The region of South East Asia is surrounded by the areas of China to the north, the subcontinent of India to the west and the rest is bounded by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. This large area encompasses 10 countries which include in no particular order Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and the Philippines.
The actual term of South East Asia became popularized during World War II. Before this, it was called by many names such as the East Indies, the Indochina region and even the Malay Peninsula.
Here are some interesting facts:
After Brazil, the country of Vietnam is the largest exporter of coffee.
The temple of Angkor Wat of Cambodia is the largest known temple on earth.
Vietnam stretches close to 1700 km from north to south, and at the narrowest area (chokepoint) located near the center of the country; it is only 50 km wide.
The country of Indonesia has over 15,000 small to large islands.
The population of South East Asia as a whole is close to 600 million people, where a fifth is living on the island of Java (Indonesia).
The country of Brunei has the most vehicle ownership in all of Southeast Asia.
The National sport of Laos is Kator.
Malaysia has a plant species that grows the world’s largest leaves which can measure up to 3 x 2 m long.
The most popular drink in Myanmar is actually tea (both black and green).
In the Philippines the official languages are both Filipino and English.
In Thailand, Buddhist is the national religion where the country has over 30,000 temples.
To learn more about the South East Asian Region visit www.PakseCafe.com
