Intro 1

Chapter Objectives

Describe traditional and modern economic activities in

Southeast Asia.

Explain the kinds of human–environmental interactions that

occur in Southeast Asia, and the challenges that the region

faces.

Living in South Asia

Section 3

Objectives

Explain why rice farming is the most important agricultural

activity in Southeast Asia.

Examine why the countries in the region are industrializing

at different rates.

Discuss how the economies of Southeast Asia are becoming

more interdependent.

Terms to Know

Paddy

sickle

subsistence crop

cash crop

lode

Interdependent

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

free port

A Geographic View

Geographic Literacy

Before 1940, Myanmar–then British-ruled Burma–benefited

from rice exports. Freedom came in 1948, followed by the

military’s seizure of power in the 1960s. The military’s policy

of a government-run economy proved disastrous by the

1990s, and market activities were allowed to resume. Harsh

treatment of pro-democracy groups, however, has kept

foreign investment low, and Myanmar today remains

economically poor.

Agriculture

Rice Cultivation Rice is the region’s chief crop and a major

food source and export.

Farmers grow rice on more than half of the region’s arable

land.

Growing rice on terraced farms takes advantage of as much

of the limited land as possible.

Flooded rivers and abundant rain provide a climate in which

rice thrives.

Many farmers plant and harvest rice by hand.

Agriculture

Agriculture Other Crops

Yams, corn, bananas, and other food crops are popular in areas

too dry for rice farming.

Some Indonesians raise cassava, an edible root easier to grow

than rice.

Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia lead the world in natural

rubber production.

The Philippines is a major producer of coconuts and sugarcane

These cash crops are grown on large plantations.

Forests and Mines The forestry industry is vital to the economies of several Southeast Asian

countries.

Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand export hard woods from their forests.

Problems resulting from excessive logging and the deforestation present a challenge in the region.

Mineral Wealth

Southeast Asia’s rich deposits of tin, iron, manganese, and tungsten are a major source of export income.

Indonesia and Brunei produce oil, natural gas, and petroleum products.

Indonesia is one of the top 10 producers in OPEC.

Forest and Mines

Forest Mines

Papua’s Resources Indonesia’s Papua region is a source of

timber, gold, natural gas, oil, and minerals.

The Indonesian government allows many international

countries to exploit these resources.

Pro-independence groups claim, however, that the

government has invested little in improving health,

education, and public services.

Industry Industrial growth rates vary widely in Southeast Asia.

Although Laos and Cambodia are mainly agricultural, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines are major industrializing countries.

Manufacturing industries include textiles, clothing, and automobiles.

Southeast Asia enjoyed an economic boom during the 1980s and early 1990s.

In the late 1990s, debt, political corruption, and financial mismanagement led to an economic crisis.

Since the crisis, some countries have had to balance industrial growth with investment in such traditional economic activities as agriculture and fish farming.

Industry

Industry Singapore and Malaysia

Singapore has the region’s most developed economy. Its location and harbors make it a major port and manufacturing

center. Singapore’s government has followed policies favoring economic

growth. Singapore has invested in education so that industries will profit from

having skilled and educated workers. Malaysia, long known for its production of natural rubber and palm

oil, has begun to diversify its exports with products such as electronics and electrical products, chemicals, cement, and processed foods.

Malaysia has also developed heavy industry that produces steel and automobiles.

The country is the world’s largest exporter of microchips.

Industry Less Industrialized Countries

Indonesia is an exporter of raw materials and an importer of manufactured goods.

Recent political instability and population increases have slowed Indonesia’s economic growth.

Its labor force currently lacks the technical skills and knowledge required for industrialization.

Therefore, Indonesia depends on foreign aid and investment to develop its industry.

The economies of Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar have grown slowly because of wars and geographic and political isolation.

The lack of a trained work force, up-to-date equipment, and adequate transportation also have hindered economic development in these lands.

Interdependence

Southeast Asian countries are beginning to work together

more closely for their common good. The Asian

Development Bank (ADB) provides loans to member

countries to develop their economies. The Association of

Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an economic and

political alliance that promotes economic growth and cultural

exchanges.

Interdependence

Transportation

Southeast Asia’s landforms, islands, long coastlines, and many

rivers make water transportation the most common way to

move people and goods in the region.

As the crossroads of major ocean trade routes, Southeast Asia

has major ports such as Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia,

the city of Singapore, and Manila in the Philippines.

Transportation

Communication

Communications systems depend on a country’s level of

industrialization.

In general, people in urbanized or developed areas have access

to good communication systems, but people in rural or less

developed areas have little access.

Internet and wireless communications have helped Southeast

Asian economies.

Governments in the region own radio and television stations.

Most people own radios, but television sets are less common.

Communications

People and their Environment

Section 2

Objectives

Identify dangers posed by volcanoes, floods, and typhoons in

Southeast Asia.

Describe how economic progress has increased

environmental pollution in the region.

Discuss the efforts underway to protect the environment in

Southeast Asia

Terms to Know

Cyclone

Typhoon

Shifting Cultivation

Geographic View

Geographic Literacy

Along coastal regions of northern Java in Indonesia, villagers

have created ponds in the salty tidal waters of mangrove

forests. In recent years, these ponds–used for farming fish

and prawns–have been expanded into nearby inland paddies.

There mechanical pumps mix seawater and freshwater that

help fish and prawns produce in abundance.

Nature’s Might Much of Southeast Asia is part of the Ring of Fire and is subject to

earthquakes and volcanic activity. Flash floods and typhoons occur

periodically. Natural disasters and their effects are part of everyday

life in many parts of Southeast Asia.

Volcanoes Volcanic eruptions are common throughout the region.

The Mayon Volcano in the Philippines erupted in 1993 and again in

2000.

Mount Pinatubo, also in the Philippines, erupted in 1991, killing

about 800 people.

Gunung Agung, a towering volcano on the Indonesian island of

Bali, last erupted in 1963, killing more than 1,500 people.

Nature’s Might Floods and Typhoons

Flash floods in Southeast Asia kill hundreds of people and devastate 10 million acres (4 million ha) of crops every year.

Deforestation has made flooding more severe.

The rivers of mainland Southeast Asia flood every year with the change of the seasons.

Some sections of Bangkok, which is built on unstable land, sink more than 25 inches (64 cm) each year during the floods.

Cyclones and typhoons often smash through Southeast Asia, causing serious damage.

Thailand is beginning to build dams to prevent typhoon-related flooding.

Nature’s Might

Environmental Problems Cities

Economic growth in Southeast Asia stresses environmental

resources.

As industrial output increases, the standard of living has risen,

but industrial pollution also has affected many areas.

Growing populations and crowded urban conditions raise

concerns about adequate housing, water supplies, sanitation,

and traffic control.

In Singapore, strictly enforced environmental laws keep the city

extremely clean, making it an exception in Southeast Asia.

Environmental Pollution

Environmental Pollution Rural Areas

In some parts of Southeast Asia, pollution extends into the

countryside, including national parks.

Volcanic eruptions and forest fires cause pollution in rural areas,

sometimes affecting cities as well.

Logging Farming, and Mining

Deforestation Deforestation is a major concern throughout

Southeast Asia.

Commercial logging provides the timber that is a chief

export in the region; it also leaves soil exposed to erosion.

Slash-and-burn agriculture and the clearing of land for large

plantations have also damaged forests.

Mining The mining of valuable minerals and metals has led to

environmental abuses, such as the dumping of rock waste in

rivers and forests.

Environmental Protection

Some Southeast Asian countries have limited certain timber

exports and have begun reforestation programs.

Malaysia has a long history of preserving and managing its

rain forests.

The country still has half of its rain forest cover.

Some countries in the region have begun planned migration

or resettlement programs.

Environmental Protection

Environmental Protection

The Laotian government has tried to resettle highlands

people in fertile areas to avoid the problems of shifting

farming. Indonesia is planning to move people from crowded

islands to less-populated Papua.

Scientists are discussing ways to combat the warming of

Bangkok, including the establishment of green zones in the

city and the banning of skyscrapers near the sea, allowing

winds to blow farther into the city and provide more

ventilation.

Environmental Protection

Section 1 - Summary

Agriculture is the leading economic activity in Southeast

Asia.

The countries of the region are industrializing at different

rates, which causes great variation in economies,

occupations, transportation, and communications.

Through ASEAN and other organizations that were formed

to promote regional development and trade, the countries of

Southeast Asia are becoming more interdependent.

Section 2 – Summary

Volcanic eruptions, flash floods, and typhoons have serious

effects on Southeast Asians’ lives.

Industrialization and economic development in Southeast

Asia often result in the pollution of air, land, and water.

The region’s countries are taking steps to protect the

environment.