Explain the geo-strategic importance of Southeast Asia in the first half of the first millennium
What will be an ideal response?
ANSWER:
Southeast Asia consists of three geographical zones: the Indochina mainland, the Malay Peninsula, and thousands of islands extending on an east-west axis far out into the Pacific Ocean (see Map 7.2). Encompassing a vast area of land and water, this region is now occupied by the countries of Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines. Poised between the ancient centers of China and India, Southeast Asia has been influenced by the cultures of both civilizations. The region first rose to prominence and prosperity because of its intermediate role in the trade exchanges between southern and eastern Asia. The strategic importance of Southeast Asia is enhanced by the region’s natural resources. This is a geologically active zone; the islands are the tops of a chain of volcanoes. Lying along the equator, Southeast Asia has a tropical climate. The temperature hovers around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), and the monsoon winds provide dependable rainfall throughout the year. Thanks to several growing cycles each year, the region is capable of supporting a large human population. The most fertile agricultural lands lie along the floodplains of the largest silt-bearing rivers or contain rich volcanic soil deposited by ancient eruptions.
You might also like to view...
The Dominion of New England included the New England colonies, as well as __________
A) New York and New Jersey B) Canada and Maine C) Ohio and Pennsylvania D) Canada and Ohio
After 1837, which political party became the anti-bank, hard-money party?
A) Whigs B) Republicans C) Millerites D) Federalists E) Democrats
Ruth Reichl, a former New York Times food critic, dressed in disguise a poor old woman and became __________.
Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word.
The _____ was the metaphorical barrier that prevented women in the 1970s from rising above a certain level in corporate jobs
A) glass ceiling B) old-boy network C) tipping point D) new world order E) melting pot