Southeast Asian

Southeast Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic and volcanic activity. more...

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Southeast Asia consists of two geographic regions: the Asian mainland, and island arcs and archipelagoes to the east and southeast. The mainland section consists of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam; the population of which are primarily Tai peoples and Austroasiatic peoples; the dominant religion is Buddhism, followed by Islam. The maritime section consists of Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. Austronesian peoples predominate in this region; the dominant religion is Islam, followed by Christianity.

Divisions

Political

Southeast Asia frequently refers to the area consisting of the following, although in general and certain specific usage, the area it refers to can be narrower or broader (e.g., including the southernmost coastal regions of China as well as Bangladesh, South India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives).

All of the above are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), except East Timor, which is a candidate. The area, together with part of South Asia, was previously known as the East Indies or simply Indies.

Although politically external territories of Australia, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are culturally part of Southeast Asia . The Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India are also considered to part of the region geographically. Meanwhile, islands in the South China Sea, such as the Paracel Islands, Pratas Islands, Macclesfield Islands, Spratly islands, and Scarborough Shoal, are currently disputed between the two Chinas and several Southeast Asian countries and are therefore included. Hainan Island and parts of southern China, on the other hand, has a tropical moist monsoonal climate, unlike the rest of China and East Asia on the rest of the continent. West Papua, however, is politically part of Southeast Asia through Indonesia, geographically it is often considered as part of Oceania.

Geographical

Southeast Asia is geographically divided into two regions, namely Mainland Southeast Asia (or Indochina) and the Maritime Southeast Asia (or the Malay Archipelago Malay: Nusantara).

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