The second edition of Eurázsia Szemle in 2024 focuses mainly on Southeast Asia. But what does “Southeast Asia” actually mean? The term itself was first coined in the book Travels in South-eastern Asia, Embracing Hindustan, Malaya, Siam, and China by the American pastor Howard Malcolm, published in 1839. At that time, Malcolm understood Southeast Asia to mean only the mainland. Until the early twentieth century, several names were coined for the different regions, but the term Southeast Asia did not officially gain acceptance until the middle of the Second World War with the establishment of the Allied Command in Southeast Asia (SEAC) in 1943. Although, thanks to SEAC, the terminology gradually spread, the concept of Southeast Asia at that time did not include the Philippines or most of Indonesia, while Srí Lanka was included. By the late 1970s, however, the term Southeast Asia and the areas it covered had been largely standardised. Today, the ten countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam – and Timor-Leste constitute Southeast Asia in political terms, although there are different interpretations.
Geographically, the Southeast Asian mainland consists of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Vietnam, and the small city-state of Singapore at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, which occupy the eastern part of the mainland, are often referred to as the Indochinese Peninsula. Malaysia is both a mainland and an island state, its western part being on the Malay Peninsula and its eastern part located on the island of Borneo. With the exception of the small sultanate of Brunei (also on Borneo), the rest of the archipelago consists of Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste (East Timor), which became independent in 2002.
The significance of Southeast Asia, the most accessible tropical region in the world, is enhanced by the fact that it is strategically located at the sea gate between East Asia and the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea. It is also home to the South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, which is a source of serious conflict between China and the Southeast Asian nations due to disputed maritime boundaries.
Demographically, the region is strikingly heterogeneous. The population of Southeast Asia is predominantly rural, with three quarters of the populace living in non-urban areas. With approximately 280 million inhabitants, the most populous country in the region – and also the largest – is Indonesia, although the majority of the population is concentrated on the island of Java. Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, as well as Bangkok in Thailand, and Manila in the Philippines are all major metropolises which are among the most populous cities in the world.
The presence of large minorities is a source of serious political tension in many countries. In mainland Southeast Asia, the Burmese make up more than two-thirds of Myanmar’s population, but the country also has a number of regional ethnic groups, mainly living in states specifically created for them.
The countries of Southeast Asia are home to many world faiths. In terms of population, Islam is the most widely followed religion. Its 240 million adherents, about 40% of the total population, are mainly concentrated in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, southern Thailand and the southern Philippines. Indonesia is the most populous Muslim-majority country in the world, while Islam is the state religion in Malaysia and Brunei.
There are around 205 million Buddhists in Southeast Asia. This makes Buddhism the second largest religion in the region after Islam. Buddhism is the predominant faith in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Singapore, with the majority of followers belonging to the Theravada or Mahayana schools. Christianity dominates in the Philippines, eastern Indonesia, East Malaysia and Timor-Leste. The Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia where the inhabitants have adopted the religion of the colonial rulers, and more than 80% of the population still profess Catholicism.
ASEAN is the fifth largest economy in the world, which naturally makes it a heterogeneous region. In 2022, the region’s total GDP reached USD 3.6 trillion, while GDP per capita was USD 5,392.
Southeast Asia’s role in the global economy is illustrated by the fact that the region is a global manufacturing hub. Manufacturing accounts for 20% of ASEAN’s GDP, and the Association is not only one of the most important markets in this sector, but it also boasts the third largest labour force in the world. Although the region’s economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, the manufacturing and service sectors are becoming increasingly important. Malaysia is the only country in Southeast Asia that is able to export domestically produced cars to other parts of the world, including Europe, Australia, the Middle East, Africa, South America and South Asia. Southeast Asia is not far behind the world’s other regions in terms of raw material resources. It is no coincidence that tourism is also a key factor in the development of many Southeast Asian countries. After the shock of Covid-19, this sector is now recovering, with a positive impact on growth in individual countries, which is important at a time when the fallout from geopolitical tensions can be acutely felt in the global economy.
The development of Southeast Asia appears to be unbroken, although there are major differences within the individual countries due to the region’s heterogeneity. In addition to investment, increasing innovation is also an important component of growth. However, it should be borne in mind that the only long-term solution to the area’s abiding political, economic and social problems (e.g. ethnic and religious conflicts, terrorism, population explosion, extreme poverty, dictatorships, human rights violations, etc.) is inclusive development that involves as many people as possible.
Among the discussion of other crucial topics, the present issue of our journal includes studies on finance, cultural heritage and regionalism, with each of our international authors taking a specific approach to one of the region’s current problems.
I sincerely hope that this issue of Eurázsia Szemle will help disseminate knowledge about Southeast Asia, promote academic discourse and influence political and economic decisions. I believe that without an understanding of this region, the concept of Eurasia as a whole, which is the raison d’être of our journal, cannot be fully understood.
Péter Klemensits, PhD
Head of Southeast Asia Column
The complete edition of Eurázsia Szemle Volume IV Issue 2 can be downloaded here: