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| Mainland Southeast Asia | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mainland Southeast Asia |
| Region | Southeast Asia |
| Area km2 | 2000000 |
| Population | 250000000 |
| Countries | Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Peninsular Malaysia |
Mainland Southeast Asia is the continental portion of the Southeast Asian region lying west of the Maritime Southeast Asia archipelagos and bounded by the Bay of Bengal, the South China Sea, the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. The subregion includes portions of modern states such as Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and peninsular portions of Malaysia and has been shaped by interactions among empires like the Khmer Empire, the Pagan Kingdom, the Ayutthaya Kingdom and the Nguyễn dynasty. Its rivers, highlands, deltas and coastline link landmarks such as the Mekong River, the Irrawaddy River, the Chao Phraya River, the Tonle Sap and the Annamite Range.
The subregion's physiography spans the Indochinese Peninsula, the Malay Peninsula, the Mekong Delta, the Tenasserim Hills and the Cardamom Mountains, affecting climates under the influence of the Southwest Monsoon and the Northeast Monsoon. Key ecosystems include the Indomalayan realm's tropical rainforests, peatlands like the Myeik Archipelago wetlands, mangroves of the Irrawaddy Delta and seasonal floodplains of the Tonle Sap Lake, which support biodiversity found in species lists such as the Indochinese tiger, Asian elephant, Irrawaddy dolphin, Siamese crocodile and endemic flora catalogued in institutions like the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the National University of Singapore's conservation programs. Environmental challenges intersect with events such as the 2019–2020 Australian bushfire season's regional smoke impacts, regional initiatives like the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution and projects by the Asian Development Bank addressing deforestation, hydropower dams on the Mekong River Commission agenda, and sedimentation influencing the South China Sea fisheries.
Mainland Southeast Asia's prehistory is recorded through sites linked to the Hoabinhian culture, Ban Chiang, and archaeological work by teams from the British Museum and the École française d'Extrême-Orient, preceding state formations such as the Funan Kingdom, Dvaravati kingdom, and the Pyu city-states. The medieval period featured the expansion of the Khmer Empire centered at Angkor, the rise of the Sukhothai Kingdom, and maritime contacts with the Srivijaya and Song dynasty. Early modern encounters involved the Portuguese Empire, the Dutch East India Company, the Spanish Empire, and later colonial rule under the British Empire, the French Third Republic in French Indochina, and the Kingdom of Siam's reforms under King Mongkut and King Chulalongkorn. The 20th century saw conflicts including the First Indochina War, the Vietnam War, the Kuomintang retreat to Burma, the Sino–Vietnamese War, and coups in Thailand and Myanmar, alongside Cold War diplomacy by the United States Department of State, the Soviet Union, and reconciliation efforts through ASEAN and bilateral treaties like the Paris Peace Accords.
Population groups derive from ethnolinguistic families classified by scholars at institutions like the Linguistic Society of America and include speakers of Austroasiatic languages (e.g., Khmer language, Vietnamese language), Tai–Kadai languages (e.g., Thai language, Lao language), Sino-Tibetan languages (e.g., Burmese language), Hmong–Mien languages, and minority Austronesian languages in peninsular pockets linked to Orang Asli communities. Writing systems evolved from scripts like Khmer script, Brahmi script derivatives, the Thai script, Lao script and the Vietnamese chữ Nôm before adoption of the Latin alphabet via reformers such as Alexandre de Rhodes. Religious landscapes incorporate Theravada Buddhism as practiced at Wat Arun and Shwedagon Pagoda, Mahāyāna Buddhism connections with China, indigenous animist practices, Hinduism remnants in Angkor Wat, Islam among Malay communities linked to the Sultanate of Malacca, and Christian missions from Jesuit missionaries and Protestant missions in the colonial era.
Modern states navigate domestic politics shaped by dynasties like the Chakri dynasty, military juntas such as the State Administration Council (Myanmar), constitutional changes modeled after documents like the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (2017), and communist parties including the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. Regional diplomacy engages ASEAN forums, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the United Nations, and major power interactions with the People's Republic of China, the United States, the European Union, and the Russian Federation. Border disputes and cooperation feature the Mekong River Commission, the Gulf of Thailand maritime delimitation, the Wang River hydropolitics, and negotiations influenced by agreements such as the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
Economic patterns include agrarian systems centered on wet rice cultivation in the Mekong Delta and cash crops like rubber and coffee exported through ports such as Laem Chabang Port, Ho Chi Minh City Port and Yangon Port. Industrialization clusters form in zones around Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Yangon, and Penang linked to multinational companies including Toyota Motor Corporation, Samsung Electronics, Intel Corporation and textile suppliers for brands like H&M and Zara (retailer). Infrastructure projects encompass the Kunming–Singapore Railway proposals, Mekong hydropower dams financed by China Railway Construction Corporation, regional airports like Suvarnabhumi Airport, energy corridors connecting to PetroVietnam, and development financing from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the World Bank. Trade agreements affecting the subregion include the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and bilateral free trade accords negotiated with the European Union and the United States–Thailand Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations.
Artistic traditions range from classical dance forms such as Khon and Apsara dance to musical instruments like the khim and ranat ek; literary canons include works by poets such as Nguyễn Du and chronicles preserved at institutions like the National Library of Laos. Culinary heritages feature dishes like phở, som tam, amok and mang-lu, with spices and techniques shared along routes once used by the Silk Road's maritime extensions. Festivals and public rituals include Songkran, Loy Krathong, Pchum Ben, and Tet (Vietnamese New Year), while modern cultural exchange occurs through film festivals showing works from directors like Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Rithy Panh and through museums such as the National Museum of Cambodia and the Bangkok National Museum.
Urban growth has produced megacities and metropolitan regions like Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan area, Yangon Region and the Phnom Penh metropolitan area, driving internal migration from highland provinces such as Shan State and Northern Laos to industrial zones in Chonburi and Binh Duong Province. Demographic trends are tracked by agencies like the UNFPA and the Asian Development Bank, highlighting aging in Thailand and Vietnam alongside high youth populations in Myanmar and Cambodia, while public health challenges have engaged organizations including the World Health Organization during outbreaks such as the 2009 swine flu pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic in Southeast Asia.
Category:Regions of Asia