what is the general location of southeast asia

Southeast Asia is bordered to the north by East Asia, to the west by South Asia and the Bay of Bengal, to the east by Oceania and the Pacific Ocean

, and to the south by Australia and the Indian Ocean.

Full Answer

Where is Southeast Asia generally located?

Southeast Asia, vast region of Asia situated east of the Indian subcontinent and south of China. It consists of two dissimilar portions: a continental projection (commonly called mainland Southeast Asia) and a string of archipelagoes to the south and east of the mainland (insular Southeast Asia).

What is the specific location of South Asia?

South Asia extends south from the main part of the continent to the Indian Ocean. The principal boundaries of South Asia are the Indian Ocean, the Himalayas, and Afghanistan. The Arabian Sea borders Pakistan and India to the west, and the Bay of Bengal borders India and Bangladesh to the east.

Where is the location of Asia?

Asia makes up the eastern portion of the Eurasian supercontinent; Europe occupies the western portion. The border between the two continents is debated. However, most geographers define Asia's western border as an indirect line that follows the Ural Mountains, the Caucasus Mountains, and the Caspian and Black Seas.

What are the countries located in Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia is composed of eleven countries of impressive diversity in religion, culture and history: Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

How would you describe South Asia's geography?

The major physical features of South Asia include mountains, rivers, and deserts. The major mountain ranges are the Himalayas, Hindu Kush, and Karakoram. Other notable mountain ranges, include the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, Vindhyas, Satpuras, Aravalli, and Chota Nagpur in India.

What is an example of location in geography?

A place's absolute location is its exact place on Earth, often given in terms of latitude and longitude. For example, the Empire State Building is located at 40.7 degrees north (latitude), 74 degrees west (longitude). It sits at the intersection of 33rd Street and Fifth Avenue in New York City, New York.

Why is Asia called Asia?

The word Asia originated from the Ancient Greek word Ἀσία, first attributed to Herodotus (about 440 BCE) in reference to Anatolia or to the Persian Empire, in contrast to Greece and Egypt. It originally was just a name for the east bank of the Aegean Sea, an area known to the Hittites as Assuwa.

What's a country in Asia with the longest name?

Sri LankaSri Lanka may have the longest country name in Asia if you go by its original name. The original name of Sri Lanka was Sri Lanka Prajatantrika Samajavadi Janarajaya, but it goes by Sri Lanka today. Sri Lanka is an island land that is in the Indian Ocean and near the Palk Strait, with a population of over 20 million.

What are the 5 regions of Asia?

The Policy Institute divides its work into five subregions – East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia.

How would you describe Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia is a group of diverse tropical countries between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, featuring cultures influenced by both India and China and hosting large communities of Overseas Chinese.

What is the meaning of Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia. noun. a region including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

What is Southeast Asia known for?

Known for its idyllic islands, endless beaches, plenty of resorts, tasty cuisine, world-class restaurants, and diverse cultures, Southeast Asia is one of the best vacation destinations on the planet.

Which term refers to South Asia's unique geographical position in Asia?

Which term refers to South Asia's unique geographical position in Asia? subcontinent.

Where do most people live in South Asia quizlet?

Where do most people of Southeast Asia live? in rural areas. Southeast Asia's most advanced early civilization. Bangkok's network of canals.

What is South Asia known for?

Home to 1.75 billion people, South Asia has the world's tallest mountains, and is the origin of some of the world's oldest civilizations and the wellspring of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sanamahism, Sikhism, and Jainism.

Where is India located in Asia?

AsiaIndia / ContinentIndia is located in the southern part of the Asian continent. It shares its land borders with seven countries on three sides - Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.

Where is Southeast Asia located?

Southeast Asia is one of the 5 Asian regions, lying almost entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, between China to the north and Australia to the southeast. The region covers about 4.5 million km 2 and has a population of over 650 million, making it Asia’s third-most populated geographical region after East Asia and South Asia.

What is Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia lies at the intersection of the Pacific, Indian-Australian, and Eurasian plates, with the land experiencing considerable folding, faulting, and volcanic activities. The mainland and the insular regions are structurally different. The mainland is characterized by mountain ranges separated by river deltas and valleys, while Maritime Southeast Asia is characterized by island chains. The Indonesian Archipelago is the world’s largest archipelago and a volcanically active region on Earth.

What is the highest mountain in Southeast Asia?

Mount Hkakabo is Southeast Asia’s highest mountain, at 5,881 m, with all the region’s five tallest mountains located in Myanmar. The South China Sea is the region’s largest water body, connected to the East China Sea through the Taiwan Strait and the Philippines Sea through the Luzon Strait.

What is the dominant language in Southeast Asia?

Each country in Southeast Asia has a dominant language. For instance, Khmer is the major language spoken by the Cambodians, while Indonesian and Malay are, respectively, the major languages in Indonesia and Malaysia. Thai and Burmese are widely spoken in Thailand and Myanmar respectively.

How many sq km is Myanmar?

Myanmar covers about 676,580 km 2 (15%), while Thailand covers 513,120 sq. km (11%). Southeast Asia is geographically divided into two regions: a continental projection, known as Mainland Southeast Asia or Indochinese Peninsula, and an archipelago group, known as Maritime Southeast Asia or the Malay Archipelago.

What is the largest ethnic group in Southeast Asia?

The first people who settled in the region moved southwards from the Asian interior areas. Southeast Asia’s largest ethnic groups are the Javanese, followed by Vietnamese, and Sundanese.

What continent is Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia. Asia is an extensive continent on the Eurasia landmass, covering approximately 44.6 million km 2, about 9% of the world’s total land area. Because of its vastness, the continent of Asia is divided into 5 regions, mainly for statistical purposes and not political or related reasons. Southeast Asia is one of ...

Which ocean is east of Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia is bordered to the north by East Asia, to the west by South Asia and the Bay of Bengal, to the east by Oceania and the Pacific Ocean , and to the south by Australia and the Indian Ocean.

How many geographic regions are there in Southeast Asia?

In contemporary definition, Southeast Asia consists of two geographic regions:

What are the two subregions of Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia is geographically divided into two subregions, namely Mainland Southeast Asia (or the Indochinese Peninsula) and Maritime Southeast Asia (or the similarly defined Malay Archipelago) ( Javanese: Nusantara ).

How did Islam spread to Southeast Asia?

There are several theories to the Islamization process in Southeast Asia. Another theory is trade. The expansion of trade among West Asia, India and Southeast Asia helped the spread of the religion as Muslim traders from Southern Yemen (Hadramout) brought Islam to the region with their large volume of trade. Many settled in Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. This is evident in the Arab-Indonesian, Arab-Singaporean, and Arab-Malay populations who were at one time very prominent in each of their countries. 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 Islam provided a positive force among the ruling and trading classes. Gujarati Muslims played a pivotal role in establishing Islam in Southeast Asia.

What is the East Indies?

The region, together with part of South Asia, was well known by Europeans as the East Indies or simply the Indies until the 20th century. Chinese sources referred the region as Nanyang (" 南洋 "), which literally means the "Southern Ocean". The mainland section of Southeast Asia was referred to as Indochina by European geographers due to its location between China and the Indian subcontinent and its having cultural influences from both neighboring regions. In the 20th century, however, the term became more restricted to territories of the former French Indochina (Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam). The maritime section of Southeast Asia is also known as the Malay Archipelago, a term derived from the European concept of a Malay race. Another term for Maritime Southeast Asia is Insulindia (Indian Islands), used to describe the region between Indochina and Australasia.

Why is Southeast Asia called Indochina?

The mainland section of Southeast Asia was referred to as Indochina by European geographers due to its location between China and the Indian subcontinent and its having cultural influences from both neighboring regions.

Which country had a flourishing trade relationship with Southeast Asia in the 15th and 16th centuries?

Gujarat, India had a flourishing trade relationship with Southeast Asia in the 15th and 16th centuries. The trade relationship with Gujarat declined after the Portuguese invasion of Southeast Asia in the 17th century.

What is Southeast Asia?from en.wikipedia.org

Southeast Asia lies at the intersection of the Pacific, Indian-Australian, and Eurasian plates, with the land experiencing considerable folding, faulting, and volcanic activities. The mainland and the insular regions are structurally different. The mainland is characterized by mountain ranges separated by river deltas and valleys, while Maritime Southeast Asia is characterized by island chains. The Indonesian Archipelago is the world’s largest archipelago and a volcanically active region on Earth.

What is the Malay Peninsula?from britannica.com

Extending some 700 miles (1,100 km) southward from the mainland into insular Southeast Asia is the Malay Peninsula; this peninsula structurally is part of the mainland, but it also shares many ecological and cultural affinities with the surrounding islands and thus functions as a bridge between the two regions. Britannica Quiz.

What is the name of the island that extends 700 miles from the mainland to the east?from britannica.com

Extending some 700 miles (1,100 km) southward from the mainland into insular Southeast Asia is the Malay Peninsula;

How was Southeast Asia formed?from britannica.com

The physiography of Southeast Asia has been formed to a large extent by the convergence of three of the Earth ’s major crustal units: the Eurasian, Indian-Australian, and Pacific plates. The land has been subjected to a considerable amount of faulting, folding, uplifting, and volcanic activity over geologic time, and much of the region is mountainous. There are marked structural differences between the mainland and insular portions of the region.

What is the largest country in Southeast Asia?from en.wikipedia.org

Indonesia is the largest country in Southeast Asia and is also the largest archipelago in the world by size (according to the CIA World Factbook ). Geologically, the Indonesian Archipelago is one of the most volcanically active 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 (16,503 feet), on the island of New Guinea; it is the only place where ice glaciers can be found in Southeast Asia. The highest mountain in Southeast Asia is Hkakabo Razi at 5,967 metres (19,577 feet) and can be found in northern Burma sharing the same range of its parent peak, Mount Everest .

How many sq km is Myanmar?from worldatlas.com

Myanmar covers about 676,580 km 2 (15%), while Thailand covers 513,120 sq. km (11%). Southeast Asia is geographically divided into two regions: a continental projection, known as Mainland Southeast Asia or Indochinese Peninsula, and an archipelago group, known as Maritime Southeast Asia or the Malay Archipelago.

What are the main styles of music in Southeast Asia?from en.wikipedia.org

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.

How many countries are there in Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia consists of eleven countries that reach from eastern India to China, and is generally divided into “mainland” and “island” zones. The mainland (Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam) is actually an extension of the Asian continent. Muslims can be found in all mainland countries, but the most significant populations are in ...

What are the similarities between Southeast Asia and Asia?

Virtually all of Southeast Asia lies between the tropics, and so there are similarities in climate as well as plant and animal life throughout the region. Temperatures are generally warm, although it is cooler in highland areas. Many sea and jungle products are unique to the region, and were therefore much desired by international traders in early times. For example, several small islands in eastern Indonesia were once the world’s only source of cloves, nutmeg, and mace. The entire region is affected by the monsoon winds, which blow regularly from the northwest and then reverse to blow from the southeast. These wind systems bring fairly predictable rainy seasons, and before steamships were invented, these wind systems also enabled traders from outside the region to arrive and leave at regular intervals. Because of this reliable wind pattern, Southeast Asia became a meeting place for trade between India and China, the two great markets of early Asia.

What are the physical features of mainland and island Southeast Asia?

There are some differences in the physical environment of mainland and island Southeast Asia. The first feature of mainland geography is the long rivers that begin in the highlands separating Southeast Asia from China and northwest India. A second feature is the extensive lowland plains separated by forested hills and mountain ranges.

How did the physical environment affect the political structures that developed in Southeast Asia?

Differences in the physical environment affected the political structures that developed in Southeast Asia. When people were nomadic or semi-nomadic, it was difficult to construct a permanent governing system with stable bureaucracies and a reliable tax base. This type of state only developed in areas where there was a settled population, like the large rice-growing plains of the mainland and Java. However, even the most powerful of these states found it difficult to extend their authority into remote highlands and islands.

What are the features of Southeast Asia?

A second feature of maritime Southeast Asia is the seas themselves . Apart from a few deep underwater trenches, the oceans are shallow, which means they are rather warm and not very saline. This is an ideal environment for fish, coral, seaweeds, and other products. Though the seas in some areas are rough, the region as a whole, except for the Philippines, is generally free of hurricanes and typhoons. However, there are many active volcanoes and the island world is very vulnerable to earthquake activity.

How did cultural changes affect Southeast Asia?

Cultural changes began to affect Southeast Asia around two thousand years ago with influences coming from two directions. Chinese expansion south of the Yangtze River eventually led to the colonization of Vietnam.

Why are women in Southeast Asia more equal to men?

Due to a number of factors—low populations, the late arrival of the world religions , a lack of urbanization, descent through both male and female lines —women in Southeast Asia are generally seen as more equal to men that in neighboring areas like China and India.

When was Southeast Asia first inhabited?

Knowledge of the early prehistory of Southeast Asia has undergone exceptionally rapid change as a result of archaeological discoveries made since the 1960s, although the interpretation of these findings has remained the subject of extensive debate. Nevertheless, it seems clear that the region has been inhabited from the earliest times. Hominid fossil remains date from approximately 1,500,000 years ago and those of Homo sapiens from approximately 40,000 years ago. Furthermore, until about 7000 bce the seas were some 150 feet (50 metres) lower than they are now, and the area west of Makassar Strait consisted of a web of watered plains that sometimes is called Sundaland. These land connections perhaps account for the coherence of early human development observed in the Hoabinhian culture, which lasted from about 13,000 to 5000 or 4000 bce. The stone tools used by hunting and gathering societies across Southeast Asia during this period show a remarkable degree of similarity in design and development. When the sea level rose to approximately its present level about 6000 bce, conditions were created for a more variegated environment and, therefore, for more extensive differentiation in human development. While migration from outside the region may have taken place, it did not do so in a massive or clearly punctuated fashion; local evolutionary processes and the circulation of peoples were far more powerful forces in shaping the region’s cultural landscape.

Which ancient Southeast Asian state is regarded as the most impressive?

Whatever the achievements of Srivijaya, the Khmer (Cambodian) state that flourished in the Tonle Sap region roughly between the 9th and mid-13th centuries is widely regarded as the most impressive of the concentrically arranged ancient Southeast Asian states. This admiration largely stems from the state’s extensive architectural remains, including the renowned Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat temple complexes. In many respects, however, the Angkorian imperial achievement was singular. Though informed by the mandala paradigm, the Khmer carried it further and shaped it more distinctively than other Southeast Asians before or since.

How many people did Angkor have?

At its zenith, Angkor may have supported a population of one million in a relatively small area, with an elite apparatus and a population of bondsmen far greater than any of Cambodia’s neighbours. In achieving this, however, the Khmer state surrendered the flexibility and balance critical to the mandala pattern and eventually fell victim to its own brittleness. Other concentric states in early Southeast Asia rose and fell; the Khmer proved unable to revive theirs once it had fallen.

What were the influences of Southeast Asia?

Between approximately 150 bce and 150 ce, most of Southeast Asia was first influenced by the more mature cultures of its neighbours to the north and west. Thus began a process that lasted for the better part of a millennium and fundamentally changed Southeast Asia.

Why did Europeans want to colonize Southeast Asia?

Europeans presented a rather different prospect for Southeast Asia, however, above all because they sought riches and absolute control over the sources of this wealth . The Europeans were few in number and often poorly equipped and generally could not claim great technological superiority over Southeast Asians, but they were also determined, often well-organized and highly disciplined fighters, and utterly ruthless and unprincipled. Except for the Spanish in the Philippines, they were not interested in colonization but rather in the control of trade at the lowest financial cost. These characteristics made Europeans a formidable—though by no means dominant—new force in Southeast Asia. Except in a few locales and special circumstances, for the better part of 250 years Europeans could accomplish little politically or militarily without strong Southeast Asian allies. Individual adventurers often were useful to a particular Southeast Asian ruler or aspirant to the throne, but they were carefully watched and, when necessary, dispatched. Constantine Phaulkon, the Greek advisor to the Siamese court who was executed in 1688 on charges of treason, was only the most dramatic example.

Why did Southeast Asia not develop uniformly?

Technological developments and population expansion. Perhaps because of a particular combination of geophysical and climatic factors, early Southeast Asia did not develop uniformly in the direction of increasingly complex societies.

When did Taiwan start?

It began as early as 4000 bce, when Taiwan was populated from the Asian mainland, and subsequently it continued southward through the northern Philippines (3rd millennium bce ), central Indonesia (2nd millennium bce ), and western and eastern Indonesia (2nd and 1st millennia bce ).

How many people were in Southeast Asia by the 20th century?

By the late 20th century, Southeast Asia’s population (including Indonesia and the Philippines) was approaching a half billion , or about one-twelfth of the world’s total. This population, however, was unevenly distributed within the region.

What is the dominant form of agriculture in Southeast Asia?

By contrast, wet-rice cultivation, the dominant form of agriculture in Southeast Asia, is sedentary and results in relatively large rural agglomerations with well-developed village life and customs.

What ethnic group is in Insular Southeast Asia?

Insular Southeast Asia contains a mixture of descendants of Proto-Malay (Nesiot) and Pareoean peoples who were influenced by Malayo-Polynesian and other groups.

What ethnic group is Indonesia?

Indonesia is clearly dominated by the Javanese and Sundanese ethnic 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.

Which ethnic group is Indonesia dominated by?

Indonesia is clearly dominated by the Javanese and Sundanese ethnic 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. Load Next Page.

Which country has the largest population?

By far the nation with the largest population was Indonesia, with about two-fifths of the regional total; in contrast, Brunei’s population was only a tiny fraction of that. Nearly half of the regional population was accounted for by the mainland states, with Vietnam and Thailand being the most populous.

Is Singapore urban or rural?

Singapore is unique in that it is essentially totally urban. In addition, the Philippines has a much higher than average level of urbanization, in part because of its Spanish and American colonial history. The largest cities—Jakarta (Indonesia), Bangkok, and Manila—are among the world’s most populous. The growth of cities of all sizes is being fueled primarily by natural increase, but rural-urban migration also is a significant contributor. Rural dwellers continue to be attracted by the promise of employment and other opportunities, but for many migrants the informal (undocumented) economic sector in these large cities is the only hope for some form of employment.

What to pack for Southeast Asia?

What to pack: Your suitcase to Southeast Asia should contain pretty much the same types of clothing, no matter in which season you plan to visit. Lightweight clothing made from cotton or moisture-wicking synthetics works perfectly. As do sandals and waterproof trekking shoes, should you plan to venture up high.

When does monsoon season start in Thailand?

The same weather system that delivers rain during India's monsoon season also affects Southeast Asian weather. The southwest monsoon typically begins early June and finishes in late September, a pattern that especially affects Thailand between May and October. It's then when rainfall amounts can reach up to 252 millimeters a month .

How hot is Singapore?

The temperatures stay pretty much the same throughout the year, averaging around 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius), but scorching afternoons can shoot up over 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius). Luckily, showers tend to pop up at random times during the day to cool things down. So, grab a jacket before you head out to the country's famous botanical gardens because, while the seasons barely differ here, you may encounter a passing shower should you visit between November and January.

Is Southeast Asia warm?

Although Mother Nature doesn' t always follow the rules, the weather in Southeast Asia is somewhat predictable. Most countries experience two distinct seasons: wet and dry. Unless you're up in elevation, this region of the world sits close enough to the equator to stay warm throughout the year. And, tropical or not, nights often feel cool, anyway, after an afternoon of sightseeing in scorching temperatures.

Is it cool to travel to Southeast Asia?

And, tropical or not, nights often feel cool, anyway, after an afternoon of sightseeing in scor ching temperatures. Sunny and warm are the ideal conditions for any trip to Southeast Asia, but famous attractions and popular destinations are the most crowded during the dry and sunny months. Traveling during the rainy season is a mixed blessing.

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