Southeast Asia. Regions of Asia

We present to your attention a video tutorial on the topic "Southeast Asia". The video tutorial allows you to get an interesting and detailed information about the countries of Southeast Asia. From the lesson you will learn about the composition of Southeast Asia, the characteristics of the countries of the region, their geographical position, and population. In the lesson, much attention is paid to the newly industrialized countries of Asia.

Topic: Overseas Asia

Lesson: Southeast Asia

1. Southeast Asia: composition

Rice. 1. Southeast Asia on the map

Southeast Asia- cultural and geographical region, covering the continental and island territories between China, India and Australia.

1. Vietnam.

2. Cambodia.

4. Myanmar.

5. Thailand.

6. Brunei.

7. East Timor.

8. Philippines.

9. Malaysia.

10. Indonesia.

2. Southeast Asia: general characteristics

Southeast Asia is perhaps the most interesting, contrasting region, unlike other parts of the planet.

Southeast Asia is washed by the waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans and their parts. Almost all countries have access to the sea.

The climate is monsoon, subequatorial, equatorial. The region is characterized by rainy seasons and typhoons.

The total population of the region is approximately 600 million people. (8% of the world's population). More than 200 peoples live in Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asian countries with the largest populations:

1. Indonesia (240 million people).

2. Philippines (104 million people).

3. Vietnam (90 million people).

The peoples of Southeast Asia are diverse. Mostly you can find Malays, Lao, Thais, Vietnamese, Semangi, Burmese, Filipinos, Indonesians, Javanese, Chinese, 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 find Protestants and Catholics (Philippines, East Timor).

The maximum average population density is 7200 people. per sq. km in Singapore. In the cities of the region, the population density can reach 20,000 people. per sq. km! The largest cities in terms of population in the region are: Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila.

The culture of Southeast Asia is mainly a mixture of Indian and Chinese. And in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, Arab, Spanish and Portuguese cultures are also influenced. 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 every corner of the region.

The administrative-territorial structure and form of government of the countries of Southeast Asia are diverse. Countries with a monarchical form of government include: Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Brunei. Myanmar and Malaysia are federated.

In most countries, the mining industry, various branches of mechanical engineering, agriculture, animal husbandry, textile production, and tourism are widespread.

The countries of the region carry out regional cooperation through Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - political, economic and cultural regional intergovernmental organization of countries located in Southeast Asia.

Rice. 2. ASEAN flag

3. Newly industrialized countries

In terms of GDP, the leader in the region is Indonesia ($ 1200 billion). Singapore ($ 52,000) and Brunei ($ 47,000) are in the lead in per capita GDP.

Newly industrialized countries (NIS):

2. Malaysia.

3. Thailand.

4. Philippines.

5. Indonesia.

4. Characteristics of the newly industrialized countries

Singapore is the only economically developed state in the region.

Rice. 3. Singapore

Geologically, the countries of Southeast Asia are located in one of the most volcanic regions of the planet. But this is compensated by the tropical climate, diverse nature, which captivates with its diversity and quantity. exotic plants and animals.

The subsoil of the territory is poorly explored, but the explored reserves indicate rich deposits of mineral resources. There is very little bit of coal in the region, only in the north of Vietnam there are insignificant reserves of it. Oil and gas are produced in the offshore zones of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The largest metal "Tin Belt" in Asia stretches across the region. The Mesozoic deposits led to the richest reserves of non-ferrous metals: tin (in Indonesia - 1.5 million tons, in Malaysia and Thailand - 1.1 million tons each), tungsten (reserves in Thailand - 23 thousand tons, Malaysia - 20 thousand tons). The region is rich in copper, zinc, lead, molybdenum, nickel, antimony, gold, cobalt, the Philippines is rich in copper and gold. Nonmetallic minerals are represented by potash salt (Thailand, Laos), apatite (Vietnam), precious stones (sapphire, topaz, ruby) in Thailand.

Agro-climatic and soil resources: a warm and humid climate is the main prerequisite for a relatively high efficiency of agriculture; 2 - 3 crops are harvested here throughout the year.

Water resources are actively used for irrigation in all countries. Deficiency of moisture in the dry season requires considerable expenses for the construction of irrigation facilities. The mountain waterways of the Indochina Peninsula (Ayeyarwaddy, Menam, Mekong) and the numerous mountain rivers of the islands are capable of providing electricity needs.

Forest resources are extremely rich. The region is located in the Southern forest belt, forests cover 42% of its territory.

The fish resources of the coastal zone of the seas and inland waters are of considerable importance in every country: fish and other marine products are widely used in the nutrition of the population. On some islands of the Malay Archipelago, pearls and nacreous shells are mined.

Rice. 4. Selling pearls in Manila

Currently, the countries of Southeast Asia are rapidly developing, occupying high positions in the modern world. New industrial countries are developing especially rapidly, where great attention is paid to the education of the population, economic development, competition, and new industries. In terms of HDI, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia rank high in the world. An important feature of the newly industrialized countries is the openness of their economies, the development of high-precision manufacturing, the service sector, tourism, the export of goods and services, the attraction of foreign capital, and large investments in their own economy.

Rice. 5. Capital of Malaysia Kuala Lumpur

Homework

1. What are the features of the geographical location of Southeast Asia?

2. Tell us about the peculiarities of the economy of the countries of Southeast Asia.

Bibliography

The main

1. Geography. A basic level of. 10-11 grades: Textbook for educational institutions / A. P. Kuznetsov, E. V. Kim. - 3rd ed., Stereotype. - M .: Bustard, 2012 .-- 367 p.

2. Economic and social geography of the world: Textbook. for 10 cl. educational institutions / V.P. Maksakovsky. - 13th ed. - M .: Education, JSC "Moscow textbooks", 2005. - 400 p.

3. Atlas with a set of contour maps for grade 10. Economic and social geography of the world. - Omsk: FSUE "Omsk Cartographic Factory", 2012. - 76 p.

Additional

1. Economic and social geography of Russia: Textbook for universities / Ed. prof. A. T. Khrushchev. - M .: Bustard, 2001 .-- 672 p .: ill., Maps .: color. incl.

2. Berzin E.O. Southeast Asia in the 13-16 centuries. - M., 1982.

3. Shpazhnikov S. A. Religion of the countries of South-East Asia. - M., 1980.

Encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference books and statistical compilations

1. Geography: a reference book for high school students and those entering universities. - 2nd ed., Rev. and finished. - M .: AST-PRESS SHKOLA, 2008 .-- 656 p.

Literature for preparing for the State Examination and the Unified State Exam

1. Thematic control in geography. Economic and social geography of the world. Grade 10 / E. M. Ambartsumova. - M .: Intellect-Center, 2009 .-- 80 p.

2. The most complete edition of typical options for real assignments of the Unified State Exam: 2010. Geography / Comp. Yu. A. Solovyova. - M .: Astrel, 2010 .-- 221 p.

3. The optimal bank of tasks for preparing students. Unified State Exam 2012. Geography: Tutorial/ Comp. E. M. Ambartsumova, S. E. Dyukova. - M .: Intellect-Center, 2012 .-- 256 p.

4. The most complete edition of typical versions of real USE assignments: 2010. Geography / Comp. Yu. A. Solovyova. - M .: AST: Astrel, 2010 .-- 223 p.

5. Geography. Diagnostic work in the format of the Unified State Examination 2011. - M .: MCNMO, 2011. - 72 p.

6. USE 2010. Geography. Collection of tasks / Yu. A. Solovyova. - M .: Eksmo, 2009 .-- 272 p.

7. Tests in geography: Grade 10: to the textbook of V. P. Maksakovsky "Economic and social geography of the world. Grade 10 "/ E. V. Baranchikov. - 2nd ed., Stereotype. - M .: Publishing house "Exam", 2009. - 94 p.

8. The most complete edition of typical options for real assignments of the Unified State Exam: 2009. Geography / Comp. Yu. A. Solovyova. - M .: AST: Astrel, 2009 .-- 250 p.

9. Unified State Exam 2009. Geography. Universal materials for training students / FIPI - M .: Intellect-Center, 2009. - 240 p.

10. Geography. Answers on questions. Oral exam, theory and practice / V. P. Bondarev. - M .: Publishing house "Exam", 2003. - 160 p.

11. Unified State Exam 2010. Geography: thematic training tasks / OV Chicherina, Yu. A. Solovyova. - M .: Eksmo, 2009 .-- 144 p.

Materials on the Internet

1. Federal Institute for Pedagogical Measurements.

2. Federal portal Russian Education.

3. Ege. yandex. ru.

4. Сoolreferat. com.

5. Countries of the world.

Asia is the largest part of the world on our planet. The population of Asia is characterized by ethnic diversity, extremely high growth rates and the largest population in the world. Find out more about the inhabitants of the region later in the article.

Geography

Asia is a large part of the Eurasian continent. Among all parts of the world, it covers the largest territory, with an area of 44.5 million square kilometers. It is the largest developing region in the world, covering about 30% of the earth's land mass.

The main territory is located in the northern and eastern hemispheres, some Asian islands are located in the southern hemisphere. Due to its significant size, the region has almost all types of climate - from equatorial in the south to arctic in the north.

From the north, east and south, Asia is washed by the Arctic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The waters of the Atlantic Ocean touch this part of the world through the seas (Black, Aegean, Marmara, Azov) in the southwest. In the west, there is a conditional land border with Europe (along Ural mountains, rivers Manych and Kuma). Numerous islands are located in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Based on physical and geographical features, the region is divided into North, East, South, West, Central, South-East and South-West Asia. According to the UN - to East, Central, West, Southeast and South Asia. However, there are other classifications as well.

The population of Asia is extremely diverse and in record numbers. More than one thousand different peoples and nationalities live within its borders.

Overseas Asia Political Map

In many sources one can find the concept of "Foreign Asia". It arose back in Soviet time and firmly entrenched in Russian geography. Now the term is used to designate which are not included in the CIS. In Asia Abroad, there are four sub-regions: South, East, South-West and South-East Asia.

The political map of the region has changed many times, mainly due to wars and colonial conquests. Long time Jordan, India, Pakistan, Israel, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and other countries were controlled by Great Britain. The territories of Indochina were Indonesia belonged to the Netherlands, the Philippines belonged to the United States, etc. After the end of World War II, the process of decolonization began in this part of the world. In 1984, Brunei became the last country to free itself from its colonialist, Great Britain.

The region currently consists of 39 sovereign states. Most of them are republics (China, Syria, Israel, Pakistan, etc.). In 13 countries there is a monarchical system. Moreover, five of them (Brunei, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates) are absolute, the remaining nine are constitutional monarchies. In Brunei and Saudi Arabia, the ruler of the state is also the head of the church.

Population of Asia: general information

In total, about 7 billion people live on Earth, and 60% of them are residents of the Asian region. The population of Asia is 4.2 billion. In terms of quantity, India and China are in the lead. Their inhabitants alone make up 40% of all humanity. Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Japan have a high number.

Total Asia is 87 people. per sq. km. Of course, in different countries, the numbers can vary significantly. For example, in Mongolia there are only 2 people per square kilometer, and in Singapore - 7 607. Singapore ranks second in terms of population density in the world and first among Asian countries.

In many states, such as Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Myanmar, tens of millions of people live. The population of Asian countries is growing extremely rapidly, in some countries there is even a situation of a population explosion. The highest growth rate is noted in Southwest Asia (Palestine, Oman, Afghanistan, Jordan). The lowest indicators are in East Asia, especially China and Japan (due to an active demographic policy).

Ethnic composition

The population of overseas Asia is extremely diverse. More than a thousand ethnic groups speak five hundred different languages. About 107 nations number several million people. The most numerous peoples are the Chinese, Bengalis, Japanese and Hindustans. They are followed by Telugu, Vieta, Punjabis, Koreans, Javanese.

The most variegated ethnic composition is observed in India. The country is home to more than 500 nations and tribal groups, making it the most multinational not only in Asia but also in the world. Ethnic diversity is also represented in Afghanistan, Iraq, Philippines, Indonesia. Bangladesh and Japan have the most homogeneous composition.

The peoples that make up the population of Asia are not limited to the borders of one state. Bengalis, for example, live in India and Bangladesh. An estimated 40 million ethnic Chinese inhabit Southeast Asia. Kurds do not have their own country, they live in Syria, Turkey, Iraq.

Religion

Three world religions emerged on the territory of Asia: Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. The population of Overseas Asia, which adheres to Islam, is 20%. These are mainly residents of Western and South-Western Asia. In many countries, Islam is the state religion. A large number of Muslims are also found in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia.

In the southern, eastern and southeastern parts of the region, Buddhism and its branches are widespread. There are approximately 550 million adherents of this religion in Asia. There are quite a few adherents of Christianity in this part of the world. It is practiced in Cyprus, the Philippines, Lebanon and Indonesia.

Among others, Confucianism is widespread in China, and Shinto in Japan. Adherents of Hinduism live mainly in India, Nepal, Bangladesh. The main religion of Israel is Judaism.

Conclusion

There are 39 independent states on the territory of Asia. In terms of population and color, Foreign Asia is not inferior to any of the regions of the modern world. The population of Asian countries is striking in its ethnic diversity. Hundreds of peoples live here, each of which has its own culture, language and religion.

Natural resources. The subsoil of the territory is poorly explored, but the explored reserves indicate rich deposits of mineral resources. There was a lot of bituminous coal in the region, only in the north of Vietnam there are insignificant reserves of it. Oil and gas are produced in the offshore zones of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The largest metallogenic "Tin Belt" in Asia stretches across the region. The Mesozoic deposits determined the richest reserves of non-ferrous metals: tin (in Indonesia - 1.5 million tons, Malaysia and Thailand - 1.2 million tons each), tungsten (reserves of Thailand - 25 thousand tons, Malaysia - 20 thousand tons). T). The region is rich in copper, zinc, lead, molybdenum, nickel, antimony, gold, cobalt, the Philippines is rich in copper and gold. Nonmetallic minerals are represented by potash salt (Thailand, Laos), apatite (Vietnam), precious stones (sapphire, topaz, ruby) in Thailand.

Agroclimatic and soil resources. A warm and humid climate is the main prerequisite for a relatively high efficiency of agriculture; 2-3 crops are harvested here throughout the year. On sufficiently fertile red and yellow feralite soils, many crops of the hot zone are grown (rice, coconut palm, rubber tree - hevea, bananas, pineapples, tea, spices). The islands use not only coastal areas, but also slopes smoothed by volcanic activity (terraced agriculture).

Water resources are actively used for irrigation in all countries. Deficiency of moisture in the dry season requires considerable expenses for the construction of irrigation facilities. The watery mountain arteries of the Indochina Peninsula (Ayeyarwady, Menam, Mekong) and the numerous mountain speech of the islands are capable of providing electricity needs.

Forest resources are extremely rich. The region is located in the Southern forest belt, forests cover 42% of its territory. The forests of the region are especially rich in wood, which has very valuable properties (strength, fire resistance, water repellency, attractive color): current, sandalwood, legume trees, native pine species, sundri (mangrove) tree, palms.

Population.

Population. The region is home to 482.5 million people. The maximum number is in Indonesia (193.8 million), the minimum is in Brunei (310 thousand). In terms of the number of inhabitants, the countries are very contrasting.

Demographic features. Southeast Asia has always had high rates of natural population growth - an average of 2.2% per year, and in some cases - up to 40%. The child population (up to 14 years old) is 32%, the elderly - 4.5%. There are more women than men (50.3 and 49.7%

Ethnic composition. More than 150 nationalities live in the largest country in the region, Indonesia. In the small territory of the Philippines in comparison with Indonesia, there are up to a hundred distinctive Malay-Polynesian ethnic groups. In Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, over 2/3 of the inhabitants are represented by Siamese (or Thai), Vietnamese, Khmer, Lao and Burmese. In Malaysia, up to half of the population are Malay peoples who are close in language. The most mixed and multilingual population of Singapore is from neighboring Asian countries (Chinese - 76%, Malays - 15%, Indians - 6%). In all states, the Chinese are the most numerous national minorities, and in Singapore they even represent the majority of the population.

The following language families are represented in the region: Sino-Tibetan (Chinese in Malaysia and Singapore, Burmese, Karen in Thailand); Thai (Siamese, Lao); Austro-Asian (Vietnamese, Khmers in Cambodia); Austronesian (Indonesians, Filipinos, Malays); Papuan peoples (in the eastern part of the Malay archipelago and in the west of New Guinea).

Religious composition. The ethnic composition and historical fate of the peoples of the region determined its religious mosaic. The most widespread are the following confessions: Buddhism - in Vietnam (Mahayana is the most loyal form of Buddhism, coexists with local cults), in other Buddhist countries - Hinayana); Islam is practiced by almost 80% of the population of Indonesia, Malaysia, partly in the Philippines; Christianity (Catholicism) is the main religion of the Philippines (a consequence of Spanish colonization), partly in Indonesia; Hinduism is especially pronounced on about. Balle in Indonesia.

The natives of the countries of Southeast Asia widely profess local cults.

The population is extremely unevenly distributed. The maximum density is on about. Java, home to 65% of the population of all Indonesia. Most of the inhabitants of Indochina live in the valleys of the rivers Ayeyarwada, Mekong, Menem, here the population density reaches 500-600 people / km2, and in some areas - up to 2000. The mountainous outskirts of the peninsular states and most of the small islands are very poorly populated, the average population density is not exceeds 3-5 people / km2. And in the center of Fr. Kalimantan and in the west about. New Guinea has unpopulated areas.

High is specific gravity rural population (almost 60%). In recent decades, due to rural migration and natural growth, the urban population has increased. First of all, large cities are growing rapidly, almost all of them (with the exception of Hanoi and Bangkok) arose in the colonial era.

More than 1/5 of the inhabitants live in cities (Laos - 22, Vietnam - 21, Cambodia - 21, Thailand - 20%, etc.), only in Singapore they make up 100%. In general, this is one of the least urbanized regions in the world.

Millionaire cities tend to be port or seaport centers that have evolved from trading activities. Urban agglomerations of the region: Jakarta (10.2 million people), Manila (9.6 million), Bangkok (7.0 million), Yangon (3.8 million), Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon, 3.5 million), Singapore ( 3 million), Bandung (2.8 million), Surabaya (2.2 million), Hanoi (1.2 million), etc.

Labor resources. There are over 200 million people, of which 53% are employed in agriculture, 16% in industry, others are involved in the service sector.

Southeast Asia is a multinational region with social contrasts. The rapid growth of cities led to an influx of unskilled labor, which resulted in a concentration of people, an increase in crime, drug smuggling, unemployment, etc. At the same time, since the 60s of the XX century. in the countries of the region, new business and shopping districts with modern buildings, skyscrapers built by American and Japanese companies appear.

Agriculture. The agriculture of the region is insufficiently provided with land resources due to the high population density. It is dominated by agriculture over animal husbandry, the costs are high self made per unit of land area and low marketability of farms. Technique and technology are for the most part very primitive.

Plant growing. Subtropical and tropical agriculture forms the basis of the economy of all countries. Southeast Asia is the world's largest region for growing rice, the main crop. It is harvested 2-3 times a year, the total volume is 126.5 million tons (1/4 of world production). In Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, rice fields occupy 4/5 of the cultivated area of the near-valley and delta lands of the Ayeyarwada and Menem rivers.

The main agricultural crops in the region are also:

- coconut tree - gives nuts and coper (the core of the coconut from which the oil is obtained). The region accounts for 70% of their world production, Malaysia - up to 49%;
- Hevea - up to 90% of the world production of natural rubber falls on the countries of the region (Malaysia - 20% of world production, Indonesia, Vietnam);
- sugar cane (especially the Philippines and Thailand);
- tea (Indonesia, Vietnam);
- spices (ubiquitous);
- orchids (Singapore is the world leader in their cultivation);
- cotton, tobacco (in the dry season, the countries located in the north of the region are grown);
- coffee (Laos);
- opium poppy (grown in the area of the "Golden Triangle" - a remote region on the border of the territories of Thailand, Laos).

Notable pineapple producers and exporters are Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Peppers are grown in Indonesia and Malaysia. Also in the countries of the region sago, cassava, cocoa, peanuts, vegetables and fruits, jute, etc. are cultivated.

Livestock raising. It is very poorly developed due to a shortage of pastures, the spread of tropical animal diseases. Livestock is used primarily as a draft force. The total population is 45 million pigs, 42 million cattle, 26 million goats and sheep and almost 15 million buffaloes. Pigs are not raised by Muslim peoples.

Sea and river fishing is widespread. Countries catch up to 13.7 million tons of fish annually. Fish from freshwater reservoirs is fully used in the domestic market, and a significant amount of marine fish is exported. Thailand also exports a variety of tropical fish for aquariums.

The basis of agricultural production in the region is the plantation economy, which employs the majority of the population, and the export of plantation crops provides most of the budgetary revenues.

Transport. In general, the transport of the region is developed unevenly. A few railways connect the main commodity-producing regions with the capitals. Their total length is 25,339 km, while Laos and Brunei have no railways. In recent years, road transport has been developing rapidly. The total fleet includes 5.8 million passenger vehicles and 2.3 million trucks.

The main role in all countries is played by water transport, in the peninsular - by river, island - by sea. The Strait of Malacca is of great importance in the transport complex (its length is 937 km, the smallest width is 15 km, the smallest depth in the fairway is 12 m). Sailboats are also used for transportation between the islands. Singapore (11.4 mln bbl - register, t), Thailand (2.5 mln bbl - register, t), Indonesia (2.3 million bbl - register, t) have their own merchant fleets. The port of Singapore is one of the largest in the world in terms of total cargo turnover (280 million tons) and the third after Rotterdam and Hong Kong in terms of handling sea containers (14 million conventional commodity units). The major ports are Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Danang (Vietnam), Jakarta, Surabaya (Indonesia), Kuantan, Klan, Kota-kina-balu (Malaysia), Bangkok (Thailand), etc. Air transport is making significant progress in the region. There are 165 airports with regular flights. Over the past years, Changi Airport (Singapore) has been the leader in the world in terms of service quality and operational efficiency. Annual throughput it reached 24 million air passengers, and in the near future it may increase to 60 million passengers. The main flights between domestic airports are operated by the national airlines Garuda (Indonesia) and Singapore Airlines (Singapore).

The main railway and highways connect the ports of the countries with their hinterland and serve mainly foreign economic relations.

Foreign economic relations. The agrarian and raw material orientation of the economy connects the countries of the region with the world market. The export of goods for them is the most important source of foreign exchange.

Exports ($ 422.3 billion) are dominated by:

- in Brunei - oil and gas;
- in Vietnam - cotton fabrics, knitwear, rubber, tea, rubber shoes, rice;
- in Indonesia - oil and gas, agricultural products, plywood, textiles, rubber;
- in Cambodia - rubber, wood, rosin, fruits, fish, spices, rice;
- in Laos - electricity, products of the forestry and woodworking industries, coffee, tin concentrate;
- in Malaysia - oil and gas, rubber, tin, palm oil, wood, electronics, textiles;
- in Singapore - equipment, devices, machinery, light industry products, electronics;
- in Thailand - rice, rubber, tin, corn, cassava, sugar, textiles, kenaf, jute, teak, integrated circuits;
- in the Philippines - coconut oil, copper concentrate, copra, bananas, sugar, gold, electronic equipment.

The main imported goods ($ 364.0 billion) are: oil and oil products, machinery, equipment, steel, chemical products, vehicles, medicines, etc. Singapore is the site of large international trade and industrial exhibitions, scientific and technical symposia and conferences (700-750 per year).

Recreation and tourism. The region is rich in recreational resources, which, due to the economic backwardness of some countries, are underutilized. The basis for the development of the tourist area is the unique and picturesque equatorial landscapes, resort areas of the coast, historical and architectural monuments of different eras, exotic modern life and traditions of different peoples.

The region includes the following countries: Brunei, Timor Leste, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.

1. EGP. Southeast Asia is a region covering the continental and island territories between China, India and Australia. Includes the Indochina Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago.

Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand are located on the mainland, and Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines are on the island. Malaysia occupies the southern tip of the Malacca Peninsula and the northern part of Borneo. Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are also called Indo-Chinese states, and the island states are known collectively as Nusantara.

Southeast Asia is bordered by China, India, Bangladesh, Australia and Oceania. This neighborhood is favorable for the region, because Australia is a highly developed country, China and India are at the stage of economic growth, therefore, they will not hold back its development.

There are no military conflicts in this region, which also favorably affects its development.

Southeast Asia has a coastal position; of all countries, only Laos has no outlet to the ocean. There are sea routes connecting this region with East Asia (and further with Russia and North America), South Asia (and further with Africa and Europe), Australia. It also has a positive effect on the development of the region, not leaving it aside from the trade routes and allowing trade with many regions.

Southeast Asia is located close to many resource bases, these are, first of all, oil and gas reserves of Western Asia, coal reserves of China and India, ore reserves various metals Australia. Also in the neighborhood are large industrial countries China and Japan. Such a neighborhood is favorable in the sense that the transportation of goods does not require large transport costs, but on the other hand, the presence of large producers nearby hinders the development of their own products.

2. Natural conditions and resources... The region includes two parts: continental (Indochina peninsula) and insular (numerous islands of the Malay archipelago). SEA seems to be "stitching" the continent 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. The Strait of Malacca is comparable to Gibraltar, the Suez and Panama Canals in terms of its importance for maritime navigation.

The 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.)

The current geographical position of the countries of Southeast Asia is made up of the following factors:

The position between the world economic and political centers - Western Europe, USA, Japan, defining global strategy development and major regional political trends;

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

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

The peninsular part of Southeast Asia is dominated by mountain ranges, which fan out across its territory, separated from each other by river valleys. The mountains are higher in the north and west than in the south and east. Mountains divide the mainland of the region into several isolated parts, overland communications between which are difficult. All islands in the Malay Archipelago are also mountainous. There are many volcanoes here, some of which are active. (More than 80% of all registered tsunamis are formed in the Pacific Ocean, including in Southeast Asia. The explanation is simple - out of 400 volcanoes active on Earth, 330 are located in the Pacific Basin. More than 80% of all earthquakes are observed there.) in the east of Sumatra and along the shores of Kalimantan, there are relatively vast low-lying areas. Due to the abundance of heat and moisture, Southeast Asia as a whole is distinguished by the diversity and richness of 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, which have great destructive power, not to mention the increased seismic danger that lies in wait for the population of most countries. Although most of Southeast Asia is covered with tropical evergreen forests (hence the second largest tropical timber reserves in the world after Brazil), savannas dominate inland Indochina. The river network is dense, the rivers (Mekong, Salween, Ayeyarwaddy, etc.) are full-flowing.

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

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

1) the Indochina peninsula, which forms the southeastern periphery of the mainland and dissects the basins of the Indian and Pacific oceans... There are no latitudinal orographic barriers, so in the north of Indochina one can feel the "breath" of continental air masses. The bulk of the moisture comes from the southwestern equatorial monsoons;

2) Malay archipelago associated with Indonesia and includes the islands Big and Small Sunda, Moluccas and about. Ceram. The region is distinguished by colossal natural specifics. Its near-equatorial and insular position determines the dominance of equatorial and marine tropical air within its boundaries, uniformity of temperatures, constantly high humidity and an abundance of precipitation. Kingdom of tropical rainforests;

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

3. Population and settlement. The region is home to about 600 million people. In terms of the number of inhabitants, the countries are very contrasting. The maximum number is in Indonesia (245.6 million people), the minimum is in Brunei (402 thousand people).

Demographic features. Southeast Asia has always had high rates of natural population growth - an average of 2.2% per year, and in some cases - up to 40%. It currently stands at 2%. The child population (up to 14 years old) is 32%, the elderly - 4.5%, of the working age - 63.5%. There are more women than men (50.3 and 49.7%, respectively).

Racial makeup. The overwhelming majority of the population belongs to the transitional types between the Mongoloid and Australoid races.

In some areas, “pure” Australoid groups not mixed with the Mongoloids have survived: the Vedoids (on the Malacca Peninsula), the inhabitants of Eastern Indonesia close to the Papuans, and the Negro type (in the south of the Malacca Peninsula and the Philippines).

Ethnic composition. More than 150 nationalities live in the largest country in the region, Indonesia. In the small territory of the Philippines in comparison with Indonesia, there are up to a hundred distinctive Malay-Polynesian ethnic groups. In Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, over 2/3 of the inhabitants are Siamese (or Thais), Vietnamese, Khmer, Lao and Burmese. In Malaysia, up to half of the population are Malay peoples who are close in language. The most mixed and multilingual population of Singapore is from neighboring Asian countries (Chinese - 76%, Malays - 15%, Indians - 6%). In all states, the Chinese are the most numerous national minorities, and in Singapore they even represent the majority of the population.

The population is extremely unevenly distributed. The maximum density is on about. Java, home to 65% of the population of all Indonesia. Most of the inhabitants of Indochina live in the valleys of the rivers Irivadi, Mekong, Menem, here the population density reaches 500-600 people / km 2, and in some areas - up to 2000. The mountainous outskirts of the peninsular states and most of the small islands are very poorly populated, the average population density does not exceed 3-5 people / km 2. And in the center of Fr. Kalimantan and in the west about. New Guinea has unpopulated areas.

The share of the rural population is high (almost 60%). In recent decades, due to the migration of rural residents and natural increase, the number of the urban population has increased. First of all, large cities are growing rapidly, almost all of them (with the exception of Hanoi and Bangkok) arose in the colonial era. More than 20% of residents live in cities (Laos - 22, Vietnam - 21, Cambodia - 21, Thailand - 20%, etc.), only in Singapore they make up 100%. In general, Southeast Asia is one of the least urbanized regions in the world.

Labor resources. There are over 200 million people, of which 53% are employed in agriculture, 16% in industry, 31% in the service sector.

4. General characteristics of the farm... Over the past years, the role of the countries of Southeast Asia in the world, especially in the Pacific region, has been steadily increasing. This is due to the favorable geographical and military-strategic position of the countries, rich natural resources, dynamic political and economic development.

In the areas of public economic development the region is heterogeneous. After the Second World War, its countries split into 2 groups: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia were guided by the Soviet command-administrative model of development, and the ASEAN countries (Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei) - the market one. All the countries of Southeast Asia started from the same level, but the ASEAN countries achieved in the second half of the 20th century. tangible economic results, which had a positive impact on the social parameters of the life of their population.

They achieved such results of economic development due to various factors. For example, Brunei is a leading oil exporter, generating over 84% of its profits from oil exports. Singapore is a powerful regional and international center for trade, marketing, services and development of the latest technologies, the most important transport and communication hub in Southeast Asia. Singapore is one of the financial centers of the world, the turnover of the Singapore currency exchange is almost 160 billion dollars annually. According to this indicator, it is second only to London, New York and Tokyo. The volume of annual transactions on the Singapore Stock Exchange is $ 23 billion. By the number of well-known banks (141, including 128 foreign), Singapore ranks third in the world after London and New York.

In terms of the rate of economic development, Southeast Asia belongs to the most dynamic regions. The economic growth rates of the countries in the post-war period were among the highest in the world. At the end of the 90s of the XX century. the highest rates of production growth were in Singapore (14% per year), Thailand (12.6%), Vietnam (10.3%), Malaysia (8.5%). The total GNP of the countries of the region reached $ 2,000 billion (2000). Now the region's share in the global total product is approximately 1.4%.

The countries of the region have a strong export base, almost all of them are well endowed with natural resources, which are one of the important conditions their economic development. That is why they are the largest (and sometimes monopoly) exporters of certain goods. For example, the ASEAN zone provides almost 80% of the world production of natural rubber, 60-70% of tin and copra, over 50% of coconuts, a third of palm oil and rice.

The region is one of the leaders in the world in terms of investment. The most attractive areas for foreign capital are the manufacturing industry and infrastructure. The most active here are Japanese and American companies, which locate enterprises in areas of cheap labor, where they import semi-finished products and carry out the finalization of their products. Significant investments are made in the food and metalworking industries, the production of electronics and toys, chemical fibers, and plywood.

Notable among investors are Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore. The relatively high proportion of these states in the total volume of foreign investments in the countries of Southeast Asia is associated with the activities of the Chinese business community. Indonesia ($ 23.7 billion), Malaysia ($ 4.4 billion), Singapore ($ 3 billion), the Philippines ($ 2.5 billion) are the leaders in the use of investments. The largest investors in the region are Hong Kong ($ 6.9 billion) and Japan ($ 5.2 billion).

In most countries of the region, powerful financial and industrial monopoly groups have emerged, whose activities, as a rule, are associated with the interests of foreign capital. The leading representatives of the sphere of big business and finance are the monopolistic associations Islla and Soriano in the Philippines, Waringin in Indonesia, the Kuokiv family conglomerate in Malaysia, and the Bangkok Bank group in Thailand.

TNCs played a decisive role in the formation of the industrial and export specialization of the countries of the region. The creation of the export potential of NIS was due to the active movement of labor, energy and material-intensive, environmentally hazardous industries in them, as well as the manufacture of mass consumer products using outdated technologies that are no longer used in industrialized countries.

TNCs began their penetration into the economy of Southeast Asia from the areas of light industry, where you can quickly get a return due to the high rate of capital turnover. Therefore, now the textile, clothing, footwear are the most developed areas of the manufacturing industry. The strongest positions in them are held by Japanese and American TNCs. For example, in Malaysia, 15 Japanese textile TNCs control 80% of production.

In the 70s, NIS of the region began to master technologies for the production of electronic and electrical products. Now a developed export-industrial base for the production of consumer electronics components and telecommunications equipment has been created here. Among the countries with market economy, Malaysia is the third manufacturer of semiconductors, Thailand is an important center for the production of integrated circuits. But TNCs of the USA and Japan dominate in these areas, which formed them in the region: IBM, General Electric, X Yulet Packard, Toshiba, Akai, Sony, Sharp. Western European TNCs are also widely represented in Southeast Asia: Robert Bosch, Philips, Ericsson, Olivetti and others. Foreign capital, mainly Japanese, also actively participated in the creation of automobile enterprises.

Another is the development path of the former socialist countries - Vietnam and Laos, over time - and Cambodia, which for a long time were isolated from regional economic processes. Their economic policies were dominated by protectionism, negative attitudes towards foreign investment and management experience. And economic interaction with the countries of the former socialist camp contributed to the formation of an extensive model of state socialism of the 40-60s of the XX century, increasing the gap in socio-economic development with their neighbors.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the countries chose the Chinese version of economic renewal, which provides for radical reforms to preserve the political mechanism. Nevertheless, modern concepts of their socio-economic development also take into account the experience of the newly industrialized countries of Asia, especially South Korea.

Economic reforms in Vietnam and Laos generally yielded positive results. This is especially true in Vietnam, where for a short time managed to reduce the rate of inflation from 1000% at the end of the 80s of the XX century. up to 4% - in 2009. At present, Vietnam is ranked third in the world in the export of rice.

In the countries of Southeast Asia, the cultivation of hevea and the production of natural rubber are well developed. The region is one of the world's leading producers of rice and coconut. The most important area of specialization is the harvesting and export of tropical wood. The presence in Singapore of one of the world's largest ports and a large airport makes it an important transport and intermediary center for the region. Some countries, especially Thailand and Singapore, have a fairly strong position in the tourism business.

5. Branches of industry and agriculture. Industry as a whole in the region provides 32% of the total GNP, ranking second after the service sector.

Mining industry. Most of its products undergo primary processing before export. Tin and tungsten mining is of great export importance: Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia provide 70% of the world tin production, Thailand is the second largest producer of tungsten in the world. In Thailand, mined and processed gems(rubies, sapphires).

Fuel and energy industry. The region is relatively well supplied with electricity, the total production of which reached 228.5 billion kWh. The bulk of electricity is generated at thermal and hydroelectric power plants. In 1994, the largest hydroelectric power station in the region, Hoa Binh (Vietnam), was commissioned. The only geothermal power plant in the region is operating in Indonesia, and the construction of the first nuclear power plant in the region is under discussion. Petrochemistry is developing on the basis of oil refineries in many countries. In Myanmar and Indonesia, they work on their own raw materials, while Filipino, Malay and Singaporean refineries use Indonesian and Middle Eastern oil. Singapore is the third largest oil refining center in the world after Houston and Rotterdam (it handles over 20 million tons of crude oil annually).

Non-ferrous metallurgy. In its development, the main attention is paid to the construction of new and modernization of existing plants, especially in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam. Aluminum plants in Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore process bauxite from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia. On the basis of local raw materials, some of the world's largest tin-smelting plants operate in Malaysia (provides 28% of world exports of this metal), Indonesia (16% of world exports) and Thailand (15%). A copper smelter also operates in the Philippines.

Electronic and electrical industry. It specializes in the assembly of household appliances, the production of boards, microcircuits. Malaysia is one of the world's largest manufacturers of semiconductors, integrated circuits, air conditioners, radio and television equipment. Electrical and electronic enterprises operate in Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore. In Singapore, high-tech areas of high technology are actively developing, including the production of computers and components for them, electronic telecommunications equipment, biotechnology, laser optics, highly sensitive computer disks are being produced, and a plant has been built that manufactures equipment for spacecraft. In terms of computerization and implementation of robots, Singapore ranks second in Asia after Japan (in particular, 84% of Singaporean firms are equipped with modern computer technology).

The electronics industry in ASEAN countries is under the control of American and Japanese companies, which are seeking to reduce production costs by using local cheap labor.

The production of modern weapons has been established in the countries of the region. Singapore builds torpedo ships and high-speed patrol naval boats, assembles transport aircraft under American licenses, and develops the electronic defense industry. The largest company in the Singaporean military-industrial complex is Singapore Technologies. In Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, there are factories for the production of military aircraft and helicopters.

Ship repair and shipbuilding. This area belongs to the international specialization in Singapore, at whose shipyards they build tankers with a tonnage of up to 500 thousand tons. Singapore ranks second after the United States in the world in the production of mobile drilling devices for offshore oil development.

Chemical industry. It developed significantly in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia. Due to the active participation of Japanese corporations, the largest factories in Asia for the production of ethylene, propylene and plastics are operating in Singapore. Everything greater importance in the world market have Indonesia as a producer of acids and components mineral fertilizers Malaysia as a manufacturer of household chemicals and toxic chemicals, varnishes and paints. In the north of Bangkok, there is one of the most powerful complexes in Asia for the production of caustic soda.

Sewing, textile and footwear industries. These are traditional areas for the region, most developed in Malaysia and Thailand, which are 50-80% controlled by Japanese and American TNCs.

Harvesting a tree. Recently, it has increased sharply and now amounts to 142.3 million m 3 annually. Many species of trees have exceptional strength and color; therefore, they are used in interior framing, in the furniture industry, and shipbuilding.

The agriculture of the region is insufficiently provided with land resources due to the high population density. It is dominated by agriculture, high costs of manual work per unit of land area and low marketability of farms. Technique and technology are for the most part very primitive.

Plant growing. Subtropical and tropical agriculture forms the basis of the economy of all countries. Southeast Asia is the world's largest region for growing rice, the main crop. It is harvested 2-3 times a year, the total volume is 126.5 million tons (1/4 of world production). In Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, rice fields occupy 4/5 of the cultivated area of the valley and delta lands of the Irivadi and Menem rivers.

The main agricultural crops in the region are also:

Coconut - Gives nuts and coper (the core of the coconut from which the oil is obtained). The region accounts for 70% of their world production, Malaysia - up to 49%;

Hevea - up to 90% of world production of natural rubber falls on the countries of the region (Malaysia - 20% of world production);

Sugarcane (especially the Philippines and Thailand)

Tea (Indonesia, Vietnam);

Spices (ubiquitous);

Orchids (Singapore is the world leader in their cultivation);

Cotton, tobacco (in the dry season, the countries located in the north of the region are grown);

Coffee (Laos);

Opium poppy (grown in the "Golden Triangle" - an inaccessible region on the border of Thailand, Laos).

Southeast Asia (SEA) is a large historical and cultural region of the world, including the Indochina Peninsula, the islands of the Malay Archipelago, as well as the western part of New Guinea. The total area is about 4.5 million km2 (3% of the land), the population is over 480 million people (more than 8% of the world's population). The ten states located here (see Table 50), which differ greatly in terms of territory and population, socio-economic development, are united by a long-term commonality of historical and ethnocultural processes.

The geographical position of Southeast Asia between the basins of the Pacific and Indian oceans, in the zone of influence of the great world civilizations of India and China throughout its history has played an important, often key role. Several waves of resettlement of people from Eurasia to Austronesia passed through the region, like across a bridge. In the era of the development of navigation in the Indian Ocean and the Great Geographical Discoveries, Southeast Asia became an important link in world trade and navigation. Further development modified the conditioned geographic location function, but it consistently remains a highly significant factor.

Natural conditions and resources. Despite the huge size and territorial fragmentation, the nature of the countries of the region bears features of similarity, due primarily to the position in the hot climatic zone with a predominance of trade wind and monsoon air circulation, a similar geological and geomorphological structure, and the coastal position of all countries except Laos.

Southeast Asia has a variety of minerals, in terms of reserves and production of a number of them, occupying important positions in the world. The region holds the first place in the world in terms of tin reserves, the deposits of which are associated with the Mesozoic folding in the axial part of the Indochina and Malacca peninsulas and on the Indonesian islands of Riau, Banka, Belitung, Sinkep. Antimony ores are found in a complex with tin in Thailand (first place in Asia and second place in the world in terms of reserves). There are deposits of bauxite in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, and polymetals in the countries of Indochina. There are significant reserves of nickel and copper, the main deposits of which are located on the islands of Samar and Leyte (Philippines) and the island of Sulawesi (Indonesia). The Philippines is also rich in chromium, iron, Indonesia - in manganese ores. Tungsten (Myanmar, Thailand), cobalt, molybdenum, mercury (Philippines), titanium (Thailand) are of great importance. There are iron ores in Vietnam. Since antiquity, there have been known deposits of gold in Myanmar, the Philippines, Indonesia, silver in Myanmar, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

The oil and gas belt, confined to internal troughs on land and in the shelf zone, stretches from Upper Burma (Myanmar) and Northern Thailand through the Malacca Peninsula to the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan. The South China Sea is very promising for oil and gas, where, with the help of international companies, all states of its water area are exploring. (The claims of China, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia for sovereignty over small islands and banks have repeatedly resulted in political and armed conflicts).

The total explored oil reserves in the region are estimated at 2 billion tons, gas - over 3 trillion m3; most of them are in Indonesia (on the island of Sumatra there are the largest oil fields in the region - Minas and gas - Arun), Malaysia, Brunei.

There are large deposits in Vietnam and Indonesia coal... Uranium ores are found in Indonesia (Kalimantan Island) and the Philippines (Luzon Island).

General characteristics of the economy. The countries of Southeast Asia differ significantly in terms of the level and type of socio-economic development. Having inherited more or less the same type of economic structures from the colonial period, during the years of independence they developed in different ways and rates, which is due to many factors, among them the determining ones - human and resource potential, historical and cultural features, domestic and foreign policy situation.

Among the poorest, with GDP per capita not only below the world average, but also below the "poverty line", are Vietnam, which has existed since 1975 as a single socialist state, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, which also proclaimed their goal to develop a planned economy and building socialism. The negative impact on the economies of these countries was and continue to be exerted by civil wars, external aggression, political instability. These four countries have a mixed economy with a large public sector, a developing cooperative sector, while maintaining small-scale handicraft production and a patriarchal agricultural structure. Since the late 1980s, political conditions have arisen for overcoming the closed economy of these countries, their integration into the world economy. More than half of the value of GDP and 60 to 90% of employment in them comes from agriculture. The industrial structure is dominated by primary industries, the processing of agricultural raw materials and the production of consumer goods for the local market. The development of the rest of the region's countries, which make up the core of ASEAN, is characterized by the spread of capitalist relations in all spheres of the economy, the transformation of their role in MRI from “clean” suppliers of raw materials into a source of cheap and competent labor, and, unlike most developing countries, there is no outflow of workers hands, and the influx of investments into the region, creating jobs for them. Industrialization has become decisive in the development of the economies of these countries, during which radical changes have occurred in the structure of production and exports. The growth of the national bourgeoisie is observed, which, under the protection of state protectionism, ousted the "huaqiao". At the same time, pre-capitalist structures persist in most countries. The most significant shift in the structure of the economy of these countries was the reduction in the share of agriculture while the share of industry increased, primarily manufacturing. The growth of the service sector is also characteristic, which partly traditionally absorbs surplus labor. Qualitative changes are in the emergence, along with the typical for the Eastern countries the sphere of personal services, peddling trade, etc., a modern, technically equipped industry of financial, credit and banking, information, communication, tourist services. At the same time, the structure of employment is not changing so dramatically. Structural restructuring and practically all export-oriented development take place with the active participation of foreign capital. In the initial period of independent development, the countries of the region retained ties mainly with the former metropolises, the main inflow of capital went to the traditional industries of colonial specialization: mining and agriculture. Subsequently, there was a redistribution of foreign capital flows in the direction of labor-intensive manufacturing industries, and the USA and Japan became the absolute leaders in terms of investment volume and the number of projects. A significant part of the products produced with the participation of foreign capital is consumed in the potentially capacious domestic markets of the region, part of it goes to third countries; the products of the most advanced industries (as a rule, highly specialized ones) through intra-firm trade are returned to the investing countries or to the assembly plants of TNCs in other countries.

In the first decades of independent development in these countries, the economic role of the state was great; the state sector was formed in key sectors (energy, mining, transport). In recent years, liberalization of the private sector, foreign investment, strengthening of financial and market methods of economic management has been observed everywhere. Especially rapidly developing private sector in the manufacturing industry.

The state plays an active role in the development economic policy, the development of flexible investment and tax legislation, taking over the implementation of infrastructure projects, the implementation of regional policy.