Asia is the largest part of the world in terms of area (43.4 million km², including adjacent islands) and population (4.2 billion people or 60.5% of the total population of the Earth).

Geographical position

It is located in the eastern part of the Eurasian continent, in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, bordering Europe along the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, Africa along the Suez Canal, and America along the Bering Strait. It is washed by the waters of the Pacific, Arctic and Indian oceans, and inland seas belonging to the Atlantic Ocean. The coastline is slightly indented; the following large peninsulas are distinguished: Hindustan, Arabian, Kamchatka, Chukotka, Taimyr.

Main geographical characteristics

3/4 of the Asian territory is occupied by mountains and plateaus (Himalayas, Pamirs, Tien Shan, Greater Caucasus, Altai, Sayans), the rest is occupied by plains (West Siberian, North Siberian, Kolyma, Great China, etc.). On the territory of Kamchatka, the islands of East Asia and the Malaysian coast there are a large number of active, active volcanoes. The highest point in Asia and the world is Chomolungma in the Himalayas (8848 m), the lowest is 400 meters below sea level (Dead Sea).

Asia can safely be called a part of the world where great waters flow. The basin of the Arctic Ocean includes the Ob, Irtysh, Yenisei, Irtysh, Lena, Indigirka, Kolyma, the Pacific Ocean - Anadyr, Amur, Yellow River, Yangtze, Mekong, the Indian Ocean - Brahmaputra, Ganges and Indus, the internal basin of the Caspian, Aral seas and lakes Balkhash - Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Kura. The largest sea-lake are the Caspian and Aral, tectonic lakes are Baikal, Issyk-Kul, Van, Rezaye, Lake Teletskoye, salt lakes are Balkhash, Kukunor, Tuz.

The territory of Asia lies in almost all climatic zones, the northern regions are the Arctic zone, the southern ones are the equatorial zone, the main part is influenced by a sharply continental climate, which is characterized by cold winters with low temperatures and hot, dry summers. Precipitation mainly falls in the summer, only in the Middle and Near East - in winter.

The distribution of natural zones is characterized by latitudinal zoning: northern regions - tundra, then taiga, zone of mixed forests and forest-steppe, zone of steppes with a fertile layer of black soil, zone of deserts and semi-deserts (Gobi, Taklamakan, Karakum, deserts of the Arabian Peninsula), which are separated by the Himalayas from the southern tropical and subtropical zone, Southeast Asia lies in the equatorial rainforest zone.

Asian countries

Asia is home to 48 sovereign states, 3 officially unrecognized republics (Waziristan, Nagorno-Karabakh, Shan State), 6 dependent territories (in the Indian and Pacific Oceans) - a total of 55 countries. Some countries are partially located in Asia (Russia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Yemen, Egypt and Indonesia). The largest countries in Asia are Russia, China, India, Kazakhstan, the smallest are the Comoros Islands, Singapore, Bahrain, and the Maldives.

Depending on the geographical location, cultural and regional characteristics, it is customary to divide Asia into Eastern, Western, Central, Southern and Southeast.

List of Asian countries

Major Asian countries:

(with detailed description)

Nature

Nature, plants and animals of Asia

The diversity of natural zones and climatic zones determines the diversity and uniqueness of both the flora and fauna of Asia; a huge number of very diverse landscapes allows a wide variety of representatives of the plant and animal kingdom to live here...

Northern Asia, located in the zone of the Arctic desert and tundra, is characterized by poor vegetation: mosses, lichens, dwarf birches. Then the tundra gives way to taiga, where huge pines, spruces, larches, fir, and Siberian cedars grow. The taiga in the Amur region is followed by a zone of mixed forests (Korean cedar, white fir, Olgin larch, Sayan spruce, Mongolian oak, Manchurian walnut, greenbark and bearded maple), which is adjacent to broad-leaved forests (maple, linden, elm, ash, walnut) , in the south turning into steppes with fertile black soils.

In Central Asia, the steppes, where feather grass, chamomile, tokonog, wormwood, and various herbs grow, are replaced by semi-deserts and deserts; the vegetation here is poor and is represented by various salt-loving and sand-loving plants: wormwood, saxaul, tamarisk, juzgun, ephedra. The subtropical zone in the west of the Mediterranean climate zone is characterized by the growth of evergreen hard-leaved forests and shrubs (maquis, pistachios, olives, juniper, myrtle, cypress, oak, maple), and the Pacific coast - monsoon mixed forests (camphor laurel, myrtle, camellia, podocarpus, cunningamia, evergreen oak species, camphor laurel, Japanese pine, cypress, cryptomeria, thuja, bamboo, gardenia, magnolia, azalea). In the equatorial forest zone there are a large number of palm trees (about 300 species), tree ferns, bamboo, and pandanus. In addition to the laws of latitudinal zonation, the vegetation of mountainous regions is subject to the principles of altitudinal zonation. Coniferous and mixed forests grow at the foot of the mountains, and lush alpine meadows grow at the tops.

The fauna of Asia is rich and diverse. The territory of Western Asia has favorable conditions for living antelopes, roe deer, goats, foxes, as well as a huge number of rodents, inhabitants of the lowlands - wild boars, pheasants, geese, tigers and leopards. The northern regions, located mainly in Russia, in North-Eastern Siberia and the tundra, are inhabited by wolves, moose, bears, gophers, arctic foxes, deer, lynxes, and wolverines. The taiga is inhabited by ermine, arctic fox, squirrels, chipmunks, sable, ram, and white hare. In the arid regions of Central Asia live gophers, snakes, jerboas, birds of prey, in South Asia - elephants, buffaloes, wild boars, lemurs, pangolins, wolves, leopards, snakes, peacocks, flamingos, in East Asia - moose, bears, Ussuri tigers and wolves, ibises, mandarin ducks, owls, antelopes, mountain sheep, giant salamanders that live on the islands, a variety of snakes and frogs, and a large number of birds.

Climatic conditions

Seasons, weather and climate of Asian countries

The peculiarities of climatic conditions in Asia are formed under the influence of such factors as the large extent of the Eurasian continent both from north to south and from west to east, a large number of mountain barriers and low-lying depressions that affect the amount of solar radiation and atmospheric air circulation...

Most of Asia is located in a sharply continental climate zone, the eastern part is influenced by the marine atmospheric masses of the Pacific Ocean, the north is subject to the invasion of Arctic air masses, tropical and equatorial air masses predominate in the south, their penetration into the interior of the continent is prevented by mountain ranges stretching from the west to the East. Precipitation is distributed unevenly: from 22,900 mm per year in the Indian town of Cherrapunji in 1861 (considered the wettest place on our planet), to 200-100 mm per year in the desert regions of Central and Central Asia.

Peoples of Asia: culture and traditions

In terms of population, Asia ranks first in the world, with 4.2 billion people living here, which is 60.5% of all humanity on the planet, and three times after Africa in terms of population growth. In Asian countries, the population is represented by representatives of all three races: Mongoloid, Caucasian and Negroid, the ethnic composition is diverse and diverse, several thousand peoples live here, speaking more than five hundred languages...

Among the language groups, the most common are:

• Sino-Tibetan. Represented by the largest ethnic group in the world - the Han (Chinese, China's population is 1.4 billion people, every fifth person in the world is Chinese);
• Indo-European. Settled throughout the Indian subcontinent, these are Hindustanis, Biharis, Marathas (India), Bengalis (India and Bangladesh), Punjabis (Pakistan);
• Austronesian. They live in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines) - Javanese, Bisayas, Sundas;
• Dravidian. These are the Telugu, Kannar and Malayali peoples (South India, Sri Lanka, some areas of Pakistan);
• Austroasiatic. The largest representatives are Viet, Lao, Siamese (Indochina, Southern China):
• Altai. Turkic peoples, divided into two isolated groups: in the west - Turks, Iranian Azerbaijanis, Afghan Uzbeks, in the east - the peoples of Western China (Uyghurs). Also included in this language group are the Manchus and Mongols of Northern China and Mongolia;
• Semito-Hamitic. These are the Arabs of the western part of the continent (west of Iran and south of Turkey) and the Jews (Israel).

Also, nationalities such as the Japanese and Koreans are classified into a separate group called isolates, this is the name given to populations of people who, for various reasons, including geographic location, found themselves isolated from the outside world.

Answer: The region includes 11 countries: Brunei, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, East Timor, Thailand, Philippines. The region is located on the territory of the Indochina Peninsula and numerous islands of the Malay Archipelago. The region connects Eurasia with Australia and is the border between the Pacific and Indian oceans. Important air and sea routes pass through the countries of Southeast Asia.

2. Name the characteristic features of the economies of the countries of South-Eastern Europe

3.What are the features of agriculture in Southeast Asia?

Answer: Agriculture is the main economic sector of Southeast Asian countries. It employs up to 80% of the total population. During its dominance, foreign capital turned the countries of Southeast Asia into agricultural producers. raw materials. Plantation crops (rubber, tobacco, tea, sugar cane, coffee, coconut palm, etc.), forcibly introduced by the colonialists, replaced (mainly in Malaya, Indonesia and the Philippines) traditional crops of rice and other grains, as well as vegetables that make up the basis of the population's food diet.

The reduction in grain harvests led to chronic food shortages. In 1960/61, even the pre-war level of food production per capita was not reached.

In the imports of all countries of Southeast Asia, food accounts for 10-15%, and in some lean years - 25% or more.

The import of food by the countries of the region is systematically increasing: in 1955-1957 it averaged 7.1 million tons, in 1960 - 10.6 million, in 1961 - 10.9 million, in 1962 - 10.7 million tons.

4. Indicate the main stages in the formation of the political map of South Asia

Answer: At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century. India became an object of investment for British capital, and the development of Indian capitalism intensified. In con. 19th century The national liberation movement was led by the Indian National Congress Party. The creation of mass socio-political organizations and civil disobedience campaigns carried out by the Indian National Congress under the leadership of its leader M. Gandhi weakened the position of the colonial authorities. After World War II, the British government was forced to grant India dominion rights, dividing the country (1947) into 2 parts - the Indian Union (with a predominant Hindu population) and Pakistan (with a predominant Muslim population). The government of the Indian National Congress, which came to power in the Indian Union, declared the independence of India on August 15, 1947. In 1950, the Indian Union became the Republic of India. The independent Indian state (until March 1977) was headed by the Indian National Congress (INC) party. The government was headed by one of the leaders of the national liberation struggle, J. Nehru (until 1964) and his daughter I. Gandhi (since 1966). Agrarian reforms were carried out, a public sector was created in industry, a course was set for industrialization and the rise of agriculture, with some restrictions on the activities of private capital. In 1980-89 and since 1991, the INC (I) government was in power.

In the 19th century The territory of Pakistan was captured by the British colonialists and included in British India. In 1947, the state of Pakistan was formed, which included the northeastern (East Bengal) and northwestern (Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan, North-West Border Province, etc.) regions of Hindustan with a Muslim majority population. In 1965 and 1971, Pakistan was in a state of armed conflict with India. In 1971 on the territory of the East. The state of Bangladesh was formed from Pakistan. In 1972-76, agrarian reform, nationalization of private banks, insurance companies, etc. were carried out in Pakistan. The military regime established as a result of the coup in 1977 pursued a policy of Islamization of domestic life. Carried out modernization of the army. In 1988, the transition to a civilian form of government was made. In October 1999, power again came under the control of the military.

With India achieving independence and dividing it into two states (1947), the territory of the East. Bengal went to Pakistan (province of East Pakistan). The Bengali national movement led to the formation of the People's Republic of Bangladesh in 1971. As a result of the coup d'état of 1982, a military regime was established, which, under pressure from the opposition, was removed in 1990; parliamentary elections (February 1991) brought success to the National Party (founded in 1986).

In 1802 - February 1948 Sri Lanka is a separate colony (Ceylon). The colonialists turned the territory of Sri Lanka into an agricultural and raw material appendage of the metropolis (coffee, rubber, tea plantations). In 1796, 1818, 1848 there were major uprisings against English rule. In con. 19 - beginning 20th centuries A national movement was born, led by the Sinhala and Tamil bourgeoisie. The Communist Party was founded in 1943. The rise of the national liberation movement after World War II forced Great Britain to grant independence to the island in 1948. The governments of the independent state took progressive measures: foreign military bases were liquidated (1957), the public sector in the economy was expanded, agrarian reform was carried out; Foreign policy is based on a policy of non-alignment and non-participation in military blocs. In 1972 the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka was proclaimed. Since 1977, a policy has been pursued to strengthen the private sector of the economy and attract foreign capital. The 1980s were marked by acute ethnic conflicts.

Until 1968, the Maldives was a sultanate. In 1887, a British protectorate was established over the islands. In 1965 they received state independence. A republic was proclaimed in 1968.

Since the 19th century until 1947 Bhutan is a British protectorate. In 1949, the King of Bhutan concluded an agreement with India on special relations between the two countries.

From 1846 to 1951, the Rana clan held power in Nepal. Since 1957, governance of the country passed directly to the royal authority. Under the 1962 constitution, parliament was replaced by the National Panchayat (a legislative body with limited functions, dissolved by the king in April 1990). The 1990 Constitution, promulgated by the King, guarantees a multi-party system of government.

Great Britain's attempts to subjugate Afghanistan (the Anglo-Afghan wars of the 19th century) ended in failure, but the British achieved control over Afghanistan's foreign policy. In 1919, the government of Amanullah Khan declared the independence of Afghanistan. The British war against Afghanistan (May - June 1919) ended in victory for Afghanistan. Amanullah's government carried out reforms aimed at eliminating archaic feudal institutions and developing capitalist relations. In January 1929, the feudal-clerical reaction, supported by Great Britain, seized power. In October 1929, the dynasty of Nadir Shah came to power (ruled until July 1973). The Soviet-Afghan treaties of 1921, 1926, and 1931 contributed to strengthening the independence of Afghanistan. In July 1973, Afghanistan was proclaimed a republic. After the 1978 coup d'etat carried out by the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (founded in 1965; scientific socialism was proclaimed as the ideological basis of the party), a civil war broke out in Afghanistan.

For Asia, as well as for any territory, it is most common to carry out physical-geographical and geopolitical zoning.

Physiographic zoning of Asia

The territory of Asia is divided into the following physical and geographical areas:

• East Asia (Korean Peninsula, Japanese Islands, eastern China);
• Western Asia (Southern Caucasus and Western Asian Highlands);
• Northern Asia (Siberia and northeast Eurasia);
• Central Asia (Pamir, Tien Shan, Turanian Lowland);
• Southeast Asia (Indochina Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago);
• Southwest Asia (Arabian Peninsula and Levant);
• South Asia (the Hindustan Peninsula and the island of Sri Lanka (the Maldives archipelago).

Socio-economic zoning

One of the common regional divisions of Asia is the allocation of the following $5$ regions:

1. East Asia (China, North Korea, Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Japan);
2. Central and Northern Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Russia (APR), autonomous regions of China);
3. Southwest Asia (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Qatar, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon, UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey and Sinai Peninsula (Egypt)) ;
4. South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka);
5. Southeast Asia (Brunei, Vietnam, East Timor, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines).

Macroregions of Asia according to UN classification

According to the zoning used by the UN, macroregions are distinguished within Asia:

• Western Asia,
• East Asia,
• Central Asia,
• South Asia
• Southeast Asia.

East Asia

East Asia is a geopolitical region located in the eastern part of Asia. This region consists of China, Taiwan, North Korea, the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia and Japan. The total area of ​​the region is $11893.0 thousand km^2$ or about $¼$ of the entire territory of Asia. The region's population is over $1.6 billion people. The region is considered overpopulated. Religions common in East Asia are Confucianism, Buddhism, and to a slightly lesser extent Taoism (in China) and Shintoism (in Japan). The region's GDP (excluding North Korea) is $27.2 trillion US dollars

Western Asia

West Asia is a geopolitical region in southwest Asia, comprising the Asian part of the Middle East (Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Jordan, Yemen, Qatar, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Syria, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Turkey), the Middle East (Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan) and partly the Transcaucasus (Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan), as well as the Palestinian territories and Cyprus. The area of ​​the region is $6255.1 thousand km^2$. It is home to about $313 million people.

The region's economy is diverse and experiences high economic growth, driven largely by its wealth of natural resources. $40%$ of the world's natural gas reserves are located here. The largest economies in the region are Turkey ($788 trillion), Saudi Arabia ($734 trillion), and Iran ($548 trillion). The total GDP of Western Asia is estimated at $3265 trillion US dollars

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is a geopolitical region stretching across continental and island territories between India, China and Australia. The region occupies the Malay Archipelago and the Indochina Peninsula. Southeast Asia is sometimes divided into continental and maritime. The region consists of 11 countries: Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, East Timor, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines, as well as dependent territories.

In the region, approximately $620 thousand people live on an area of ​​about $4500 thousand km^2$.

South Asia

South Asia is a geopolitical region in physical and geographical terms that occupies the Hindustan Peninsula, the island of Ceylon and smaller islands that are located near these territories.

The region consists of such countries as India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The territory of $4.5 million km^2$ is home to just over $1.64 billion people.

central Asia

Central Asia includes the territory lying inside the Eurasian continent and not having access to the sea. Unlike others, the boundaries of the Central Asia macroregion are determined primarily by state borders, and not by geography. According to the UN classification, the region consists of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Differences in the political and physical boundaries of the region are most noticeable in the example of Kazakhstan, part of whose territory geographically belongs to Eastern Europe (Atyrau, West Kazakhstan regions, parts of Mangistau and Aktobe regions), Siberia (northern regions) and the Urals (part of Kostanay and Aktobe region).

On the territory of about $4.0 million km^2$, the region is home to $68$ million people.

Geographical location East Asia is the outskirts of Eurasia, facing the Pacific Ocean. It extends from the Russian Far East to Southern China. East Asia also includes the islands of Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, Japan, Taiwan, and Hainan. In the absence of structural geomorphological unity, the natural integrity of East Asia is determined by the characteristics of its climate and organic world.

Relief and minerals In general, the relief of East Asia is more contrasting, the river valleys are deeper, and the mountain slopes are even steeper. The most remarkable morphological feature of the islands is the active and extinct volcanoes, which are planted on the folded base of the mountains. A series of marine terraces clearly documented the great mobility of the islands of Japan, since in some places they are raised to considerable heights, and in others they are lowered below sea level.

Relief and minerals The Indochinese Peninsula is one of the richest metallogenic provinces in foreign Asia. A significant part of the world's tin and tungsten deposits is concentrated in the powerful belt of primary, deluvial and proluvial placer deposits of Burma, Thailand, and Asia Minor. In the Shan-Yunnan Plateau there are the largest deposits of silver, zinc, lead and cobalt ores in Asia; alluvial and indigenous gold, sapphires and rubies are mined. Deposits of Mesozoic coal are confined to platform structures. The Irrawaddy foothill trough contains oil deposits.

Climate The main pattern in the formation of the climate of East Asia is the monsoon circulation, which creates a pronounced difference between the wet, warm and dry, cold seasons. East Asia is located in the temperate and subtropical zones, and in the south it enters the tropical zone, and temperature conditions within its borders change from north to south, but the main features of the monsoon climate are preserved throughout the region.

Climate The monsoon climate, which can be considered a distinctive feature of East Asia, has left its mark on almost all aspects of its nature, as well as on the life and economic activities of the population. Another feature is intense cyclonic activity along the tropical and polar fronts, causing hurricanes of catastrophic force (typhoons).

The inland waters of Southeast Asia are washed by the waters of the seas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, which are typical tropical water basins in terms of the regime and characteristics of the organic world. Continuing the garland of seas washing East Asia, between the tropics and the equator there is the most extensive sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean - the South China Sea is located in the monsoon belt, which is also associated with the system of its currents: in summer, northern and northeastern directions predominate, in winter - southern ones. Therefore, the surface water temperature is high all year round. Only in the north in February does it drop to 20 °C.

Animal world Predators include the Malayan short-haired sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) and the tiger. On the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan there is an ape called the orangutan (“forest man”), which is now extremely rare. A feature of the fauna of the islands is the presence of a large number of species of “gliding” animals. Among them are mammals - flying squirrels and woolly wings, which are a form intermediate between insectivores, bats and prosimians.

Plant world Abelia Calamus (plant) Alocasia Aralia Barberry imitating Butterbur Tatewaki Siberian Butterbur Rocky Butterbur Broad Butterbur Japanese Butterbur Crowberry Witch Hazel Gardenia

Description of the country of Japan Japan is an island country located on an arc-shaped archipelago consisting of more than 6.8 thousand islands, which stretch in a curved chain of about 3800 km along the eastern coast of Asia. The capital of Tokyo, Japan, is covered with hills and low and medium-high mountains, they make up over 75% of the country's territory. Lowlands are located in separate areas along the coasts of the country. The largest lowland is Kanto, covering about 17,000 km².

Description of the country of Japan There are practically no mineral resources in Japan; their reserves as of 1976 were: coal - 8630 million tons; iron ores - 228 million tons; sulfur - 67.6 million tons; manganese ores - 5.4 million tons; lead-zinc - 4.7 million tons; oil - 3.8 million tons; copper ores - 2.0 million tons; . chromites - 1.0 million tons, as well as gold, silver and mercury. Japan belongs to a temperature zone with four distinct seasons, but its climate ranges from low temperatures in the north to subtropical temperatures in the south. The climate also depends on seasonal winds, blowing from the continent in winter and in the opposite direction in summer. July temperature +22°C January 5°C Annual precipitation is 1700-2000 mm, but in the south it can be 4000 mm. Rivers Yodo, Kiso, Kumano, Ota, Shinano, Edo Lakes Biwa - located in Honshu.

Southeast Asia (SEA) is a large historical and cultural region of the world, including the Indochina Peninsula, the islands of the Malay Archipelago, as well as the western part of the island of New Guinea. The total area is about 4.5 million km2 (3% of the land), the population is over 480 million people (more than 8% of the Earth's population). The ten states located here (see Table 50), which vary greatly in size of territory and population, socio-economic development, are united by a long-term commonality of historical and ethnocultural processes.

The geographic location of Southeast Asia between the Pacific and Indian oceans, in the zone of influence of the great world civilizations of India and China, has played an important, often key role throughout its history. Several waves of human settlement from Eurasia to Austronesia passed through the region, like a bridge. During the era of the development of navigation in the Indian Ocean and the Great Geographical Discoveries, Southeast Asia became an important link in world trade and navigation. Further development modified the functions determined by the geographical location, but it consistently remains a highly significant factor.

Natural conditions and resources. Despite the enormous size and territorial fragmentation, the nature of the countries in the region bears similarities, primarily due to their position in a hot climate zone with a predominance of trade wind and monsoon circulation of air masses, a similar geological and geomorphological structure, and the coastal position of all countries except Laos.

Southeast Asia has a variety of mineral resources, occupying important positions in the world in terms of reserves and production of some of them. The region ranks first in the world in terms of tin reserves, the deposits of which are associated with the Mesozoic folding in the axial part of the Indochina and Malacca peninsulas and on the Indonesian islands of Riau, Banka, Belitung, Sinkep. Antimony ores occur in combination with tin ores in Thailand (the first place in Asia and the second place in the world in terms of reserves). There are deposits of bauxite in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, and polymetals in the countries of Indochina. There are significant reserves of nickel and copper, the main deposits of which are located on the islands of Samar and Leyte (Philippines) and the island of Sulawesi (Indonesia). The Philippines is also rich in chrome and iron ores, and Indonesia is rich in manganese ores. Tungsten (Myanmar, Thailand), cobalt, molybdenum, mercury (Philippines), titanium (Thailand) are important. There are iron ores in Vietnam. Gold deposits have been known since ancient times in Myanmar, the Philippines, Indonesia, and silver deposits in Myanmar, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

The oil and gas belt, confined to internal troughs on land and in the shelf zone, stretches from Upper Burma (Myanmar) and Northern Thailand through the Malacca Peninsula to the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan. The South China Sea is very promising for oil and gas, where all states in its waters are exploring with the help of international companies. (The claims of China, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia to sovereignty over small islands and banks have repeatedly resulted in political and armed conflicts).

The total proven oil reserves in the region are estimated at 2 billion tons, gas - over 3 trillion m3; Most of them are in Indonesia (on the island of Sumatra there are the largest oil fields in the region - Minas and gas fields - Arun), Malaysia, Brunei.

Vietnam and Indonesia have large coal deposits. Uranium ores were discovered in Indonesia (Kalimantan Island) and the Philippines (Luzon Island).

General characteristics of the farm. Countries in Southeast Asia vary significantly in the level and type of socio-economic development. Having inherited more or less the same type of economic structures from the colonial period, during the years of independence they developed in different ways and paces, which is due to many factors, among them the determining ones - human and resource potential, historical and cultural characteristics, and the domestic and foreign political situation.

Among the poorest, with per capita GDP indicators not only below the world average, but also below the “poverty line”, are Vietnam, which has existed since 1975 as a single socialist state, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, which also proclaimed as their goal the development of a planned economy and building socialism. Civil wars, external aggression, and political instability have had and continue to have a negative impact on the economies of these countries. These four countries have a mixed economy with a large role for the public sector, a developing cooperative sector, while maintaining small-scale handicraft production and a patriarchal structure in agriculture. Since the late 80s, political conditions have emerged to overcome the closed economy of these countries and their integration into the world economy. More than half the value of GDP and 60 to 90% of their employment comes from agriculture. The industrial structure is dominated by primary industries, processing of agricultural raw materials and the production of consumer goods for the local market. The development of the remaining countries of the region, which form the core of ASEAN, is characterized by the spread of capitalist relations in all spheres of the economy, the transformation of their role in the MRT from “pure” suppliers of raw materials into a source of cheap and competent labor, and, unlike most developing countries, there is no outflow of workers hands, but an influx of investments into the region that create jobs for them. Industrialization became the determining factor in the economic development of these countries, during which fundamental changes occurred in the structure of production and exports. There is a growth of the national bourgeoisie, which, under the protection of state protectionism, has supplanted the “huaqiao”. At the same time, in most countries pre-capitalist structures are preserved. The most significant shift in the economic structure of these countries was the reduction in the share of agriculture with an increase in the share of industry, primarily manufacturing. Also characteristic is the growth of the service sector, which partly traditionally absorbs excess labor. Qualitative changes consist in the emergence, along with the typical for Eastern countries sphere of personal services, peddling, etc., of a modern, technically equipped industry of financial, banking, information, communication, and tourist services. At the same time, the employment structure is not changing so dramatically. Structural adjustment and almost all export-oriented development occur with the active participation of foreign capital. In the initial period of independent development, the countries of the region maintained connections mainly with the former metropolises, the main influx of capital went into the traditional sectors of colonial specialization: mining and agriculture. Subsequently, there was a redistribution of foreign capital flows in the direction of labor-intensive manufacturing industries, and the United States and Japan became the absolute leaders in terms of investment volume and number of projects. A significant part of the products produced with the participation of foreign capital is consumed in the potentially large domestic markets of the region, part of it goes to third countries; products of the most advanced industries (usually highly specialized) are returned through intra-company trade channels to investor countries or to assembly plants of TNCs in other countries.

In the first decades of independent development in these countries, the economic role of the state was great, and a public sector was formed in key industries (energy, mining, transport). In recent years, liberalization of the private sector, foreign investment, and strengthening of financial and market methods of economic management have been observed everywhere. The private sector in the manufacturing industry is developing particularly rapidly.

The state plays an active role in the development of economic policy, the development of flexible investment and tax legislation, taking upon itself the implementation of infrastructure projects and the implementation of regional policy.