Transcript East & Southeast Asia: An Overview

Myanmar
Thailand
Malaysia
Singapore
Indonesia
E. Timor
Overview of East and Southeast Asia
Very old
Population
China = oldest continuous civilization in world
(4000 years ago)
Many old traditions and customs
Huge population
Region = >2 billion
China = 1.3 billion (4x US)
Problems caused: unemployment, poverty,
pollution, homelessness, lack of land, resource &
food shortages
Colonialism
European countries were the first to colonize
Started in 1500s
UK: Myanmar, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore,
Hong Kong
France: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
Netherlands: Indonesia, Taiwan
Spain: Philippines, Taiwan
US: Philippines (we got them from Spain)
China wasn’t fully colonized but dealt mostly
with UK
Hong Kong was British territory until 1997
Many wars fought over control, influence
Japan, Koreas, Mongolia and Thailand only
Asian countries never colonized by the West
However, it wasn’t just the Europeans
and Americans colonizing Asia…
Japan!
Took the Korean Peninsula before WWI
Between WWI and WWII: Took eastern
coast of China and French territories
During WWII, took all of East Asia outside
China from other colonial owners
Japan took it to expand their land, power and
economy
Allied powers fought for it all back, then
released most of it within 20 years after
WWII
General Human Geography
Over 2 billion people! (1/3 world’s population)
Important to people:
Family
History
Personal/family past
Culture/traditions
“Asian Way”
Mostly poor, rural (>½ people)
– ‘Peasant society’ is important
– Subsistence farming; rice (#1), fishing
Western Influence in Asia
Increasing in past 20-40 years
Satellite TV, western music, CDs, foreign
videos/movies, clothing, food
Western-style governments and economies
Sports
Some governments have outlawed
western styles to keep them out
Hasn’t worked well; still get in
Economy
Asia is fastest growing economy in the world
GDP: Japan is #2 and China is #3 (behind US)
China leads Asian growth (7-10% per year)
China expected to pass Japan this year and reach US by 2025 or
2040
Japan & China have been examples for other countries
A lot of countries are growing very rapidly
Four “Asian Tigers” = SK, Taiwan, Hong Kong and
Singapore (through the 1980s and 1990s)
China’s economy exploding; buying a lot of oil and
building supplies (concrete, steel, etc.)
Only North Korea and Myanmar aren’t growing
Laos and Cambodia have just started…
Industry and technology growing in big
cities; rely on exports
US is big importer of Asian goods
Japan, China, SK & Taiwan = 4/10 top partners
US – Asian trade = 3x US – European trade
Electronics, cars, manufactured goods
(clothes, electronics, etc)
Nikkei Index = Japanese stock market
Made in
Taiwan
Regional Concerns
Overpopulation
Unemployment
Poverty
Resources
Pollution
Human rights problems
China, Myanmar, N. Korea
Environment (pollution and species habitat/health)
Terrorism/separatist groups:
Al-Qaeda, Abu Sayyaf, Maoists, Japanese Red
Army, Aleph
Religions
Christianity
South Korea (49%)
Philippines
East Timor
Islam
Indonesia (largest Muslim country in world)
Brunei
Malaysia (mixed with other religions)
Shinto
Japan
Buddhism
Cambodia
Hong Kong
Japan (for funerals)
Laos
Myanmar
Singapore
Confucianism
China
South Korea (47%)
Taiwan (mixed with
Confucianism and Taoism)
Thailand
Vietnam
China
Tibet
Governments
Democracy
Japan (oldest in Asia)
Installed by US after WWII
Constitutional monarchy
South Korea and Taiwan (early 1980s)
Got rid of authoritarian government and martial law
Thailand and Philippines (late 80s, early 90s)
Changed from dictatorship through people’s push
Malaysia has a loose democracy; const’l mon.
Parties represent ethnic groups
Indonesia recent democratic reforms
Singapore: Democracy based on
Confucianism
Very strict, ordered laws
Cambodia: has been totalitarian; constitutional
monarchy
Khmer Rouge controlled (VIOLENT); communist
Vietnam took over; UN help keep peace
Very violent; control is fragile
Authoritarian/Dictatorships
Myanmar = under military rule, totalitarian
Very strict
(in a bad way)
Authoritarian/Dictatorships
China, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos =
Communist
China is half capitalist, half communist
Vietnam is improving the quickest; loosening up
on communism
North Korea is worst; prison-like