Southeast Asia is a region in Asia that is usually set to include the countries south of China, east of India, and north of Australia.
According to Countryaah.com, the region of Southeast Asia includes the following nations:
- BRUNEI
- BURMA
- CAMBODIA
- PHILIPPINES
- INDONESIA
- LAOS
- MALAYSIA
- SINGAPORE
- THAILAND
- VIETNAM
- EAST TIMOR
Republic of the Philippines
The Republic of the Philippines is an island state in Asia, as well as a member of ASEAN. The country was under Spanish rule for 333 years, in the period 1565 – 1898, then under American rule for 48 years, until 1946. It is together with East Timor and South Korea one of the three Asian countries that have Christianity as the dominant religion. Together with the Spanish and American influence, this has made the Philippines one of Asia’s most western oriented countries.
TIMELINE:
1512 – Portuguese Francisco Serrano suffers shipwreck during a trade trip to the Spice Islands; he and his men take refuge in Mindanao and become the first Europeans in the Philippine Islands.
1781: The Philippines becomes an independent Spanish colony, instead of part of the Spanish colony of New Spain in America.
1896-1898: The Philippine Revolution.
1898 (15.2.-12.8.): The Spanish-American War, the Americans and the Philippine Revolutionary Cooperations
1898 (13.12.): The United States buys the Philippines from Spain.
1899 (23.1.): Emilio Aguinaldo first president of the Philippines.
1899-1901: The Philippine-American War. Philippine opposition to US rule is defeated.
1941-1945: During World War II, the country is occupied by Japan.
Kingdom of Cambodia
Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia is a country in Southeast Asia. It borders Thailand to the west and northwest, Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east and southeast, and the Gulf of Siam to the south. Cambodia covers an area of approx. 181,035 km², and has a population of approximately 14.8 million. The capital is Phnom Penh.
Brunei
The Sultanate of Brunei, also called Brunei Darussalam, is an oil-rich country located on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from the coastline towards the South China Sea, the country is completely surrounded by eastern Malaysia.
TIMELINE:
1929 – Oil and natural gas are discovered in Brunei. Today it is the basis of the small country where oil production is handled by Brunei Shell Petroleum. As a result, the country is today one of the richest in Asia. Brunei is the only country in the world ruled by a sultan. Today it is Hassanal Bolkiah. The Sultan selects a Council of Ministers to assist him. State employees do not have the right to be politically active, even though it makes up two-thirds of the population. At the same time, the board is criticized for favoring the leaders. Sultan is e.g. one of the richest men in the world. This extreme wealth has aroused dissatisfaction among the residents, who also want better conditions.
For cave researchers who often have to struggle through claustrophobically narrow passages, Gua Payau is an eldorado. The cave, located in the Malaysian Sarawak province on Borneo, is the world’s largest cave passage. With an average width and height of 160 and 120 meters, respectively, it is spacious enough that a modern passenger plane would be able to fly the 1.2 km across the mountain.
BURMA
Burma; officially the country is called in English: “Republic of the Union of Myanmar” (translated means: Myanmar Union Republic ); formerly officially: “the Union of Myanmar” and before that: “the Union of Burma”. The country is a federal state or union in Southeast Asia with borders to Bangladesh and India in the west, China in the northeast, Laos in the east and Thailand in the southeast. The country has over 2,000 km of coastline towards the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
TIMELINE:
1948 – January 4. Burma becomes an independent republic after 60 years of British colonial rule.
Archeology. In Myanmar – the former Burma – the French paleontologist Jean-Jacques Jaeger has found parts of a 40 million year old jaw from an unprecedented species of primitive monkeys. The monkey ancestor, named ‘ Bahinia ‘, is seven million years older than the oldest finds of monkey ancestors made in Egypt, Africa. Thus, there are many indications that the first monkey ancestors lived in Asia and not in Africa, as scientists have hitherto believed. Researchers have found only part of the jaw with a few teeth in it. But that has been enough to determine that the ancestor of the monkey belonged to the genus Eosimiidae, from which bone remains have previously been found in Asia. ( Ill. Wide. 3/2000 )
Laos
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is a state in Southeast Asia and a member of ASEAN, which borders Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and the People’s Republic of China. The capital is Vientiane (Viangchan).
The country’s economy is mostly characterized by agriculture, industry contributes to the gross domestic product by about 22% and the service sector by about 25%.
TIMELINE:
1949 – Following Japanese occupation during World War II, the country becomes independent as the Kingdom of Laos, under the leadership of King Sisavang Vong.
1975 – With the help of the Soviet Union and Communist Vietnam, the Communist Party of Pathet Lao overthrows the royal government backed by the United States and France, forcing King Savang Vatthana to abdicate on December 2, 1975.
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country located in Southeast Asia. To the northeast it borders the Philippines, borders the country of Brunei, to the north it borders Thailand, to the south Singapore and Indonesia. Malaysia comprises the main part of the Malay Peninsula and the northern part of Borneo. This part can again be subdivided into the Malaysian states ( Sabah ) and ( Sarawak ). Malaysia is a member of ASEAN.
