GEO 131 Chapter Notes - Chapter 10A: Mekong River Commission, Chao Phraya River, Mekong
GEO131Chapter10ATextbookOutline
Southeast Asia
• Geographic Overview
o 11 Countries
o Mainland and Island nations
• “outheast Asia’s Physial Geography
o Exceptional Borneo
▪ Called a stale ii otiet eause it has o olaoes ad is
almost completely safe from earthquakes
▪ Home to an equatorial rainforest, soils not as fertile
▪ Rapid expansion of palm oil plantations – deforestation
o Relative Location and Biodiversity
▪ Estimated that 10% of species are found within this realm
▪ Land bridges during periods of glaciation allowed migration of animals
and humans
o Four Major Rivers
▪ The Mighty Mekong
• Crosses mainland of region north to south
• Originates in Tibetan Plateau
• 4200 km (2600 mi)
• Traverses or borders 5 countries
• Used for energy, transportation, agriculture, fishing
• Population cluster around river
• China building dams upstream
• Mekong River Commission (and other similar organizations)
formed to coordinate river development
• Lifeline of society, but wooden boats, etc. usually used
▪ Red River
▪ Irrawaddy River
▪ Chao Phraya River
▪ Rivers and States
• Mekong River is water supply to many countries
• Other three rivers are mostly internal to one country each
• Population Geography
o Jawa is most populated island – 150 million
▪ Half of Idoesia’s populatio
▪ Greater population than any other nation in region
▪ Most urbanized island
▪ Fertile volcanic soil, ample water, warm temperatures allow for 3 crops of
rice per year to sustain population
o The Ethnic Mosaic
▪ Southeast Asians come from common ancestors
▪ Regionally and locally discrete ethnic and cultural groups have formed
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▪ Generally along national lines
▪ Indonesians are largest group – Filipinos, Malays, and Indonesians all
lumped together
• Overwhelmingly Muslim – Malays are more influenced by it than
Indonesians
▪ Immigrants
• Many clusters of immigrants
• Many from China, South Asia
▪ The Chinese
• Colonial period during Ming and Qing dynasties
• Apx. 33 million overseas Chinese
• High concentrations in Thailand, Jawa, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Singapore
• Religions of Southeast Asia
o Hinduism and Buddhism from Indian subcontinent, later Islam
o Islam stuck in Indonesia (90% Muslim today)
o Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand kept Buddhism
o Malaysia
▪ Malays are Muslim
▪ Chinese are Buddhist
▪ Malaysians with Indian ancestry are Hindus
o Infusion of foreign elements – Angkor Wat (Hindu Temple in Cambodia) became
worship place for Buddhists
• Coloialis’s Heritage: Ho the Politial Map Eoled
o The Colonial Imprint
▪ Thailand was the only nation to not be colonized, acted as a buffer state
between French and British
▪ French Indonesia
• Mainland, leading power
• Divided empire into 5 units
o Tonkin*
o Cochin*
o Annam*
o Cambodia
o Laos
o * Became part of Vietnam
• Indochina referred to the influences of India and China on the
region
▪ British Imperialism
• Singapore, Malaya, Burma, various other islands
• Britain had many pieces of land in the area
• South Asia got independence first, then Southeast Asia
▪ Netherlads East Idies
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