Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia or Southeastern Asia, sometimes abbreviated to SEA, is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic and volcanic activity.

Southeast Asia consists of two geographic regions: the Asian mainland, and island arcs and archipelagoes to the east and southeast. The mainland section consists of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam; the population of which are primarily Tai peoples and Austroasiatic peoples; the dominant religion is Buddhism, followed by Islam, and Christianity. The maritime section consists of Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. Some definitions include Taiwan at the north. Austronesian peoples predominate in this region; the dominant religion is Islam, followed by Christianity.

Political

Definitions of "Southeast Asia" vary, but most definitions include the area represented by the countries:

All of the above are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), except East Timor (also known as Timor Leste), which is an ASEAN candidate state. The area, together with part of South Asia, was widely known as the East Indies or simply the Indies until the twentieth century. Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are considered part of Southeast Asia though they are governed by Australia. Taiwan is sometimes considered part of Southeast Asia as well as East Asia but it is not a member of ASEAN. Sovereignty issues exist over some islands in the South China Sea. Papua is politically part of Southeast Asia through Indonesia, although geographically it is often considered as part of Oceania.

Geographical

Southeast Asia is geographically divided into two regions, namely Mainland Southeast Asia (or Indochina) and the Maritime Southeast Asia (or the Malay Archipelago) (Indonesian language: ''Nusantara).