Mainland Southeast Asia

"Indochina" redirects here. For the French colonial regime, see French Indochina.
Mainland southeast Asia
Peninsulas of Asia
Countries Burma, Cambodia, Laos, (peninsular) Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Topographic map of Indochina
Topographical map of mainland southeast Asia

Mainland southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula, refers to the continental portion of Southeast Asia[1] lying roughly south or southwest of China, and east of India. The historical name "Indochina" has its origins in the French Indochine, a combination of the names of "India" and "China", referring to the location of the territory between those two countries.

The countries of mainland Southeast Asia however received cultural influence from both India and China to varying degrees.[1] Some cultures, such as those of Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand are influenced mainly by India with a smaller influence from China. Others, such as Vietnam, are more heavily influenced by Chinese culture with only minor cultural influences from India, largely via the Champa civilization that Vietnam conquered during its southward expansion.

Geography

Mainland southeast Asia, 1886

The territories of mainland southeast Asia comprise the following:

Biogeography

In biogeography the term Indochinese Region is used to mean a major biogeographical region in the Indomalaya ecozone, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom. It includes the native flora and fauna of all the countries above. The adjacent Malesian Region covers the Maritime Southeast Asian countries, and straddles the Indomalaya and Australasian ecozones.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Marion Severynse, ed. (1997). The Houghton Mifflin Dictionary Of Geography. Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-395-86448-8.

External links