Southeast Asia Essay

725 Words3 Pages
1. Locate Southeast Asia in Asia. How did the concept of Asia evolve? What earlier names were given to the region? Asia: Asu – East Sunrise; Europe: Ereb – West Sunset. Asia: “Cradle of Civilizations” Southeast Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, East Timor, Micronesia “The Single Ocean”. “Monsoon Asia” 1. Amihan – Hot winds: January to June; 2. Habagat – Cold winds: July to December. China: Nan-yang; Arabs: Waq-waq; Indians: Suvarnadvipa. Japanese: Nan yo Southeast Asia: “Mysterious region that produced spices and other exotic products”, “Skilled and courageous seafarers”. Recognized as: International trading system, serving as a provider of valuable commodities and connecting the Asian, and Middle Eastern segments of the system. Southeast Asia: A place south of China and east of India. 2. What is the significance of studying Southeast Asia? How can the misconceptions about Southeast be rectified? Significance of studying Southeast Asia: economic and geographical significance of the area, and the misconceptions and distorted views about Southeast Asia that needs to be rectified. a. Economic and geographical significance of the area. - Strategic location and resources: Midst of ancient civilizations, India and China making it as a crossroads of civilizations. - Main corridor of international trade involving Chinese, Arabs, and Europeans. China to Europe: Silk, porcelain, and etc. - Arena of political and economic rivalry among the world powers: ZOPFAN (Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality of ASEAN was conceived primarily to shield the regions against power rivalry. -Resources: World’s most important minerals such as gold and tin. b. Southeast Asia has been seen both as reality and myth. - The colonizers promoted the view that no significant political and
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