Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia.

Topography of the subregion

Southeast Asia lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic and volcanic activity. Island arcs and archipelagoes lie southeast and also east of the Asian mainland. Southeast Asia is geographically divided into two regions, namely Indochina and the Malay Archipelago.

Related Topics:
Island arc - Archipelago - Asia

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Indochina or sometimes mainland Southeast Asia includes all of :

Related Topics:
Indochina - Mainland Southeast Asia

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• Myanmar (formerly Burma)
• Thailand (formerly Siam)
• Cambodia
• Lao PDR (Laos)
• Vietnam

The Malay archipelago (Malay: Nusantara), variously Malay World, an ethno-cultural notion, or maritime Southeast Asia consists of:

Related Topics:
Malay archipelago - Malay - Malay World - Maritime Southeast Asia

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• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Brunei
• Indonesia
• East Timor
• Philippines

Malaysia is divided by the South China Sea. Peninsular Malaysia is on the mainland while East Malaysia is on Borneo, the largest islands in the region. However, Malaysia is often considered an archipelagic nation.

Related Topics:
South China Sea - Peninsular Malaysia - East Malaysia - Borneo

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Geologically the Malay archipelago is very interesting, being one of the most active vulcanological regions in the world. Geological uplifts in the region have also produced some impressive mountains, culminating in Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia on the island of Borneo with a height of 4 101 m and also Puncak Jaya in Irian Jaya, Indonesia at 4 884 m, on the island of New Guinea.

Related Topics:
Vulcanological - Geological - Uplift - Mount Kinabalu - Sabah - Puncak Jaya - Irian Jaya

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There are various conflicting territorial and/or maritime claims, both among these countries and even involving other parties (notably both Chinas in the case of the Spratly Islands).

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Contrary to common misconception, the inhabitants of archipelagic Southeast Asia are not Pacific Islanders.

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