How did European colonization influence the development of the modern countries of Southeast Asia, and how did that process differ in the insular and the mainland regions?

Question

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Answer 1

The arrival of European colonialism significantly altered the development of Southeast Asia. The modern political boundaries of most Southeast Asian countries are a reflection of colonial processes; likewise, the economic structures—including both capitalism and communism— were introduced through both colonial and anti-colonial developments. A major distinction between mainland and insular Southeast Asia is that neither Indonesia nor the Philippines were completely controlled by European powers, thus leading to widespread ethnic tensions that are augmented by the fragmented nature of these countries.