Introduction to Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia consists of eleven countries, which is located north of Australia, east of India, south of China and west of New Guinea. With an estimated population of 442,500,000, the Muslim culture is primarily dominant over the country along with other cultures such as the Chinese. Out of all of the languages in the world, Southeast Asia has approximately a thousand languages spoken in the country alone. It’s also noteworthy to state that the region gained their independence following World War II. Southeast Asia is mostly covered with tropical forests that also consists of wet monsoon winds that aid in the country’s economy. Roughly more than ¾ of the Southeast Asia population is agriculture-based. Rice is their main crop with coconuts, spices and rubber, which are also important. Some say that twice as much fish is consumed in Southeast Asia compared to other forms of protein. Now in relation to the natural disasters in Southeast Asia, according to reports, "Fewer people died from natural disasters in Asia in 2012 than in previous years. Now comes the bad news: between January and October, natural disasters in Asia still claimed more lives here than anywhere else in the world – and experts predict the trend will continue as populations and industries expand in a region that already houses the world’s largest number of urban residents." Southeast Asia not only has an impact in the economy around the world but also a vast impact in agriculture, culture and populations.

http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201204/s3481101.htm

Reference: http://www.asianscientistasias-2012-figures-trends/