southeast asia
Proper noun A geographical region of Asia comprising the countries located to the south of China and east of India, typically including the mainland nations of the Indochinese Peninsula and the archipelagic nations of Maritime Southeast Asia.
This term is used to refer to the collective region, its cultures, or its geopolitical and economic affairs. * The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a major regional bloc. * Tourism in Southeast Asia is a vital part of many national economies. * The climate of much of Southeast Asia is tropical.
- Southeast Asian (adjective): Of or relating to Southeast Asia.
- She studies Southeast Asian art history.
- The term can be used attributively in compound nouns to specify a regional context.
- Southeast Asia studies, Southeast Asia policy
- ASEAN: Acronym for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the primary intergovernmental organization in the region.
- Indochina: A subregion of mainland Southeast Asia, historically referring to areas under French colonial influence, often encompassing Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
- Maritime Southeast Asia: The archipelagic part of the region, including Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and East Timor.
- SEA (common abbreviation)
- The ASEAN region (in a political or economic context)
The specific list of countries included can vary slightly by context but most commonly encompasses: Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- a geographical division of Asia that includes Indochina plus Indonesia and the Philippines and Singapore