Southeast Asia is one of the most dynamic regions in the world. Here are very different countries. they are united not only by the proximity of their geographical location, but also by an intensive search for ways to further the effective development of society. This is not always possible. Hence the acute problems and conflicts. Indonesia is the regional leader.

Indonesia

General information. The official name is the Republic of Indonesia. The capital is Jakarta (over 10 million people). Area -1900000 km 2 (15th place in the world). Population - more than 230 million people (4th place). Official language- Indonesian. The monetary unit is the Indonesian rupiah.

Geographical position. Indonesia is the most island country in the world. It occupies completely big islands like Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, most of the island of Kalimantan and half of the island of New Guinea. In addition, Indonesia owns thousands of small islands located between the Indian and Pacific oceans. On land, Indonesia directly borders Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. The geographical position is generally favorable for the development of the economy. Indonesia is located on the sea routes between the Indian and Pacific oceans, where the powerful states of the world are now located - the USA, China, Japan and India.

History of origin and development. About 2 thousand years ago, the Hindus brought Buddhism to the Indonesian islands. From the 7th to the 13th century n. e. there was an empire under the leadership of the Hindus. At this time, the island of Java gradually became the center of the creation of Indonesian statehood. At the beginning of the XVI century. first the Portuguese and Spaniards appeared in the Malay Archipelago, and then the Dutch. In the latter, they managed to conquer the local Muslim states, from which they created a colony. During World War II, Indonesia was invaded by Japan. After the defeat of Japan in 1945, a republic was proclaimed. In the future, Indonesia experienced more than one crisis. There were massive violations of human rights, abuses of power, corruption flourished, which led to riots in 1998

State structure and form of government. Indonesia is a unitary state, a presidential republic. The head of state and government is the president. Legislature belongs to the Council of People's Representatives. His term of office is 5 years. supreme body state power is the People's Consultative Congress. The country is divided into 28 provinces, 2 special regions, 1 special district.

Natural conditions and resources. In the geological sense, Indonesia is a young, seismically active region, where the process of mountain building continues. There are more than 100 volcanoes destructive earthquakes often accompanied by tsunamis. In 1883 Krakatoa volcano exploded here. It was the largest eruption in human history.

More than half of the country is covered by mountains. The highest point in Indonesia, the city of Jaya (5029 m) is located on the island of New Guinea.

The equatorial and subequatorial climate prevails. Throughout the year, the average monthly temperature ranges from +25 ° C to +27 ° C. From 2000 to 4000 mm of precipitation falls annually. There are two monsoons in winter and summer (northwest and southeast).

There are no major rivers. They are short, but full-flowing. Almost 2/3 of the territory is covered with moist equatorial forests. They have many valuable species of trees. Diverse and rich animal world, represented by elephants, rhinos, tigers, monkeys.

Indonesia has significant reserves of various minerals. There are energy carriers - oil and gas, coal and brown coal. Deposits of ore minerals are being developed - iron and manganese ores, bauxite, copper, tin, uranium, cobalt, thorium, silver and gold. Among non-metallic minerals, sulfur, phosphorites, asbestos, table salt stand out.

population. Indonesia, like many other countries, has a very unevenly distributed population. With an average density of more than 120 people per 1 km 2 individual islands almost uninhabited, and on the island of Java, the population density approaches 1000 people per 1 km 2. There is no other country in the world where the population would be so isolated from each other on different islands and at great distances. With a high birth rate and low mortality, there is a significant natural increase in the population (16% o). The urban population is a minority (40%). Many millionaire cities. In addition to the capital Jakarta, it is also Surabaya (more than 3 million people), Bandung (about Out of a million people), Medang (more than 2 million people).

Indonesia is an extremely diverse national composition. None of the nationalities has an absolute majority: Javanese - 33%, Sunds - 15 Minangkabau - 12%, etc. In total, there are more than 500 peoples living on their ethnic lands. Sunni Muslims predominate among believers (88%). There are also Christians (8%), Hindus (2%), Buddhists (1%).

Economy. Indonesia is an agro-industrial power. Almost 70% of the economically active population is employed in agriculture. Small farms predominate. The area of ​​large plantations is growing. Agricultural land occupies only 8% of the country's territory. The main crops are rice (the country ranks 3rd in the world in terms of cultivation), coffee (4th), tea (5th). Sugarcane is also grown coconuts, tobacco, oil palm. The traditional occupations of the peasants are the collection of natural rubber (2nd place in the world), sisal (agave), copra. The main food products are rice, corn, cassava, soybeans, etc. Animal husbandry plays a supporting role. More common fishing and harvesting valuable breeds trees (sandalwood, teak, etc.).

The leading industry is mining, primarily oil and natural gas, which is carried out by foreign companies, mainly Japanese. This industry provides up to 60% of foreign exchange earnings. Indonesia is the world's largest producer of liquefied natural gas, which is transported to Japan. Among the energy carriers, the extraction of stone and brown coal. The production of non-ferrous metals, gold and diamonds is growing.

Traditionally developed light and food industry. The first is now dominated by textile, clothing and footwear. Crafts are very common. The famous hand-painted batik fabrics, woven mats, carvings are unique. Ivory etc.

Over the past decades, Indonesia has been developing quite rapidly modern industries industries: aerospace, radio electronics, shipbuilding, automotive, etc. Production in the chemical and petrochemical industries is growing at a faster pace. The industry is rapidly diversifying. New industries are emerging and old ones are being reconstructed and expanded. Indonesia now produces paper, tires, matches, glass, cement, bricks, etc.

The island nature of the country determines the dominance of maritime transport in it. In Indonesia great amount seaports and marinas. The fleet has more than 2 thousand ships. By lenght railway tracks(7 thousand km) Indonesia is inferior even to small states in terms of area and population. The length of motor roads is more than 300 thousand km. The importance of air transport in both domestic and international traffic is growing.

culture and social development. Indonesian cultural and historical heritage is extremely rich and varied. For example, there are more than 20 thousand (!) Temples on the famous island of Bali. Traditional holidays and ceremonies take place here over 200 days a year. The largest cities have unique museums, for example, in the capital Jakarta, the Museums of Indonesian and Javanese culture. Lots of great art galleries and exhibitions. On the island of Java, world-famous temple complexes: Hindu - Pram banana and Buddhist - Borobudur. In Indonesia, 85% are literate. The average life expectancy is 67 years.

The Republic of Indonesia recognized Ukraine on December 28, 1991 Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on June 11, 1992 by signing a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations. The Embassy of Indonesia has been working in Kiev since April 1994

Questions and tasks

1. How does the insular position of Indonesia affect the development of the country?

2. Give a description natural conditions and resources of Indonesia.

3. Name and show on the map the largest cities in Indonesia.

4. Which sectors of the Indonesian economy use its historical and cultural heritage?

conclusions

Asia is a part of the world, colorful in every sense, where yesterday, today and the future are intricately intertwined. The largest number of regions (6) will be highlighted here. Each of them has one or more regional leaders.

The regions of Transcaucasia and Central Asia are represented by the former republics Soviet Union, are trying to solve a lot of hereditary problems and get rid of colonial dependence on Russia.

Southwest Asia has concentrated on its territory the most acute political problems peace. The confrontation between Israel and the Islamic world, the national liberation struggle of peoples, the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, the conflict between Iran and the United States, Israel are far from complete list local contradictions.

In the South and East Asia there is a rapid economic growth and modernization of all spheres of life. Regional leaders China, Japan and India in terms of GNP are now consecutively the second, third and fourth countries in the world. In Southeast Asia, the most Islamic country on our planet, Indonesia, is changing rapidly.

Test control

1. The countries of Transcaucasia include:

a) Turkmenistan;

b) Georgia;

c) Afghanistan;

e) Armenia;

e) Azerbaijan.

2. Georgia borders on the following countries:

a) Turkey;

b) Russia;

c) Uzbekistan;

d) Moldova;

d) Azerbaijan;

e) Iraq.

3. Which of these statements are correct:

a) most of Georgia lies in the subtropical climate zone;

b) the largest natural wealth of Georgia is recreational resources;

c) the capital of Georgia is the city of Kutaisi?

4. The countries of Central Asia include:

a) Azerbaijan;

b) Pakistan;

c) Turkmenistan;

d) Tajikistan; d) Kyrgyzstan;

e) Uzbekistan.

5. In Uzbekistan, the population is:

a) 45 million people;

b) more than 25 million people;

c) 125 million people.

6. Specify the correct statements:

a) Uzbekistan is a unitary state, a presidential republic;

b) the climate of Uzbekistan is maritime;

c) length railways Uzbekistan 90 thousand km.

7. The countries of Southwest Asia include:

c) Afghanistan;

d) Saudi Arabia;

e) Thailand.

8. The monetary unit of Iraq are:

9. Which statements are true:

a) the capital of Iran is Tehran;

b) there are many large rivers in Iran;

c) Is pig breeding predominating in Iran's animal husbandry?

10. The countries of South Asia include:

a) Sri Lanka;

b) Myanmar;

d) Cambodia;

d) Maldives;

e) Pakistan.

11. What place does India occupy in terms of population in the world:

a) the first;

b) second;

c) third?

12. India gained independence in:

13. East Asian countries include:

a) Republic of Korea;

b) Philippines;

c) Vietnam;

d) Mongolia;

14. The area of ​​China is:

a) 3300000 km 2;

b) 9600000 km 2;

c) 3800000 km 2.

15. Indicate the correct statement in your opinion:

a) largest river China is the Yangtze;

c) China ranks 5th in the world in terms of wheat cultivation.

16. Japan land borders with the following countries:

a) Russia;

b) Korea;

17. The countries of Southeast Asia include:

a) Bangladesh;

c) Myanmar;

d) Philippines; d) Mongolia; D) North Korea.

18. What climate prevails in Indonesia:

a) tropical;

b) subtropical and temperate;

c) equatorial and subequatorial?

Southeast Asia is a major world economic center, known to most for its popular tourist destinations. This vast region is very diverse in terms of ethnic composition of the population, culture and religion. All this eventually affected the general life, is of great interest to tourists from all over the world.

The countries of Southeast Asia is a generalized definition referring to a number of states concentrated south of China, east of India and north of Australia. Despite this, usually the map of southeast Asia includes 11 states.

From the middle of the last century to the present, this part of the world is actively developing and playing a huge role in the global economy. The population of southeast Asia is about 600 million people, the most populous state is Indonesia, and the most populous island is Java.

The length of the region from north to south is 3.2 thousand kilometers, and from west to east - 5.6. The countries of Southeast Asia are:

Sometimes this list includes some other territories controlled by states that are part of Asia, but in general, by location, they are not from among the countries of the southeast. Most often these are islands and territories controlled by China, India, Australia and Oceania, these include:

• (China).
• (China).
• (Australia).
• (China).
• Nicobar Islands (India).
• islands (India).
• Ryukyu Islands (Japan).

According to various sources, about 40% of the world's population lives in the countries of Southeast Asia, many of them have united in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Thus, in 2019, almost half of the world's GDP is produced here. Economic characteristics recent years have been marked by high development in the region in many areas.

Tourism sector

The end of the war between the US and Vietnam had a positive impact on the popularization of resorts in the late 60s. They are still actively developing today, especially since citizens of our country can go to most of these states under a simplified visa regime, and many do not require a visa at all. The countries of Southeast Asia, due to the tropical climate, are suitable for a beach holiday all year round.

Yet in some parts of this gigantic peninsula, the climate is different time year is different, so it will be useful to study the maps beforehand. In the middle and second half of winter, it is better to go to India to the island or to Vietnam, since at this time of the year there is no constant rainfall inherent in the tropical climate. Still suitable for recreation Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

• south of China;
• Indonesia;
• Malaysia;
• pacific islands.

The most popular destinations among our tourists are Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and Sri Lanka.

Peoples and cultures

Racial and ethnic composition Southeast Asia is very heterogeneous. This also applies to religion: the eastern part of the archipelago is mostly populated by followers of Buddhism, and there are also Confucians - in view of a large number There are about 20 million Chinese immigrants from the southern provinces of the PRC. These countries include Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and a number of other states. It is also not uncommon to meet Hindus and Christians. In the western part of Southeast Asia, Islam is predominantly practiced, it is this religion that ranks first in terms of the number of followers.

The ethnic composition of the region is represented by the following peoples:

And in this list - only a small part of all ethnic groups and subgroups, there are also representatives of the peoples of Europe. By and large, the culture of the southeast is a mixture of Indian and Chinese cultures.

The Spaniards and the Portuguese, who colonized the islands in these places, had a great influence on the population. Arab culture also played a huge role, with about 240 million people practicing Islam here. Over the centuries, common traditions have developed here, almost everywhere in all these countries people eat using Chinese chopsticks, they are very fond of tea.

Yet there are amazing cultural features that will interest any foreigner. One of the most superstitious peoples in the archipelago are the Vietnamese.. For example, it is customary for them to hang mirrors on the outside of the entrance: if a dragon comes, he will immediately run away, frightened by his own reflection. There is still a bad sign to meet a woman in the morning, leaving the house. Or it is considered bad form to lay out cutlery on the table for one person. It is also not customary to touch a person’s shoulder or head, as they believe that good spirits are nearby, and touching them can scare them away.

Demography

In the countries of Southeast Asia for last years the birth rate has declined, yet this part of the world ranks second in terms of population reproduction.

The inhabitants here are very heterogeneously settled, the most densely populated place is the island of Java: the density per 1 square kilometer is 930 people. All are settled on the Indochina Peninsula, which occupies the eastern part of Southeast Asia, and on the western Malay Archipelago, consisting of many large and small islands. The population prefers to live in the deltas of numerous rivers, the highlands are less populated, and the forests are almost deserted.

Most of all people live outside the cities, the rest settle in developed centers, more often the capitals of states, the lion's share of the economy of which is replenished by the tourist flow.

Thus, almost all of these cities have a population of over 1 million, yet most of the population lives outside their borders and is engaged in agriculture.

Economy

Looking at the map, the countries of Southeast Asia can be conditionally divided into 2 camps. The first one includes the following:

• Laos;
• Cambodia;
• Vietnam.

In the post-war period, these countries chose the socialist path of development, when, in fact, territorial division began in order to strengthen national sovereignty. Back in the 1980s, these countries had virtually no manufacturing industry, local population predominantly engaged in agriculture. According to UN statistics of those years, these states had a low level of development, per capita income usually did not exceed $500 a year.

The second camp includes the following countries:

• Indonesia;
• Malaysia;
• Singapore;
• Philippines;
• Thailand;
• Brunei.

The countries from this list united in the Association of Southeast Asia (ASEAN) and followed the path market economy. As a result, the socialist camp achieved less success, although initially the chances for all these countries were almost equal. The income per person per year ranged from 500 to 3 thousand dollars.

Most developed countries of those in ASEAN today are Brunei and Singapore, per capita account for about 20 thousand dollars. Such indicators were achieved due to the fact that Singapore has a well-developed industry, and Brunei acts as an exporter of petroleum products. Several factors helped the emerging ASEAN:

• Export.
• Industry.
• Foreign investments.
• Creation of corporations with a flexible viable system.
• Reforms.

The ASEAN countries began to develop successfully due to the presence of a large number of natural resources Moreover, they are constantly engaged in the export of their goods. Even in the countries of Southeast Asia, components are made for various household appliances, electronics and other equipment. Thailand also exports cars.

In countries following the path of socialism, the restructuring of the system began to take place in the late 1980s and produced visible results in just a few years. Vietnam is engaged in oil refining, natural gas production, iron ore and another. Foreign capital poured into this country from Singapore and a number of European countries. Thailand invested in Laos, and at the end of the 20th century, both states were also able to join ASEAN.

Comrades, since such a booze has gone on, let's talk?

For 4.5 months we have traveled to 8 countries of Southeast Asia (except the Philippines, Brunei and East Timor) and on this occasion, at my leisure, I drew such a diagram with comparative characteristic these countries.

Opinions like "well, Indonesia is a beautiful country, I rested in Bali for a week" in my opinion do not quite fit here. We welcome impressions from independent travelers who rode local transport, lived with natives, etc., etc.

A little more about each country under the cut. Naturally, based on own experience and IMHA :)
.
Myanmar. Dreamland. All the shortcomings in the form of poverty, government troubles and problems with the entire social sphere (lack of the Internet, a ban on exchanging money ...) are compensated by an angel-like population and amazing sights in their beauty and unusualness.

Malaysia. Asian Europe. Great service nice people and interesting cities. The only drawback is the high cost, which, in principle, can be avoided by living in cheap guest houses and eating in Chinese eateries.

Laos. Officially called Lao PDR. It is deciphered by tourists as "Lao please don" t rush". A calm mountainous country with nice people and interesting things. Prices are low. There are no special delights.

Thailand. NO. Temples in Myanmar are more interesting, cents in Laos are lower. Pleasant, cute, ideal for relaxation, which is what we are doing in it now.

Cambodia. It is interesting for the historical center of the capital Phnom Penh and the world-famous Angkor Wat, an ancient temple complex. It seems that the entire economy of the country stands on Anchor. Other than that, there is nothing to see or do. as a single minus - the most annoying taxi drivers in all of Southeast Asia.

Singapore. Very expensive. VERY. Plus it's a city-state, so you don't get to ride much, except around the city on the subway. Licked, fashionable, sterile. Two days is quite enough, because it is interesting as a phenomenon.

Vietnam. It would be interesting if it weren't for the people. People in Vietnam are not good, especially in the North. They are impudent, tactless, disrespectful, try to cheat from scratch, check all payments to the last penny - God forbid, you didn’t give them something. And the impression of the country depends on the impression of the locals. But over time it turned out that it also had its advantages: good transport system around the country, cheap decent guesthouses, the cheapest food in Southeast Asia. The Internet is everywhere.

Indonesia. I thought people in Vietnam were not nice. Well, I was wrong, of course. In Indonesia, people are not just goats, but stupid goats. As soon as I remember, my hair immediately stands on end. In Indonesia, everything is bad and vile: local transport, food, organization. People sometimes go so far as to throw stones and beat with sticks on the back. They try to cheat everywhere and always. Only here nature is amazing and incredible. So I do not regret that I rode through the country, but to repeat - not in this life.

Asia, probably, can be considered the brightest, most diverse and contrasting part of the world, in which more than half of humanity lives. Dozens of countries and peoples with a huge variety are concentrated in it. political devices and economic systems, different levels life and dissimilar cultural backgrounds. Many of them occupy leading positions among the most powerful economies in the world, while adjoining frankly impoverished states.

Among these countries there are also many leaders in various ratings in terms of the area of ​​occupied territories, the number of population, its general density and growth rate. There are many countries with the fastest growing economies.

It is also surprising that among these countries there are many officially unrecognized states - Waziristan, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, the Shan state, or partially recognized ones - Abkhazia, Azad Kashmir, Republic of China(Taiwan island).

Some powers of this part of the world are partially located on the European part of the continent, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Indonesia, Yemen, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Georgia, or are part of other states, for example, the countries of the Asian part of Russia. It is also surprising that Cyprus, which is located entirely in Asia, is at the same time a member of the European Union (EU) and Turkey is a member of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO). These are the countries that are included in Asia, amazing and incredible.

In general, Asia knows how to surprise and amaze the imagination with its scale and incredible features.

Historically, Asia is divided into five main parts: Northern (countries that are part of Russia), Central, Eastern, Western (Front) and South Asia. In Russian geographical literature, you can find such a term as "countries of the foreign part of Asia", it means all of Asia, except for its northern part, that is, those countries that are part of Russia.

In the future, it will be indicated Asian countries with a list of their capitals, grouped according to different criteria.

Asian countries with their capitals

Western part:

Central part:

• Tajikistan (Dushanbe),
• Kazakhstan (Ankara),
• Afghanistan (Kabul),
• Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek),
• Turkmenistan (Ashgabat),
• Uzbekistan (Tashkent),

South Asia (countries):

• Nepal (Kathmandu),
• Sri Lanka (Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte - official, Colombo - fact.),
• Bhutan (Thimphu),
• Pakistan (Islamabad),
• India (New Delhi),
• Bangladesh (Dhaka),
• Maldives (Male),

East End:

• Japan Tokyo),
• Democratic People's Republic of Korea - North Korea or North Korea (Pyongyang),
• Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar),
• Republic of Korea or South Korea(Seoul)
• China - China (Beijing).

Countries of Southeast Asia (list):

Northern part:

• Russia and all its Asian republics (Moscow).

States not recognized by the world community and not fully recognized

Unrecognized states of the region:

• Waziristan (Vana),
• Shan State (Taunggyi),
• Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Stepanakert),

Partially recognized states of the region:

• State of Palestine (Ramallah),
• Abkhazia (Sukhum),
• Republic of South Ossetia (Tskhinvali),
• Azad Kashmir (Muzaffarabad),
• Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (Lefkosa),
• Taiwan Island - Republic of China (Taipei).

Controlled territories:

• British territory in Indian Ocean(Diego Garcia)
• Akrotiri and Dekeria (Episkopi),
• Christmas Island (Flying Fish Cove),
• Macau - Macau (Macao - Macau),
• Cocos Islands (West Island),
• Hong Kong - Hong Kong (Hong Kong - Hong Kong).

Conclusion

Now the reader has an idea of ​​what diverse and dissimilar states there are in Asia, where their capitals are located and how many there really are.

And if suddenly you decide to visit one of these states, then approach the choice of a place of further stay with special care, because Asia is not only beautiful and amazing, but also dangerous! Many customs and traditions of the peoples living there may contradict the ideas about the norm and morality of a European inhabitant, and vice versa, an act that seems harmless to you and me, in the East can be regarded as immoral and even illegal. Therefore, be vigilant and attentive.

According to Wikipedia, this moment I managed to visit half of the countries of Southeast Asia. Let's briefly go over where it was interesting, and what could have been missed. If you are interested Southeast Asian countries, in the blocks below you will find links to all sections of interest.

Southeast Asia. Philippines.

I'll start with Philippines, because this country was the first to which he went to travel on his own. Overcoming a heap of doubts and fears, discovered an amazing and new world travel. I realized that the world is not limited to the city where I was born and how many amazing places there are. This is where I got my first solo travel experience.

Southeast Asian countries - Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

This was my second trip, which included, in addition to the countries listed, also China. To be honest, it was China that was the main country of that trip and it was there that I spent the most time. But China is not included in the list of countries in Southeast Asia, so today we are not talking about it.

V Thailand I was only in Bangkok, and even then a couple of days. I can’t say exactly why, but the city left a rather pleasant impression. Markets, narrow streets, friendly Thais, temples. It was interesting to spend some time in this city.

Next was Cambodia, in which the strength was a week. After driving through tourist spots such as Angkor Wat and Kampot, I went straight to Vietnam. In my opinion, the most interesting things in Cambodia are hidden in small non-tourist villages in the north of the country. At that time, I didn't get there.

In Vietnam happened to be twice. The country is pleasant, left a fairly even impression. All of it can be slowly driven in a couple of weeks. Probably, the main thing that Vietnam gave me was some interesting people with whom I still communicate.

Countries of Southeast Asia. India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore.

If we still decide to hook India, I can say that the country is very unusual and unlike anything else. I happened to visit only in the north of the country and go down a little to the south, to Mumbai. Almost all visited places, with the exception of only Delhi, seemed very interesting. Mountains in the north, desert in the west, plains in the central part. It was interesting and memorable.

Malaysia turned out to be a country to which he remained absolutely indifferent. Neither good nor bad ... nothing. True, he didn’t go anywhere further than Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, maybe that’s why nothing was left in his memory.

Singapore, city-country for a couple of days. Very clean, tidy. It's way too calm for me. The second time I would not fly to Singapore.

On the Sri Lanka visited in 2018. A country that left positive emotions, but, as for me, also at times.

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