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history of Southeast Asia
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Map of Southeast Asia showing country borders and names, including Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, and East Timor, with surrounding bodies of water such as the South China Sea, Pacific Ocean, and Indian Ocean. Austronesian languages Map showing the extent of China under Emperor Wudi of the Han dynasty, with the empire highlighted in orange. Key cities, regions, and rivers are labeled, including the Great Wall marking the northern frontier and the Takla Makan Desert to the west. An inset map displays earlier territorial divisions and states. Surrounding regions such as Xiongnu, Yue, and various seas are also indicated. Sculptures at Borobudur, central Java, Indonesia. Ancient Buddhist shrines and pagodas rise above green vegetation in Pagan, Myanmar, with a large tiered stupa and brick temple prominent against distant hills. Temples with faces carved into them jut into the sky.
The mystery and preservation of Angkor's temple complex
Map showing the Khmer Empire around the year 1200, with its territory shaded in orange covering much of present-day Cambodia, Laos, eastern Thailand, and southern Vietnam. Major cities and sites such as Angkor, Phnom Penh, and Champassak are marked, along with neighboring regions including Pagan (Myanmar), Siam, Dai Viet, and Champa. Major rivers and bodies of water like the Mekong River, Tonle Sap, Gulf of Thailand, and Gulf of Tonkin are also indicated. Map showing the Ayutthaya (Ayudhya) kingdom at its largest extent in the mid-15th century, highlighted in orange across central and southern Thailand, including key cities such as Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, and Nakhon Si Thammarat. The map also labels neighboring kingdoms, major rivers, and surrounding regions such as Ava, Lan Na, Lan Xang, Dai Viet, and the Khmer kingdom. Map showing the Malacca empire around 1500, highlighted in orange and spanning parts of the Malay Peninsula and eastern Sumatra. Major regions and cities such as Malacca, Klang, Pahang, and Indragiri are labeled, along with surrounding bodies of water including the Strait of Malacca, South China Sea, Indian Ocean, and Sunda Strait.
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Map of Southeast Asia showing country borders and names, including Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, and East Timor, with surrounding bodies of water such as the South China Sea, Pacific Ocean, and Indian Ocean.
Historical map of Southeast Asia

history of Southeast Asia

Written by
William H. Frederick
Associate Professor of History, Ohio University, Athens. Author of Visions and Heat: the Making of the Indonesian Revolution and others.
William H. Frederick
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

history of Southeast Asia, history of Southeast Asia from prehistoric times to the contemporary period. Knowledge of the early prehistory of Southeast Asia has undergone exceptionally rapid change as a result of archaeological discoveries made since the 1960s, although the interpretation of these findings has remained the subject of extensive debate. Nevertheless, it seems clear that the region has been inhabited from the earliest times. Hominid fossil remains date from approximately 1,500,000 years ago and...

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