Southeast
Asia
ECONOMICS
&
DEVELOPMENT
Economics & Development
 Agriculture
is the leading economic activity in
Southeast Asia
 Countries
are industrializing at different rates,
which causes great variation in economies,
occupations, transportation, and communications
 Through
ASEAN and other organizations that were
formed to promote regional development and
trade, the countries of SE Asia are becoming more
interdependent.
Agriculture
 Depend
on fertile river valleys and plains
as an economic source
 Depend
on the rich variety of crops
grown in these areas to supply, not only
their own food needs, but also for an
income.
2/3 of ALL workers in
Cambodia and Laos are
farmers.
Rice Cultivation
 Most
important crop in SE Asia
 SE
Asian farmers use more than ½ of the
region’s farmable land to grow this crop.
 Not
only a major food source, it’s a
leading export product of Thailand,
Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
Great to grow in this region
because….
 Fertile
Soil
 Abundant water supply
 Warm, wet climate
 Rivers irrigate paddies
 Paddies:
grown
Flooded fields in which rice is
Rice Paddies
Other Crops
 Cassava
 Yams
 Corn
 Bananas
Subsistence VS Cash Crops
 Crop
grown mainly
to feed the
farmer’s family.
families have
small garden plots
and pigs, or
poultry.

Crops raised and
sold for profit

Rubber is an
important cash crop
for Thailand,
Indonesia, and
Malaysia

Philippines: Largest
producer of
coconuts
 Many
Which is a cash or subsistence
crop?
Forests
 Includes
jobs like logging, transporting
logs, and manufacturing finished goods
 Very
important to the industry in Vietnam
 Factories
produce paper, furniture,
plywood, and lumber.
Mines
 Tin,
Iron Ore, Manganese, and Tungsten
 Malaysia
gas
 Brunei:
is rich in petroleum and natural
95% of their export income comes
from crude oil, natural gas, and
petroleum products.
Brunei
Industry
 Industry
is growing rapidly in SE Asia
 In
many places, workers are moving from
farms to work in factories (rural to urban)
 Malaysia
is one of SE Asia’s most rapidly
developing countries and they have
increased their economic activities, and
thus their level in economic sectors and
development.
Industry
 However,
some countries are not experiencing
the same boom….
 Less
Industrialized Countries and their
characteristics…






Political Instability
Rapidly growing populations
Work force lacks training in technical skills
Depends heavily on foreign aid and investments
Inadequate infrastructure (roads, transportation,
etc.)
War & political changes can make this process go
even SLOWER!
ASEAN
 Recently,
SE ASIA has become more
interdependent (reliant on one another)
 ASEAN




Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Formed to promote regional development, trade,
and greater economic stability
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore,
and Thailand formed ASEAN in 1967.
In 1992, they agreed to establish a free-trade area
(sort of like NAFTA but for Southeast Asia!)