GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OF SOUTH EAST ASIA

An introduction to: South East Asia

Definition, Boundaries and Etymology
• Asia is a colossal continent located in the western and northern
hemisphere, with a part in the south too.
• It is the largest and most populous region on Earth, stretching all the
way from Turkey to Indonesia!
• Consequently, the continent is divided into five regions including:
Central Asia, Western Asia, South Asia, South East Asia and East
Asia.
Definition, Boundaries and Etymology
• Why it is important to learn what constitutes Asia?

• Very often, Asia/Asian is used as an all-encompassing term which

plays into certain ideas and perceptions which excludes many
communities.

• As there are five different regions with many, many countries within
them each with their own unique histories, cultures and identities, it is
important that we do not see Asia as an ethnic monolith and learn
what constitutes each region.
Boundaries :
• Asia is the largest continent in the world by both land area and
population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square
kilometers, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total
surface area. The continent, which has long been home to the majority
of the human population, was the site of many of the first civilizations.
Its 4.7 billion people constitute roughly 60% of the world's population,
having more people than all other continents combined.
• Asia shares the landmass of Eurasia with Europe, and of Afro-
Eurasia with both Europe and Africa. In general terms, it is bounded on
the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean, and
on the north by the Arctic Ocean. The border of Asia with Europe is
a historical and cultural construct, as there is no clear physical and
geographical separation between them.
Etymology
• The term "Asia" is believed to originate in the Bronze Age place
name Assuwa (Hittite: romanized: aš-šu-wa) which originally referred
only to a portion of northwestern Anatolia. The term appears
in Hittite records recounting how a confederation of Assuwan states

• The Hittites were an ancient group of Indo-Europeans who moved

into Asia Minor and formed an empire at Hattusa in Anatolia (modern
Turkey) around 1600 BCE. The Hittite Empire reached great heights
during the mid-1300s BCE, when it spread across Asia Minor, into the
northern Levant and Upper Mesopotamia.
Herodotus used the term Ἀσία in reference to Anatolia and the territory
of the Persian Empire, He reports that Greeks assumed that Asia was
named after the wife of Prometheus.

He was a Greek historian and geographer from the Greek

city of Halicarnassus, He is known for having written the Histories – a
detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars. Herodotus was the first
writer to perform systematic investigation of historical events. He is
referred to as "The Father of History", a title conferred on him by
the ancient Roman orator Cicero.

According to many Muslims, the term came from Ancient Egypt's

Queen Asiya, the adoptive mother of Moses.

The term was later adopted by the Romans, who used it in reference to
the province of Asia, located in western Anatolia.
• What is Asia known for in history? Facts you need to know about
ASIA

Asia's history features major developments seen in other parts of the

world, as well as events that have affected those other regions. These
include the trade of the Silk Road, which spread cultures, languages,
religions, and diseases throughout Afro-Eurasian trade.

Asia, the largest continent, stretches from the eastern Mediterranean

Sea to the western Pacific Ocean. There are more than 40 countries in
Asia. Some are among the most-populated countries in the world,
including China, India, and Indonesia. Sixty percent of Earth’s
population lives in Asia. More than a third of the world’s people live in
China and India alone.
• The continent of Asia includes many islands, some of them countries. The
Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, and Taiwan are major island nations in Asia.

• Asia accounts for almost a third of the world’s land. The continent has a wide
range of climate regions, from polar in
the Siberian Arctic to tropical in equatorial Indonesia. Parts of Central Asia,
including the Gobi Desert in China and Mongolia, are dry year-round.
Southeast Asia, on the other hand, depends on the annual monsoons, which
bring rain and make agriculture possible.

• Monsoon rains and snowmelt feed Asian rivers such as the Ganges, the
Yellow, the Mekong, the Indus, and the Yangtze. The rich valley between the
Tigris and Euphrates rivers in western Asia is called the “Fertile Crescent” for
its place in the development of agriculture and human civilization.
• Asia is the most mountainous of all the continents. More than 50 of the
highest peaks in the world are in Asia. Mount Everest, which reaches
more than 8,700 meters (29,000 feet) high in the Himalaya range, is the
highest point on Earth. These mountains have become major destination
spots for adventurous travelers.

• Plate tectonics continuously push the mountains higher. As the landmass

of India pushes northward into the landmass of Eurasia, parts of the
Himalayas rise at a rate of about 2.5 centimeters (one inch) every five
years.

• Asia contains, not only, Earth’s highest elevation, but also its lowest place
on land: the shores of the Dead Sea in the countries of Israel and Jordan.
The land there lies more than 390 meters (1,300 feet) below sea level.