supply line to Communist insurgents in S.
Vietnam
• N. Vietnamese set up bases in Cambodia + struggle between Communists + non-Communists intensified
• U.S. withdrew from war + South Vietnam fell to CommunistsVietnam reunited 1 year later
• Communists gained control of gov.s of Cambodia + Laos, killing huge #’s of non-Communists
• Cambodia—Khmer Rouge murdered bet. 1 + 2 mil. out of 7 mil. people
9. How have the countries of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia attempted to improve their economies in recent years?
• 1986—Vietnam began doi moi to attract foreign investors
• 1990s—economy boomed w/8% growth per year + 2nd largest exporter of rice
• Vietnam joined ASEAN—however, eco. freedom no brought political freedom
• Laos + Cambodia turned away from strict gov.-controlled eco.
• Laos, more stable than Cambodia, joined ASEAN in July 1997
10. Using the chart on p.710, what country has the largest trade surplus, and how might its location contribute to its high
level of exports?
• Indonesia—islands have clear access to water + major ports—has more than 228 mil. people living on islands
spread over 3,200 miles of ocean
11. What keeps the diverse nations of Indonesia and the Philippines united?
• Indonesia—Strong gov., backed by the military, has maintained unity by using force + violating human rights
• The Philippines—many native Filipinos married Spanish peoplehelp spread Spanish culture among various
ethnic groups + united them
• The Philippines—English official lang.; western cultural influences + shared Asian heritage help give national unity
12. Why is Singapore’s location strategic to its economic success, and what economic activities are important in this
economic success?
• Deep, natural, sheltered harbor—location at southern tip of Malay Peninsula places it in the center of an important
trade route bet. Europe + E. Asia
• By keeping wages low, attracted foreign companies eager to produce goods cheaply
• Actively courted high-tech companies + build modern educational system to provide highly skilled workers need to
work in high-tech industries
• 1 of world’s busiest ports—1000s of ships dock each year
13. What do Malaysia and Brunei have in common?
• Strong eco. not based on agri.
• 2 of wealthiest countries in Southeast Asia
• Both have oil as leading exports and use revenues to help dev. manufacturing + improve agri.
14. What makes Papua New Guinea unique?
• part of 2 overlapping regions—Southeast Asia + Oceania—seems to straddle 2 worlds: 1 traditional, the other
modern
• physical geo. has helped traditional cultures survive—80% of 5 mil. people engaged in agri.
• villagers in remote highlands still plant w/traditional tools