Geography
The countries, and where they are. Show on a map. Main cities. [Yangon, Mandalay, Vientiane, Chiang
Mai, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Bandar Seri
Begawan, Dili).
Main mountainous areas, fertile areas, rivers (Mekong, Irrawaddy, Chao Phraya, Salween), lakes (Tonle
Sap), islands (Sumatra, Borneo, Java, Bali, Sulawesi, Luzon, Mindanao); tectonic plates; Krakatoa,
Merapi, Pinatubo. Tsunamis.
Identify on a map.
Climate: Tropics, except N, mountains.
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Natural World
Vegetation. Forest. How logging is supposed to work (and the interest rate challenge). Important crops:
paddy rice, coconuts, oil palm, rubber, fruit, rattan, pepper, spices (cloves, nutmeg/mace).
Recognize these.
Animals. Tigers, elephants, dolphins, civets. The Wallace Line.
Environmental challenges: fires; deforestation; congested cities.
Identify an environmental challenge, and suggest remedies.
History
Early evidence of humans. Crop hearths. Early objects (bronze drums).
Pre-European modern: When, where, why, features, recognize artifacts: Funan;
Champa; Khmer Empire; Pagan; Sukothai and Ayutthaya; Srivijaya; Majapahit.
Angkor, Borobudur, Prambanan, Pagan.
Europeans: Where, when why? Portugal; Spain; Netherlands; Lanfang Republic;
Britain; France; Japan.
Pick a country in SE Asia; role of Europeans; sketch of pre-European
organization. “The colonial legacy”.
War: Indonesia (1945-75); Indonesia (1965); Cambodia (1970-1979). Why? Outcome?
Country [See notes]
Discuss a movie; a book; the drive to independence; artistic contributions.
Vietnam: Relationship with China, France; the Indochinese wars. Reforms (doi moi) from 1989.
Burma/Myanmar: The British period; drive to independence; recent political developments.
Cambodia: Focus on Khmer Empire; and period since 1945, including Khmer Rouge.
Indonesia: From 1945 onwards; Pancasila; New Order; democracy.
People
Be able to write a biographical note on one of the following:
Aung San Suu Kyi
Ho Chi Minh
Pol Pot
Sukarno
Ferdinand Marcos
King Chulalongkorn
Lee Kuan Yew
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Religion
Know which countries/areas are associated with which
religions.
Basic ideas of Hinduism; Ramayana. Characteristics and tenets
of Buddhism; for noble truths, noble eightfold path. The five
pillars of Islam. Folk religion: influences (Confucianism,
Taoism); variants (Cao Dai, Hoa Hao); ancestor veneration;
Torajan aluk; Nats.
Summarize the key characteristics; recognize practices/temples.
Culture
Art: Recognize styles of classical artifacts; and sources and types of folk art.
Music: Comment on gamelan.
Writing: Comment on a book you have read.
Ethnic minorities: Recognize characteristics (Bugis; Minangkabau; Hmong; E De; Gia Rai; Ba Na; Negritos;
Kayan.)
Demography
Know terms: CBR, CDR, rate of natural increase, TFR, demographic transition. Recent experience.
Sources of lower TFR in Vietnam. Son preference and how observed. Mechai in Thailand; dua anak
cukup in Indonesia; one-or-two child policy in Vietnam. [Remember Tableau!]
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Politics
The South China Sea: what are the issues, why important?
Economics
Economic information: main economic activities; affluence and poverty; main products. Characteristics
of poor countries. Why poor countries are poor. Sources of growth in Singapore. Microcredit: what it is
and how it works; microcredit schemes in Indonesia (BRI), Thailand (Village Funds), Vietnam (Bank for
Social Policy).
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