Southeast Asia is a fairly large region of the planet, within which 600 million people live. Today, there are 11 states. The countries of Southeast Asia, the list of which is given below, differ significantly from each other in terms of level and models of economic development. These differences will be discussed in our article.
Southeast Asian countries: list and capitals
The Southeast Asia Region covers an area of five million square kilometers. From the name itself it is clear that it is located in the southeastern part of Asia. Geographers typically include 11 states in this region. Six of them are located on the continent, and five more - on islands and archipelagos adjacent to the mainland.
So, all the countries of Southeast Asia (list):
- Vietnam.
- Cambodia.
- Laos.
- Myanmar
- Thailand.
- Malaysia.
- Indonesia.
- Philippines.
- Singapore.
- Brunei.
- East Timor.
It is worth noting that geographically, the eastern parts of India and Bangladesh also belong to Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asia: cultural and economic-geographical characteristics of the region
At least 600 million people live in this region, 35% of which are residents of one country, Indonesia. This is where the island of Java (the most densely populated on the planet) is located. There are a lot of migrants from China in the region. Mostly they settle in Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore.
The indigenous peoples of this region are very diverse. Malays, Thais, Vietnamese, Burmese, Javanese, and dozens of smaller nations live within Southeast Asia. The most popular religions here are Islam and Buddhism, Protestantism is prevalent in certain territories.
The formation of local culture was significantly influenced by Chinese, Indian, Arab, and Spanish cultures. The cult of tea and the habit of eating with sticks are very common in Southeast Asia. Music, architecture, painting are very slightly different in each of the ethnic groups in the region.
The economy of many countries in Southeast Asia is strongly tied to agriculture, industry and services are gradually developing. In some countries of the region, tourism has become an important sector of the national economy (primarily Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia).
Southeast Asian Developing Countries: List
A developing country is a rather relative concept. It means a state whose GDP per capita is much lower than that of the rest of the world.
According to the generally accepted classification, all 11 states of Southeast Asia should be classified as developing countries. However, among them there are three countries with weaker levels of development. They are also called the least developed states. These include:
The richest and most developed state in the region is Brunei, which is often called the "Islamic Disneyland." The reason for this prosperity is simple - solid oil and gas reserves. The country has long been in the top ten in terms of income. It is curious that every second person who works at industrial enterprises in Brunei came here from neighboring, less prosperous, countries.
NIS countries in the region
New industrial countries (abbreviated as NIS) mean a group of states that have experienced a significant leap in development and have substantially improved all of their economic and social indicators in a very short time (just a few decades).
The countries of this group demonstrate tremendous rates of economic development (up to 5-8% per year), generate powerful transnational corporations, actively introduce the latest technologies, devote a lot of attention and funds to the development of science and education. What states of the region can be classified as a NIS group?
So, the new industrial countries of Southeast Asia (list):
- Singapore.
- Malaysia.
- Thailand.
- Indonesia.
- Philippines.
In addition, another country in the region, Vietnam, has quite real prospects for replenishing this list.
Finally...
The countries of Southeast Asia, the list of which is given in this article, belong to developing countries of weak and medium development. Their economies are still largely dependent on agriculture.
The most developed countries in the region are Singapore and Brunei, and the poorest are Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.