Southeast Asia. Regions of asia

Presenting your attention a video tutorial on the topic "Southeast Asia." The video tutorial provides 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 location, and population. In the lesson, much attention is paid to the newly industrialized countries of Asia.

Theme: Overseas Asia

Lesson: Southeast Asia

1. Southeast Asia: composition

Fig. 1. Southeast Asia on the map

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

1. Vietnam.

2. Cambodia.

4. Myanmar.

5. Thailand.

6. Brunei.

7. East Timor.

8. The Philippines.

9. Malaysia.

10. Indonesia.

2. Southeast Asia: general description

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, typhoons.

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

The countries of Southeast Asia with the largest population:

1. Indonesia (240 million people).

2. Philippines (104 million people).

3. Vietnam (90 million people).

The peoples of Southeast Asia are diverse. You can mainly find Malays, Lao, Thais, Vietnamese, Semanga, 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 meet 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 the region by population are: Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila.

The culture of Southeast Asia is basically a mixture of Indian and Chinese. And in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, Arab, Spanish, and Portuguese cultures also influence. All these regions had, first of all, an impact on food culture. In all countries, it is customary to eat with the help of chopsticks, a cult of tea is common, which can be found anywhere in 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 have a federal structure.

In most countries, the mining industry, various branches of mechanical engineering, agriculture, livestock, tissue production, and tourism are widespread.

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

Fig. 2. ASEAN flag

3. New industrial countries

In terms of GDP, the leader in the region is Indonesia ($ 1,200 billion). Singapore ($ 52,000) and Brunei ($ 47,000) are leaders in terms of GDP per capita.

Newly Industrialized Countries (NIS):

2. Malaysia.

3. Thailand.

4. The Philippines.

5. Indonesia.

4. Characteristics of the newly industrialized countries

The only economically developed state in the region is Singapore.

Fig. 3. Singapore

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

The bowels of the territory are poorly studied, but proven reserves indicate rich deposits of mineral resources. There is very little coal in the region; only in the north of Vietnam are its insignificant reserves. Offshore Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei produce oil and gas. Through the region stretches the world's largest metal "Tin belt" of Asia. 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 of Thailand - 23 thousand tons, Malaysia - 20 thousand tons). The region is rich in copper, zinc, lead, molybdenum, nickel, antimony, gold, cobalt, the Philippines - in copper and gold. Non-metallic minerals are represented by potassium salt (Thailand, Laos), apatites (Vietnam), precious stones (sapphire, topaz, ruby) in Thailand.

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

Water resources are actively used for irrigation in all countries. Moisture deficit in the dry season requires considerable costs for the construction of irrigation facilities. The water mountain arteries of the Indochina Peninsula (Irrawaddy, Menam, Mekong) and the numerous mountain rivers of the islands are able to provide electricity needs.

Extremely rich forest resources. 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 each country: fish and other marine products are widely used in the nutrition of the population. On some islands of the Malay archipelago, pearls and mother-of-pearl shells are mined.

Fig. 4. Selling pearls in Manila

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

Fig. 5. The capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

Homework

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

2. Tell us about the features of the economy of Southeast Asia.

Bibliography

Main

1. Geography. A basic level of. 10-11 cells: 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 .: Drofa, 2001 .-- 672 p.: Ill., Maps: col. incl.

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

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

Encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference books and statistical collections

1. Geography: a guide for high school students and university students. - 2nd ed., Rev. and dorab. - M .: AST-PRESS SCHOOL, 2008 .-- 656 p.

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

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 publication of typical options for real tasks of the exam: 2010. Geography / Comp. Yu. A. Soloviev. - M .: Astrel, 2010 .-- 221 p.

3. The optimal task bank for preparing students. Unified state exam 2012. Geography: Textbook / Comp. E. M. Ambartsumova, S. E. Dyukova. - M.: Intellect Center, 2012 .-- 256 p.

4. The most complete publication of typical options for real tasks of the exam: 2010. Geography / Comp. Yu. A. Soloviev. - M .: AST: Astrel, 2010 .-- 223 p.

5. Geography. Diagnostic work in the format of the exam, 2011. - M.: MCCNMO, 2011. - 72 p.

6. Examination 2010. Geography. Collection of tasks / Yu. A. Soloviev. - 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 "Examination", 2009. - 94 p.

8. The most complete publication of typical options for real tasks of the exam: 2009. Geography / Comp. Yu. A. Soloviev. - M .: AST: Astrel, 2009 .-- 250 p.

9. Unified state exam 2009. Geography. Universal materials for the preparation of students / FIPI - M .: Intellect Center, 2009. - 240 p.

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

11. USE 2010. Geography: thematic training tasks / O. V. Chicherina, Yu. A. Soloviev. - 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, an extremely high growth rate and the largest number in the world. Learn more about the inhabitants of the region later in the article.

Geography

Asia is a large part of the continent of Eurasia. Among all parts of the world, it covers the largest territory, whose area is 44.5 million square kilometers. It is the largest developing region in the world, occupying about 30% of the Earth’s land.

The main territory is located in the northern and eastern hemispheres, some Asian islands are in the southern hemisphere. Due to its considerable size, almost all types of climate are present in the region - from the equatorial in the south to the 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 south-west. In the west, there is a conditional land border with Europe (along the Ural Mountains, the Manych and Kume rivers). 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, Middle, Southeast and South-West Asia. According to the UN - to East, Central, West, Southeast and South Asia. However, there are other classifications.

The population of Asia is very diverse and has a record number. Within its limits live more than one thousand different peoples and nationalities.

Political Map of Foreign Asia

In many sources you can find the concept of "Foreign Asia". It arose even in Soviet times and was firmly entrenched in Russian geography. Now the term is used to refer to non-CIS countries. Four subregions are distinguished in Overseas Asia: South, East, Southwest and Southeast Asia.

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

Currently, the region consists of 39 sovereign states. Most of them are republics (China, Syria, Israel, Pakistan, etc.). In 13 countries - the 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.

Asian Population: General

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 leading. Only their inhabitants make up 40% of all humanity. Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Japan have a high number.

Total Asia is 87 people. per square meter 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 is the second most populous country in the world and the first among Asian countries.

In many states, such as Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Myanmar, several tens of millions of people live. The population of Asian countries is growing extremely rapidly, in some states there is even a population explosion. The highest growth rate is observed in South-West 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 characterized by extreme diversity. More than a thousand ethnic groups speak five hundred different languages. About 107 peoples number several million people. The largest nations are Chinese, Bengalis, Japanese, and Hindustanis. After them come Telugu, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Koreans, Javanese.

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

The nationalities that make up the population of Asia are not limited to 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 arose in Asia: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. The population of overseas Asia, which adheres to Islam, is 20%. These are mainly residents of West and Southwest Asia. In many countries, Islam is the state religion. A large number of Muslims are also located in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia.

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

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

Conclusion

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

Natural resources. The bowels of the territory are poorly studied, but proven reserves indicate rich deposits of mineral resources. There was a lot of coal in the region, only in the north of Vietnam were its insignificant reserves. Offshore Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei produce oil and gas. Throughout the region stretches the world's largest metallogenic “Tin belt” of Asia. Mesozoic deposits led to 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. t). The region is rich in copper, zinc, lead, molybdenum, nickel, antimony, gold, cobalt, the Philippines - in copper and gold. Non-metallic minerals are represented by potassium salt (Thailand, Laos), apatites (Vietnam), precious stones (sapphire, topaz, ruby) in Thailand.

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

Water resources are actively used for irrigation in all countries. Moisture deficit in the dry season requires considerable costs for the construction of irrigation facilities. The water mountain arteries of the Indochina Peninsula (Irrawad, Menam, Mekong) and the numerous mountain speeches of the islands are able to provide electricity needs.

Extremely rich forest resources. 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 repellent, attractive color): current, sandalwood, legume trees, local pine species, sundri (mangrove) tree, palm trees.

Population.

Population. 482.5 million people live in the region. The maximum number is in Indonesia (193.8 million), the minimum is in Brunei (310 thousand). By the number of inhabitants of the country are very contrasting.

Demographic features. In Southeast Asia, the rates of natural population growth have always been high - 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. Only in the largest country in the region - Indonesia, more than 150 nationalities live. In the territory of the Philippines, which is small in comparison with Indonesia, there are up to hundreds of peculiar Malaysian-Polynesian ethnic groups. In Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, more than 2/3 of the inhabitants are Siamese (or Thai), Vietnamese, Khmer, Lao and Burmese. In Malaysia, up to half of the population are similar in language to the Malay peoples. The most mixed and multilingual population of Singapore are people from neighboring Asian countries (Chinese - 76%, Malays - 15%, Indians - 6%). In all states, the largest national minority is the Chinese, and in Singapore they represent even 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, Khmer 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 common denominations are: Buddhism - in Vietnam (Mahayana - 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 Fr. Balle in Indonesia.

Natives of Southeast Asia are widely practiced by local cults.

The population is extremely unevenly distributed. The maximum density is about. Java, where up to 65% of the population of Indonesia lives. Most Indochina residents live in the valleys of the Irrawaddy, Mekong, and Menem rivers, here the population density reaches 500-600 people / km2, and in some areas up to 2000. The mountain margins of the peninsular states and most small islands are very poorly populated, the average population density is not exceeds 3-5 people / km2. And in the center of about. Kalimantan and the west of. New Guinea has uninhabited territories.

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 of the world.

Millionaire cities, as a rule, are port or port centers, which are formed on the basis of trading activities. City metropolitan areas: 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. More than 200 million people are counted, of which 53% are employed in agriculture, 16% in industry, and 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, increased crime, drug smuggling, unemployment, etc. However, since the 60s of XX century. in the countries of the region, new business and trade districts appear with modern buildings, skyscrapers built by American and Japanese companies.

Agriculture. The region’s agriculture is not adequately provided with land due to the high population density. Agriculture prevails over animal husbandry in it, the costs of manual labor per unit of land area and low commodity prices of farms are large. 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 largest rice growing region in the world, the main agricultural crop. Its crops are harvested 2-3 times a year, the total volume is 126.5 million tons (1/4 of world production). In Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, rice fields occupy 4/5 of the sown area of \u200b\u200bthe valley and delta lands of the Irrawad and Menem rivers.

The main crops in the region are also:

- coconut palm - gives nuts and koper (coconut core, from which 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, Indonesia, Vietnam);
- sugarcane (especially the Philippines and Thailand);
- tea (Indonesia, Vietnam);
- spices (everywhere);
- orchids (Singapore - the world leader in their cultivation);
- cotton, tobacco (in the dry season grow countries located in the north of the region);
- coffee (Laos);
- opium poppy (grown in the area of \u200b\u200bthe "Golden Triangle" - an inaccessible region on the border of the territories of Thailand, Laos).

Notable producers and exporters of pineapples 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. It is very poorly developed due to the 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 head of cattle, 26 million goats and sheep and almost 15 million buffalo. Muslim peoples do not breed pigs.

Sea and river fishing is widespread. Each year, countries catch up to 13.7 million tons of fish. Fish from fresh water reservoirs are fully used in the domestic market, and a significant amount of marine fish is exported. Thailand also exports a variety of tropical fish species intended for aquariums.

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

Transport. In general, transport in the region is developed unevenly. A few railways connect the main productive areas with capitals. Their total length is 25,339 km, while Laos and Brunei have no railways. Recently, automobile transport has been developing rapidly. The total fleet totals 5.8 million passenger 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 at the fairway is 12 m). Sailboats are also used for transportation between the islands. Own merchant fleets have Singapore (11.4 mln br-register, tons), Thailand (2.5 mln br-register, tons), Indonesia (2.3 mln br-register, tons). 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 for the processing of sea containers (14 million conventional units). The major ports are Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Danang (Vietnam), Jakarta, Surabaya (Indonesia), Kuantan, Clan, Kota Kina Balu (Malaysia), Bangkok (Thailand), etc. Air transport is significantly progressing in the region. There are 165 airports with regular flights. Over the past few years, the Changi Airport (Singapore) has been the world leader in the quality of service and operational efficiency. Its annual throughput has reached 24 million passengers, in the near future it can increase to 60 million passengers. The main flights between domestic airports are operated by the national airlines Garuda (Indonesia), Singapore Airlines (Singapore).

The main railways and highways connect the ports of countries with their internal regions and serve mainly foreign economic relations.

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

In exports (422.3 billion dollars) 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 from the forestry and woodworking industries, coffee, tin concentrate;
- in Malaysia - oil and gas, rubber, tin, palm oil, wood, electronics, textiles;
- in Singapore - equipment, devices, machines, 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, chemicals, vehicles, medicines, etc. Singapore is the site of large international trade and industrial exhibitions, scientific and technical symposiums 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 are unique and picturesque equatorial landscapes, resort areas of the coast, historical and architectural monuments of different eras, the exotic of modern life and traditions of different peoples.

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

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

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

Southeast Asia borders China, India, Bangladesh, Australia and Oceania. This neighborhood is favorable for the region, as Australia is a highly developed country, China and India are at the stage of economic recovery, therefore, they will not restrain 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 access to the ocean. There are sea lanes connecting this region with East Asia (and further with Russia and North America), South Asia (and further with Africa and Europe), Australia. It also favorably affects the development of the region, not leaving it aside from trade routes and allowing trade with many regions.

Southeast Asia is located near many raw material bases, primarily, oil and gas reserves of Western Asia, coal reserves of China and India, and ore reserves of various metals in Australia. Also nearby 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 manufacturers nearby prevents the development of our own products.

2. Natural conditions and resources. The region includes two parts: continental (Indochina peninsula) and island (numerous islands of the Malay archipelago). SEA seems to “sew” continent 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 in importance to maritime shipping with Gibraltar, the Suez and Panama Canals.

The key geographical location at the crossroads of major sea roads, diverse natural resources, a favorable climate - all this attracted Europeans here in a colonial period like a magnet. (Only Thailand remained formally independent as a buffer zone between British India and French Indochina.)

The current geographical position of Southeast Asian countries consists of the following factors:

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

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

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

On the peninsular part of Southeast Asia, mountain ranges prevail, which in the form of a fan diverge along its territory, being separated from each other by river valleys. In the north and west, the mountains are higher than in the south and east. The mountains divide the mainland region of the region into several separate parts, land communications between which are difficult. All islands of the Malay Archipelago are also mountainous. There are many volcanoes, some of which are active. (More than 80% of all recorded tsunamis are generated in the Pacific Ocean, including 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 spaces. Due to the abundance of heat and moisture, Southeast Asia as a whole is distinguished by the diversity and richness of the flora and fauna, and the fertility of soils.

The climate of this region is hot, subequatorial and equatorial, with a total rainfall of up to 3,000 mm per year. Here, frequent visitors are tropical cyclones - typhoons with great destructive power, not to mention the increased seismic hazard that lies in wait for the population of most countries. Although most of Southeast Asia is covered by tropical moist evergreen forests (hence the second place in the world after Brazil in terms of tropical wood reserves), savannas dominate in Indochina. The river network is dense, rivers (Mekong, Saluin, Irrawaddy, etc.) are full-flowing.

The value of Southeast Asia is also determined by the presence of large reserves of the most important types of raw materials and fuel. The region is especially rich in ores of non-ferrous metals: tin (the region surpasses all countries of the world in its reserves), nickel, copper, and molybdenum. Large reserves of iron and manganese ores, chromites. There are significant deposits of oil and natural gas, there is brown coal, uranium. Natural treasures are valuable tree species of tropical and equatorial forests. In general, Southeast Asia is a hardly replaceable global source of many strategic resources.

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

1) the Indochina peninsula, forming the southeastern periphery of the continent and dissecting the basins of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There are no latitudinal orographic barriers; therefore, in the north of Indochina, “breathing” of continental air masses is felt. The main mass of moisture is brought by the southwest equatorial monsoons;

2) The Malay archipelago associated with Indonesia and includes the islands of Big and Small Sunda, Moluccas and about. Ceram. The region is distinguished by colossal natural features. Its equatorial and insular position determines the dominance of equatorial and marine tropical air within its limits, the uniformity of temperatures, constantly high humidity and an abundance of precipitation. The 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 the belt of sub-equatorial and partially equatorial climate with abundant precipitation.

3. Population and resettlement.About 600 million people live in the region. By the number of inhabitants of the country are very contrasting. The maximum number is in Indonesia (245.6 million people), the minimum is in Brunei (402 thousand people).

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

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

In some regions, “pure” australoid groups not mixed with the Mongoloids were preserved: Vedoid (in the Malacca Peninsula), East Indonesia inhabitants close to the Papuans, Negro type (in the south of Malacca Peninsula and the Philippines).

Ethnic composition. Only in the largest country in the region - Indonesia, more than 150 nationalities live. In the territory of the Philippines, which is small in comparison with Indonesia, there are up to hundreds of peculiar Malaysian-Polynesian ethnic groups. In Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, more than 2/3 of the inhabitants are Siamese (or Thais), Vietnamese, Khmers, Lao and Burmese. In Malaysia, up to half of the population are similar in language to the Malay peoples. The most mixed and multilingual population of Singapore are people from neighboring Asian countries (Chinese - 76%, Malays - 15%, Indians - 6%). In all states, the largest national minority is the Chinese, and in Singapore they represent even the majority of the population.

The population is extremely unevenly distributed. The maximum density is about. Java, where up to 65% of the population of Indonesia lives. Most Indochina residents live in the valleys of the Irivadi, Mekong, and Menema rivers, here the population density reaches 500-600 people / km 2, and in some areas up to 2000. The mountain margins 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 about. Kalimantan and the west of. New Guinea has uninhabited territories.

The proportion of the rural population is high (almost 60%). In recent decades, due to the migration of rural residents and natural growth, the number of urban population has increased. First of all, large cities are growing rapidly, almost all of them (with the exception of Hanoi and Bangkok) originated in the colonial era. More than 20% of the population lives 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 of the world.

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

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

The region is heterogeneous in the areas of socio-economic development. After World War II, its countries split into 2 groups: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia focused on the Soviet command-administrative development model, and ASEAN countries (Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei) - the market. All countries of Southeast Asia started from the same level, but ASEAN countries achieved in the second half of the 20th century. tangible economic results, which had a positive effect 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, earning over 84% of its oil export earnings. Singapore is a powerful regional and international center for trade, marketing, services and the development of the latest technologies, the most important transport and communication hub of Southeast Asia. Singapore is one of the financial centers of the world, the turnover of the Singapore Currency Exchange is almost $ 160 billion annually. In this indicator, it is second only to London, New York and Tokyo. The annual volume of transactions on the Singapore Stock Exchange is $ 23 billion. Singapore is ranked 3rd in the world after London and New York by the number of well-known banks (141, including 128 foreign).

In terms of economic development, Southeast Asia is one of the most dynamic regions. The countries' economic growth rates in the post-war period were among the highest in the world. At the end of the 90s of the XX century. the highest production growth rates were 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 powerful export base, almost all of them are well provided with natural resources, which are one of the important conditions for their economic development. That is why they are the largest (and sometimes monopolistic) exporters of individual goods. For example, the ASEAN zone provides almost 80% of the global 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 manufacturing and infrastructure. The most active here are Japanese and American companies that locate enterprises in areas of cheap labor, which import semi-finished products and carry out final processing of their products. Significant are investments in the food and metal 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 countries in the total volume of foreign investment in Southeast Asian countries is associated with the activities of the Chinese business community. Indonesia (23.7 billion dollars), 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 monopolistic groups have formed, the activities of which, as a rule, are connected with the interests of foreign capital. The leading representatives of big business and finance are the monopolistic associations Isla and Soriano in the Philippines, Waringin in Indonesia, the Kuokiv family conglomerate in Malaysia, and Bangkok Bank in Thailand.

The decisive role in the formation of industrial and export specialization of the countries of the region was played by TNCs. 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.

The penetration into the economy of Southeast Asia by TNCs began with areas of light industry, where you can quickly get a return due to the high speed of capital turnover. Therefore, now 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 multinationals control 80% of production.

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

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

In the late 80s and early 90s, 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 take into account the experience of the newly industrialized countries of Asia, especially South Korea.

Economic reforms in Vietnam and Laos have generally yielded positive results. This is especially true of Vietnam, where in a short time it was possible to reduce inflation from 1000% at the end of the 80s of the XX century. up to 4% - in 2009. Currently, Vietnam has taken 3rd place in the world in rice export.

In the Southeast Asian countries, the cultivation of hevea and the production of natural rubber are well developed. The region is one of the world's leading rice cultivators, coconut trees. The most important area of \u200b\u200bspecialization is the harvesting and export of tropical wood. The presence in Singapore of one of the world's largest ports and a large airport provides it with the status of an important transport and intermediary center of the region. Some countries, especially Thailand and Singapore, have fairly strong positions in the tourism business.

5. Industries and agriculture. The industry as a whole in the region provides 32% of the total GNP, taking 2nd place after the services sector.

Mining industry. Most of its products undergo primary processing before being exported. The extraction of tin and tungsten is of great export importance: Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia account for 70% of the world's tin production, Thailand is the second tungsten producer in the world. In Thailand, precious stones (rubies, sapphires) are mined and processed.

Fuel and energy industry. The region is relatively well provided with electricity, the total production of which reached 228.5 billion kW / h. The main volume of electricity is generated at thermal and hydroelectric power plants. In 1994, the largest in the region of the Hoabin Hydroelectric Power Station (Vietnam) was commissioned. Indonesia has the only geothermal power station in the region, and the construction of the region’s first nuclear power station is under discussion. In many countries, petrochemicals are developing at the base of oil refineries. In Myanmar and Indonesia, they work on their own raw materials, Filipino, Malay and Singaporean refineries - on Indonesian and Middle Eastern oil. Singapore is the third largest oil refining center in the world after Houston and Rotterdam (transports 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, and Vietnam. Aluminum plants in Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore process bauxite from Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Based on local raw materials, one of the world's largest tin-smelters in Malaysia (provides 28% of world exports of this metal), Indonesia (16% of world exports) and Thailand (15%) operate on the basis of local raw materials. A smelter also operates in the Philippines.

Electronic and electrical industry. It specializes in the assembly of household appliances, the manufacture of circuit boards, microchips. Malaysia is one of the largest manufacturers of semiconductors, integrated circuits, air conditioners, radio and television equipment in the world. Electrical and electronic enterprises operate in Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore. High-tech high-tech areas are actively developing in Singapore, including the production of computers and components for them, electronic telecommunications equipment, biotechnology, laser optics, producing highly sensitive computer disks, and a plant has been built that manufactures equipment for spacecraft. Singapore takes the 2nd place in Asia after Japan in terms of the level of computerization and implementation of robots (in particular, 84% of Singaporean companies are equipped with modern computer technology).

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

The countries of the region have launched the production of modern weapons. Singapore builds torpedo ships and high-speed patrol sea boats, collects transport aircraft under American licenses, and develops the electronic defense industry. Singapore's largest defense industry company is Singapore Technologies. In Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, there are enterprises producing military aircraft and helicopters.

Ship repair and shipbuilding. This area belongs to the international specialization in Singapore, at the shipyards of which tankers with a tonnage of up to 500 thousand tons are built. Singapore takes the 2nd place after the USA in the world in the production of mobile drilling equipment for the development of offshore oil fields.

Chemical industry. Significant development was in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. Due to the active participation of Japanese corporations in Singapore, Asia’s largest plants for the production of ethylene, propylene and plastics are operating. Indonesia as a manufacturer of acids and components of mineral fertilizers and Malaysia as a manufacturer of household chemicals and toxic chemicals, varnishes and paints are becoming increasingly important on the world market. In the north of Bangkok is one of the most powerful caustic soda complexes in Asia.

Sewing, textile and shoe 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 wood. Recently it has sharply increased and now amounts to 142.3 million m 3 annually. Trees of many species have exceptional strength and color, so they are used in interior design, furniture industry, shipbuilding.

The region’s agriculture is not adequately provided with land due to the high population density. Agriculture predominates in it, the costs of manual labor per unit of land area and the low marketability of farms are large. Technique and technology are for the most part very primitive.

The main crops in the region are also:

Coconut palm - gives nuts and coper (coconut core, from which 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 - the world leader in their cultivation);

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

Coffee (Laos);

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

Southeast Asia (Southeast Asia) - a large historical and cultural region of the world, includes the Indochina peninsula, the islands of the Malay archipelago, as well as the western part of the island of New Guinea. The total area of \u200b\u200babout 4.5 million km2 (3% of land), a population of more than 480 million people (more than 8% of the world's population). The ten states located here (see Table 50), which vary greatly in size of territory and population, socio-economic development, are united by a long 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 played an important, often key role. Through the region, like through a bridge, several waves of resettlement of people from Eurasia to Austronesia passed. In the era of the development of shipping in the Indian Ocean and the great geographical discoveries, Southeast Asia has become an important link in world trade and shipping. Further development modified the functions due to the geographical location, but it stably remains a highly significant factor.

Natural conditions and resources.Despite the enormous size and territorial fragmentation, the nature of the countries of the region bears similarities, primarily due to the situation in the hot climate zone with prevailing trade wind and monsoon circulation of air masses, 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 Mesozoic folding in the axial part of the Indochina and Malacca peninsulas and on the Indonesian islands of Riau, Bank, Belitung, Sinkep. Antimony ores occur in the complex with tin in Thailand (the first place in Asia and the second place in the world by reserves). There are bauxite deposits in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, polymetals - in the countries of Indochina. There are significant reserves of nickel and copper, the main deposits of which are on the islands of Samar and Leyte (Philippines) and Sulawesi island (Indonesia). The Philippines is also rich in chrome, iron, Indonesia - manganese ores. Of great importance are tungsten (Myanmar, Thailand), cobalt, molybdenum, mercury (Philippines), titanium (Thailand). Iron ore is in Vietnam. Gold deposits have been known since antiquity in Myanmar, the Philippines, Indonesia, silver in Myanmar, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

The oil and gas belt, confined to internal deflections 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 the states of its water area are being explored. (Claims by China, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia to sovereignty over small islands and banks repeatedly resulted in political and armed conflicts).

The total proven 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 deposits in the region - Minas and gas - Arun), Malaysia, Brunei.

In Vietnam and Indonesia, there are large deposits of coal. Uranium ores were found in Indonesia (Kalimantan Island) and the Philippines (Luzon Island).

General characteristics of the economy.The countries of Southeast Asia vary significantly in 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 paces, which is due to many factors, among them determining - human and resource potential, historical and cultural features, domestic and foreign political situation.

Among the poorest, with per capita GDP indicators not only below the world average, but also below the "poverty line", are Vietnam, since 1975 existing as a single socialist state, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, which also proclaimed their goal the development of a planned economy and building socialism. Civil wars, external aggression, political instability have had and continue to have a negative impact on the economies of these countries. In these four countries there is a mixed economy with a large role of the public sector, a developing cooperative sector, while maintaining small-scale artisanal production and a patriarchal way of life in agriculture. Since the end of the 80s, political conditions have arisen to overcome the closed economy of these countries and their integration into the world economy. More than half of the value of GDP and from 60 to 90% of the employment in them is provided by agriculture. The structure of industry is dominated by primary sectors, the processing of agricultural raw materials and the production of consumer goods for the local market. The development of the remaining countries of the region, which comprise the core of ASEAN, is characterized by the spread of capitalist relations in all sectors of the economy, the transformation of their role in MRI from "clean" suppliers of raw materials to a source of cheap and competent labor, and, unlike most developing countries, there is no outflow of workers hands, and the influx into the region of investments creating jobs for them. The decisive factor in the development of the economies of these countries was industrialization, during which fundamental changes took place in the structure of production and exports. There has been an increase in the national bourgeoisie, which, under the protection of state protectionism, has supplanted “huaqiao”. At the same time, in most countries, pre-capitalist ways are preserved. The most significant shift in the economic structure of these countries was a reduction in the share of agriculture with an increase in the share of industry, primarily manufacturing. The growth of the service sector is also characteristic, which partly traditionally absorbs excess labor. Qualitative changes consist in the emergence, along with the typical sphere of personal services for the countries of the East, peddling, etc., of a modern, technically equipped sector of financial, credit, banking, information, communication, and tourist services. At the same time, the structure of employment is not changing so dramatically. Structural adjustment and almost 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 maintained relations mainly with the former metropolises, the main influx of capital went to the traditional branches of colonial specialization: mining and agrarian. Subsequently, there was a redistribution of foreign capital flows in the direction of labor-intensive manufacturing industries, and the United States and Japan became the absolute leaders in terms of investment and 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; products of the most advanced industries (usually highly specialized) through intra-company trade channels are returned to investing countries or to TNK assembly plants in other countries.

In the first decades of independent development in these countries, the state played a large economic role; the government sector (energy, mining, transport) was formed in key sectors. In recent years, there has been widespread liberalization of the private sector, foreign investment, and the strengthening of financial and market methods for managing the economy. The private sector in the manufacturing industry is developing particularly rapidly.

The state plays an active role in developing economic policy, developing flexible investment and tax laws, taking on the implementation of infrastructure projects and regional policies.