Mainland Southeast Asia

{{Short description|Continental portion of Southeast Asia}} {{Redirect|Indochina|the French colonial regime|French Indochina}} {{Use dmy dates |date=August 2020}}

{{Infobox Continent |title = Mainland Southeast Asia Indochina |image = Mainland Southeast Asia (orthographic projection).svg |area = {{Convert|2071552|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} |population = 276,966,662 (2025) |density = {{convert|133.7|/km2|abbr=on}} (2025) |demonym = Southeast Asian, Mainland Southeast Asian |GDP_nominal = |GDP_PPP = |GDP_per_capita = |countries = {{ubl|{{Flag|Cambodia}}|{{Flag|Laos}}|{{Flag|Malaysia}} (peninsular portion only)|{{Flag|Myanmar}}|{{flag|Singapore}}|{{Flag|Thailand}}|{{Flag|Vietnam}}}} |languages = Burmese, Khmer, Laotian, Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese |time = UTC+6:30, UTC+7:00, UTC+8:00 |internet = .kh, .la, .mm, .my, .sg, .th, and .vn |cities = {{Collapsible list | title = 10 largest cities in Mainland Southeast Asia | titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal; | # {{flagicon|Vietnam}} Ho Chi Minh City # {{flagicon|Vietnam}} Hanoi # {{flagicon|Thailand}} Bangkok # {{flagicon|Malaysia}} Kuala Lumpur # {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Yangon # {{flagicon|Singapore}} Singapore # {{flagicon|Vietnam}} Da Nang # {{flagicon|Malaysia}} George Town # {{flagicon|Cambodia}} Phnom Penh # {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Naypyidaw }} }}

'''Mainland Southeast Asia''' (historically known as '''Indochina''' and the '''Indochinese Peninsula''') is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It comprises the countries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Southeast Asia |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Southeast-Asia |access-date=10 April 2026 |publisher=Britannica|date=30 March 2026|website=Britannica|last=Leinbach|first=Thomas R.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260403053146/https://www.britannica.com/place/Southeast-Asia|archive-date=3 April 2026|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=9 Nov 2013 |title=Countries |url=https://www.cseashawaii.org/countries/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260114070846/https://www.cseashawaii.org/countries/ |archive-date=14 Jan 2026 |access-date=9 April 2026 |website=UH CSEAS}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Narayanan |first=Sripathi |date=1 October 2022 |title=Isthmus of Kra |url=https://icwa.in/pdfs/kra.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250315050347/https://icwa.in/pdfs/kra.pdf |archive-date=15 March 2025 |access-date=9 April 2026 |website=Indian Council of World Affairs}}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=1 October 1969 |title=Mainland Southeast Asia: A Folio of Thematic Maps for Military Users |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/AD0718603.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260409114526/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/AD0718603.pdf |archive-date=9 April 2026 |access-date=9 April 2026 |website=Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC)}}</ref> MSEA borders East Asia to the north, South Asia to the west, and Maritime Southeast Asia to the south and east.

The term ''Indochina'' (originally ''Indo-China'') was coined in the early nineteenth century, emphasizing the historical cultural influence of Indian and Chinese civilizations on the region. The term was later adopted as the name of the colony of French Indochina (present-day Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam). Today, the term "Mainland Southeast Asia" is more commonly used, in contrast to Maritime Southeast Asia for the island groups off the coast of the continental region.

==Terminology== [[File:Map of Indochina Burma Siam China Railway 1886 Weller.png|thumb|1886 map of Indochina, from the Scottish Geographical Magazine]]

In Indian sources, the earliest name connected with Southeast Asia is {{ill|Yavadvipa|ms|Empayar Yawadwipa|lt={{lang|sa-Latn|Yāvadvīpa|nocat=y}}}}.<ref name="Wheatley">{{cite book |first=Paul |last=Wheatley |author-link=Paul Wheatley (geographer) |title=The Golden Khersonese: Studies in the Historical Geography of the Malay Peninsula before A.D. 1500 |url=https://archive.org/details/goldenkhersonese0000unse |url-access=registration |location=Kuala Lumpur |publisher=University of Malaya Press |year=1961 |oclc=504030596 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/goldenkhersonese0000unse/page/177 177]–184}}</ref> Another possible early name of mainland Southeast Asia was {{lang|sa-Latn|Suvarṇabhūmi}} ('land of gold'),<ref name="Wheatley"/><ref>{{cite journal|last=Kitiarsa |first=Pattana |title=Missionary Intent and Monastic Networks: Thai Buddhism as a Transnational Religion |journal=Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia |volume=25 |issue=1 |date=2010 |jstor=41308138 |doi=10.1355/sj25-1e |issn=0217-9520 |pages=115–116 |quote=King Asoka in the third century BC is widely cited as the model monarch who organized networks of missionaries to preach the teachings of the Buddha outside India including to Suvarnabhumi or mainland Southeast Asia.}}</ref> a toponym, that appears in many ancient Indian literary sources and Buddhist texts,<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&q=Suvarnabhumi+was+situated+in+Bengal.&pg=PA519 |title=Ancient Indian History and Civilization | author=Sailendra Nath Sen |year= 1999|publisher=New Age International |isbn= 9788122411980| access-date= November 30, 2018 }}</ref> but which, along with {{lang|sa-Latn|Suvarṇadvīpa}} ('island' or 'peninsula of gold'),<ref name="Wheatley"/> are also thought to refer to insular Southeast Asia.<ref name="Wheatley"/>

The origins of the name Indo-China are usually attributed jointly to the Danish-French geographer Conrad Malte-Brun, who referred to the area as {{lang|fr|indo-chinois}} in 1804, and the Scottish linguist John Leyden, who used the term ''Indo-Chinese'' to describe the area's inhabitants and their languages in 1808.<ref>{{cite book |editor=Vimalin Rujivacharakul |display-editors=etal |title=Architecturalized Asia: mapping a continent through history |date=2013 |publisher=Hong Kong University Press |isbn=9789888208050 |page=89 }}</ref> The unfamiliar outsiders from Europe thought the region had a dual Indian and Chinese cultural makeup.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Lasky |first=Jack |date=2023 |title=Indochina (geographical term) |url=https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/indochina-geographical-term |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260411002813/https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/indochina-geographical-term |archive-date=11 April 2026 |access-date=10 April 2026 |website=EBSCO Research}}</ref> Much of the mainland practiced Theravada Buddhism while the east coast had a Confucian Kingdom (Đại Việt) with a language based on Chinese characters.<ref name=":5" /> However, in reality the mainland was inhabited by about 12 different kingdoms and other territories with an ethnically diverse population descended from 23 different societies dating back to at least the 14th century.<ref name=":5" /> The French failed to properly recognize this ethnic diversity and simply referred to the region as Indochina.<ref name=":5" />

Scholarly opinions at the time regarding China's and India's historical influence over the area were conflicting, and the term was itself controversial—Malte-Brun himself later argued against its use in a later edition of his {{lang|fr|La Nouvelle Géographie universelle}}, reasoning that it overemphasized Chinese influence, and suggested ''Chin-India'' instead.<ref>{{cite book |last=Malte-Brun |first=Conrad |title=Universal Geography, Or, A Description of All the Parts of the World, on a New Plan, According to the Great Natural Divisions of the Globe: Improved by the Addition of the Most Recent Information, Derived from Various Sources : Accompanied with Analytical, Synoptical, and Elementary Tables, Volume 2 |url = https://archive.org/details/universalgeogra20maltgoog |year=1827 |publisher=A. Finley |pages=[https://archive.org/details/universalgeogra20maltgoog/page/n294 262]–3 }}</ref> Nevertheless, ''Indo-China'' had already gained traction and soon supplanted alternative terms such as ''Further India'' and the ''Peninsula beyond the Ganges''. Later, however, as the French established the colony of French Indochina (covering present-day Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam), use of the term became more restricted to the French colony.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wesseling |first1=H. L. |title=The European Colonial Empires: 1815–1919 |date=2015 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781317895060 }}</ref><ref name=":5" /> After the Vietnam War, the term Indochina gradually fell out of use in favor of the more politically correct (Mainland) Southeast Asia.<ref name=":5" /> Today the area is usually referred to as Mainland Southeast Asia.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Keyes |first1=Charles F. |title=The golden peninsula : culture and adaptation in mainland Southeast Asia |date=1995 |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |isbn=9780824816964 |edition=Pbk. reprint |page=1 }}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The regional abbreviation MSEA is used especially in academia.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enfield |first=Nick J. |date=7 Dec 2017 |title=Language in the Mainland Southeast Asia Area |url=https://pure.mpg.de/rest/items/item_2508812/component/file_2508811/content |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250530211715/https://pure.mpg.de/rest/items/item_2508812/component/file_2508811/content |archive-date=30 May 2025 |access-date=10 April 2026 |website=MPG.PuRe |via=Cambridge - Max-Planck-Institut für Psycholinguistik}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sidwell |first=Paul |url=https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110558142/ |title=The Languages and Linguistics of Mainland Southeast Asia |last2=Jenny |first2=Mathias |date=2021 |publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston |year=2021 |isbn=9783110556063 |volume=8 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260218193751/https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110558142/html#contents |archive-date=18 February 2026}}</ref>

==Biogeography== In biogeography, the Indochinese bioregion is a major region in the Indomalayan realm, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Oriental Paleotropical Kingdom. It includes the native flora and fauna of all the countries above. The adjacent Malesian Region covers the Maritime Southeast Asian countries, and straddles the Indomalayan and Australasian realms.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/science/biogeographic-region|title=Biogeographic region – Fauna|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=15 December 2019|archive-date=15 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315094207/https://www.britannica.com/science/biogeographic-region|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Geography == [[File:Mekong River in Laos (1490866472).jpg|thumb|right|Mekong River]] thumb|Topographic Map of Mainland Southeast Asia 2005

Mainland Southeast Asia is formally classified as a continental region which extends from the Asian landmass. It is fundamentally a "continental projection" of Asia,<ref name=":0" /> bordered by India to the west and China to the north. It is situated completely above the equator in the Northern Hemisphere. The continental region projects southward from the Asian continent proper. It contains several mountain ranges extending from the Tibetan Plateau in the north, interspersed with lowlands largely drained by three major river systems running in a north–south direction: the Irrawaddy (Myanmar), the Chao Phraya (in Thailand), and the Mekong (flowing through Northeastern Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam). To the south it forms the Malay Peninsula, located on which are Southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia. Singapore is a small island country that is separated from Malaysia by the 1.6 km wide Straits of Johor. The Singapore Strait is a 113 km-long waterway and eastern extension of the Strait of Malacca, linking it to the South China Sea.

Mainland Southeast Asia is separated from the archipelagoes of Maritime Southeast Asia primarily by the South China Sea to the east and southeast, the Strait of Malacca to the south, and the Andaman Sea to the west. The maritime region comprises islands and archipelagos. The physical geography of Peninsular Malaysia connects via the Kra Isthmus to Thailand which makes it part of Mainland Southeast Asia.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Uth |first=Alexandra |date=16 September 2025 |title=Southeast Asia |url=https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/anthropology/southeast-asia |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251111235343/https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/anthropology/southeast-asia |archive-date=11 Nov 2025 |access-date=9 April 2026 |website=EBSCO}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> Malaysia is both mainland and insular.<ref name=":3" /> East Malaysia is in Borneo so it is variably considered part of Maritime Southeast Asia.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

MSEA borders China to the north (East Asia), Bangladesh and India to the west (South Asia), and Indonesia as well as the Philippines to the south and east (Maritime Southeast Asia).

The Gulf of Thailand is the largest gulf in Southeast Asia with a surface area of {{convert|320,000|km2|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gulf of Thailand |url=https://www.deepseawaters.com/Gulf_of_Thailand.htm |access-date=7 June 2016 |publisher=Deepseawaters.com}}</ref> It has a mean depth of 45 meters, and a maximum depth of 80 meters.

Tonlé Sap in Cambodia is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia with a maximum surface area of {{convert|16000|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}.

The Mekong is 4,900 km long and the longest river in Southeast Asia.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=30 August 2024 |title=Geography |url=https://www.mrcmekong.org/geography/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260120133124/https://www.mrcmekong.org/geography/ |archive-date=20 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 April 2026 |website=Mekong River Commission}}</ref> It flows from its source in the Tibetan Plateau through multiple countries in MSEA including Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.<ref name=":6" /> The river basin drains a total land area of 795,000 km2 and it has the world's 10th largest mean annual discharge of 475 km3.<ref name=":6" />

The highest elevation is Hkakabo Razi mountain at {{convert|5881|m|ft|sp=us|adj=on}} in Myanmar. The lowest point is Boh Yai mine which is at least {{convert|−106|m|ft|sp=us|adj=on}} in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand.<ref name="bohyai">{{Cite web |date=12 May 2025 |title=Postcards from the Edge – Thai Mine Exploration Project |url=https://indepthmag.com/postcards-from-the-edge-02/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250613003747/https://indepthmag.com/postcards-from-the-edge-02/ |archive-date=13 June 2025 |access-date=12 Nov 2025 |website=inDEPTH}}</ref> === Climate === thumb|Climate of Southeast Asia The Köppen climate classification says the northern areas of Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam have a temperate climate.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.worlddata.info/asia/vietnam/climate.php |title=Vietnam Climate |website=WorldData.info |access-date=2023-11-24}}</ref> Central Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Southern Laos have mainly a tropical savannah climate. The western coastline along the Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea and Southern Thailand have a tropical monsoon climate. Central and Southern Vietnam have both tropical savannah and monsoon climates. The tip of Southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore have a tropical rainforest climate.

== List of states and territories == thumb|A political map of Mainland Southeast Asia This list includes all internationally recognised sovereign countries falling even partially under any common geographical or political definitions of Mainland Southeast Asia. All countries listed are members of ASEAN. {| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:right;" |- !Arms !Flag ! scope="col" | Name ! scope="col" data-sort-type="number" | Area ({{abbr|km2|square kilometres}}) ! scope="col" | Population (2025)<ref name="Population">{{cite web |date=16 October 2025 |title=South-Eastern Asia Population (LIVE) |url=https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/south-eastern-asia-population/ |access-date=16 October 2025 |publisher=worldometer}}</ref> ! scope="col" | Population density ({{abbr|/km2|per square kilometre}}) ! scope="col" | HDI (2021)<ref>"Human Development Report 2021/2022" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.</ref> ! scope="col" | Capital |- !{{Coat of arms|Cambodia|text=none}} !{{flag icon|Cambodia}} ! scope="row" style="text-align:left;" | Cambodia | 181,035<ref name="CIAGov-KH">{{cite web |title=East Asia/Southeast Asia :: Cambodia – The World Factbook|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/cambodia/ |website=cia.gov |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |access-date=11 November 2019 |archive-date=10 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610095311/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/cambodia/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> | 17,577,760 | {{#expr:{{formatnum:{{UN_Population|Cambodia}}|R}}/181035 round 0}} | 0.593 | style="text-align:left;" | Phnom Penh |- !{{Coat of arms|Laos|text=none}} !{{flag icon|Laos}} ! scope="row" style="text-align:left;" | Laos | 236,800<ref name="CIAGov-LA">{{cite web |title=East Asia/Southeast Asia :: Laos – The World Factbook|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/laos/ |website=cia.gov |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |access-date=11 November 2019 |archive-date=7 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307193820/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/laos/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> | 7,647,000 | {{#expr:{{formatnum:{{UN_Population|Lao People's Democratic Republic}}|R}}/236800 round 0}} | 0.607 | style="text-align:left;" | Vientiane |- !{{Coat of arms|Malaysia|text=none}} !{{flag icon|Malaysia}} ! scope="row" style="text-align:left;" | Malaysia | 132,090<ref name="Swee-Hock">{{cite book |author=Saw Swee Hock |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e4Yp2QJNVWgC |title=The Population of Peninsular Malaysia |publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies |year=2007 |isbn=978-981-230-427-8}}</ref> (peninsular portion only) | 27,111,506 (79.2% in peninsular portion)<ref>{{cite web |title=FACT Sheet Malaysia: Rural Women in the Malaysian Economy |url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/ae549e/ae549e01.htm |access-date=30 July 2008 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization for the United Nations}}</ref> | {{#expr:{{formatnum:{{UN_Population|Malaysia}}|R}}/329847 round 0}} | 0.803 | style="text-align:left;" | Kuala Lumpur {{anchor|Kuala Lumpur}}* |- !{{Coat of arms|Myanmar|text=none}} !{{flag icon|Myanmar}} ! scope="row" style="text-align:left;" | Myanmar | 676,578<ref name="CIAGov-MM">{{cite web |title=East Asia/Southeast Asia :: Burma – The World Factbook|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/burma/ |website=cia.gov |access-date=11 November 2019 |archive-date=1 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201171209/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/burma/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> | 51,316,756 | {{#expr:{{formatnum:{{UN_Population|Myanmar}}|R}}/676578 round 0}} | 0.585 | style="text-align:left;" | Nay Pyi Taw |- !{{Coat of arms|Singapore|text=none}} !{{flag icon|Singapore}} ! scope="row" style="text-align:left;" | Singapore | 719.2<ref name="CIAGov-SG">{{cite web |title=East Asia/Southeast Asia :: Singapore – The World Factbook|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/singapore/ |website=cia.gov |access-date=11 November 2019 |archive-date=20 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320131051/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/singapore |url-status=dead }}</ref> | 6,110,200 | {{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:{{UN_Population|Singapore}}|R}}/719.200 round 0}}}} | 0.939 | scope="row" style="text-align:left;" | Singapore |- !{{Coat of arms|Thailand|text=none}} !{{flag icon|Thailand}} ! scope="row" style="text-align:left;" | Thailand | 513,120<ref name="CiaGov-TH">{{cite web |title=East Asia/Southeast Asia :: Thailand – The World Factbook|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/thailand/ |website=cia.gov |access-date=11 November 2019 |archive-date=10 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610164345/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/thailand/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> | 65,859,640 | {{#expr:{{formatnum:{{UN_Population|Thailand}}|R}}/513120 round 0}} | 0.800 | style="text-align:left;" | Bangkok |- !{{Coat of arms|Vietnam|text=none}} !{{flag icon|Vietnam}} ! scope="row" style="text-align:left;" | Vietnam | 331,210<ref name="CIA-Gov-VN">{{cite web |title=East Asia/Southeast Asia :: Vietnam – The World Factbook|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/vietnam/ |website=cia.gov |access-date=11 November 2019 |archive-date=10 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610173010/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/vietnam/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> | 101,343,800 | {{#expr:{{formatnum:{{UN_Population|Viet Nam}}|R}}/331210 round 0}} | 0.703 | style="text-align:left;" | Hanoi |- !Total ! ! style="text-align: left;" | |'''2,071,552.2''' |'''276,966,662''' |'''133.7''' |'''0.718''' | style="text-align: left;" | |} {{small|{{anchor|Putrajaya}}* Administrative centre in Putrajaya.}}

== Economy == {| class="wikitable sortable" !Country !Currency !Population (2020)<ref name="Population2">{{cite web |date=16 October 2025 |title=South-Eastern Asia Population (LIVE) |url=https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/south-eastern-asia-population/ |access-date=16 October 2025 |publisher=worldometer}}</ref><ref name="2020census">{{cite web |date=21 January 2021 |title=Hasil Sensus Penduduk 2020 |url=https://www.bps.go.id/website/materi_ind/materiBrsInd-20210121151046.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122154418/https://www.bps.go.id/website/materi_ind/materiBrsInd-20210121151046.pdf |archive-date=22 January 2021 |access-date=21 January 2021 |publisher=Statistics Indonesia |page=9 |language=id}}</ref> !Nominal GDP (2020) $ billion<ref name=":02">{{cite web |title=World Economic Outlook (December 2020) – Nominal GDP |url=https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDPD@WEO/OEMDC/ADVEC/WEOWORLD |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019141723/https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDPD@WEO/OEMDC/ADVEC/WEOWORLD |archive-date=19 October 2019 |access-date=25 January 2021 |publisher=IMF}}</ref> !GDP per capita (2020)<ref name=":12">{{cite web |title=World Economic Outlook (December 2020) – Nominal GDP per capita |url=https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDPDPC@WEO/OEMDC/ADVEC/WEOWORLD |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111084550/https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDPDPC@WEO/OEMDC/ADVEC/WEOWORLD |archive-date=11 January 2020 |access-date=25 January 2021 |publisher=IMF}}</ref> !GDP growth (2020)<ref>{{cite web |title=World Economic Outlook (December 2020) – Real GDP growth |url=https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDP_RPCH@WEO/OEMDC/ADVEC/WEOWORLD |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114112122/https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDP_RPCH@WEO/OEMDC/ADVEC/WEOWORLD |archive-date=14 November 2020 |access-date=25 January 2021 |publisher=IMF}}</ref> !Inflation (2020)<ref>{{cite web |title=World Economic Outlook (December 2020) – Inflation rate, average consumer prices |url=https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/PCPIPCH@WEO/OEMDC/ADVEC/WEOWORLD |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114112153/https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/PCPIPCH@WEO/OEMDC/ADVEC/WEOWORLD |archive-date=14 November 2020 |access-date=25 January 2021 |publisher=IMF}}</ref> !Main industries |- |{{Country|Cambodia}} |'''៛''' Riel '''US$''' US Dollar | style="text-align:right" |16,718,965 | style="text-align:right" |$26.316 | style="text-align:right" |$1,572 | style="text-align:right" | -2.8% | style="text-align:right" |2.5% |Clothing, gold, agriculture |- |{{Country|Laos}} |'''₭''' Kip | style="text-align:right" |7,275,560 | style="text-align:right" |$18.653 | style="text-align:right" |$2,567 | style="text-align:right" |0.2% | style="text-align:right" |6.5% |Copper, electronics, Tin |- |{{Country|Malaysia}} |'''RM''' Ringgit | style="text-align:right" |32,365,999 | style="text-align:right" |$336.330 | style="text-align:right" |$10,192 | style="text-align:right" | -6% | style="text-align:right" | -1.1% |Electronics, petroleum, petrochemicals, palm oil, automotive |- |{{Country|Myanmar}} |'''K''' Kyat | style="text-align:right" |54,409,800 | style="text-align:right" |$70.890 | style="text-align:right" |$1,333 | style="text-align:right" |2% | style="text-align:right" |6.1% |Natural gas, agriculture, clothing |- |{{Country|Singapore}} |'''S$''' Singapore dollar | style="text-align:right" |5,850,342 | style="text-align:right" |$337.451 | style="text-align:right" |$58,484 | style="text-align:right" | -6% | style="text-align:right" | -0.4% |Electronics, petroleum, chemicals |- |{{Country|Thailand}} |'''฿''' Baht | style="text-align:right" |69,799,978 | style="text-align:right" |$509.200 | style="text-align:right" |$7,295 | style="text-align:right" | -7.1% | style="text-align:right" | -0.4% |Electronics, automotive, rubber |- |{{Country|Vietnam}} |'''₫''' Đồng | style="text-align:right" |97,338,579 | style="text-align:right" |$340.602 | style="text-align:right" |$3,498 | style="text-align:right" |2.9% | style="text-align:right" |3.8% |Electronics, clothing, petroleum |}

==Culture== {{See also|Culture of Southeast Asia}}[[File:Ethnolinguistic Groups of Mainland Southeast Asia.png|thumb|right|190px|Ethnolinguistic groups of mainland Southeast Asia]] Mainland Southeast Asia contrasts with Maritime Southeast Asia, mainly through the division of largely land-based lifestyles in Indochina and the sea-based lifestyles of the Indonesian archipelago and Philippine archipelago, as well as the dividing line between the Austroasiatic, Tai–Kadai, and Sino-Tibetan languages (spoken in Mainland Southeast Asia) versus the Austronesian languages (spoken in Maritime Southeast Asia). The languages of the mainland form the Mainland Southeast Asia linguistic area: although belonging to several independent language families, they have converged over the course of history and share a number of typological similarities.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

The countries of Mainland Southeast Asia received cultural influence from both India and China to varying degrees.<ref name="HMDOG">{{cite book|title=The Houghton Mifflin Dictionary Of Geography|year=1997|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company|isbn=0-395-86448-8|editor=Marion Severynse|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/houghtonmifflind00houg}}</ref> Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia were all significantly influenced by the ancient cultures of India and Sri Lanka. Vietnam is generally considered part of the Sinosphere, although it has also been influenced to a lesser extent by India.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}} The former kingdom of Champa in Central and Southern Vietnam was very influenced by Indian culture.

Overall, Mainland Southeast Asia is religiously diverse, with Buddhism forming a majority religion in parts of the region, alongside significant Muslim,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=SIDDIQUE|first=SHARON|date=1981|title=Some Aspects of Malay-Muslim Ethnicity in Peninsular Malaysia|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25797648|journal=Contemporary Southeast Asia|volume=3|issue=1|pages=76–87|jstor=25797648|issn=0129-797X|access-date=27 July 2021|archive-date=1 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401140444/https://www.jstor.org/stable/25797648|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Minority Muslim Experience in Mainland Southeast Asia: A Different Path |url=https://www.routledge.com/The-Minority-Muslim-Experience-in-Mainland-Southeast-Asia-A-Different-Path/Goodman/p/book/9781032005171 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427161138/https://www.routledge.com/The-Minority-Muslim-Experience-in-Mainland-Southeast-Asia-A-Different-Path/Goodman/p/book/9781032005171 |archive-date=27 April 2023 |access-date=2021-07-27 |website=Routledge & CRC Press |language=en}}</ref> Christian, and folk religious traditions.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

The direction of road traffic is on the right side in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. It is on the left side in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

== Demographics == {{See also|Demographics of Southeast Asia}}Mainland Southeast Asia is an ethnically diverse region with over 276 million people (2025). The metropolitan areas are densely populated. The capital cities are also economic hubs. However, the countryside of Myanmar and Thailand are sparsely populated. Cambodia and Laos have low density populations. The coastline of Vietnam is densely populated.

The biggest ethnic groups include the Thai, Lao, Viet, Burmese, Khmer and Malays. There are hundreds of other minor ethnic groups including Chinese, Indian, and various indigenous hill tribe populations. The Thai and Lao speak Kra–Dai languages which originate from South China. The Khmer and Viet speak Austroasiatic languages, but the Malays are Austronesian. The Burmese language is Tibeto-Burman.

As of April 2026, MSEA's population of around 277 million people represents 5.7% of the population in continental Asia and 3.4% of the total world population.

=== Religion === {{Pie chart | thumb = right | caption = Religion in Mainland Southeast Asia (2020)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projection-table/2020/percent/all/|title=Religious Composition by Country, 2010-2050|website=www.pewforum.org|date=18 May 2013 |access-date=18 October 2020|archive-date=21 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221014350/https://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projection-table/2020/percent/all/|url-status=live}}</ref> {{efn-lr|Includes the countries: Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.|group=infobox}} | value1 = 56.75 | label1 = Buddhism | color1 = Gold | value2 = 13.52 | label2 = Islam | color2 = Green | value3 = 12.7 | label3 = Folk religion | color3 = Red | value4 = 6.98 | label4 = Unaffiliated | color4 = Grey | value5 = 6.58 | label5 = Christianity | color5 = Blue | value6 = 2.05 | label6 = Hinduism | color6 = Darkorange | value7 = 1.44 | label7 = Other | color7 = Purple }} {| class="wikitable" ! width="175" |Country !Religions |- |{{flag|Cambodia}} |'''Buddhism''' (97%), Islam, Christianity, Animism, others |- |{{flag|Laos}} |'''Buddhism''' (67%), Animism, Christianity, others |- |{{flag|Malaysia}} |'''Islam''' (61.3%), Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Animism |- |{{flag|Myanmar|name=Myanmar (Burma)}} |'''Buddhism''' (89%), Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Animism, others |- |{{flag|Singapore}} |'''Buddhism''' (31.1%), Christianity (18.9%), Islam (15.6%), Taoism (8.8%), Hinduism (5%), others (20.6%) |- |{{flag|Thailand}} |'''Buddhism''' (93.5%), Islam (5.4%), Christianity (1.13%), Hinduism (0.02%), others (0.003%) |- |{{flag|Vietnam}} |'''Vietnamese folk religion''' (45.3%), '''Buddhism''' (16.4%), Christianity (8.2%), Other (0.4%), Unaffiliated (29.6%)<ref>{{cite web |date=18 December 2012 |title=Table: Religious Composition by Country, in Percentages |url=http://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/table-religious-composition-by-country-in-percentages/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140518013537/http://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/table-religious-composition-by-country-in-percentages/ |archive-date=18 May 2014 |access-date=17 March 2015}}</ref> |}

=== Languages === {| class="wikitable" !Country/Region !Languages |- |{{flag|Cambodia}} |'''Khmer''', English, French, Teochew, Vietnamese, Cham, Mandarin, others<ref>{{Citation |title=Cambodia |date=28 December 2021 |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/cambodia/ |access-date=6 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610095311/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/cambodia/ |archive-date=10 June 2021 |url-status=dead |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref> |- |{{flag|Laos}} |'''Lao''', French, Thai, Vietnamese, Khmu, Hmong, Phuthai, Bru, Tai Lü, Akha, Iu Mien and others<ref>{{Citation |title=Laos |date=28 December 2021 |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/laos/ |access-date=6 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307193820/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/laos/ |archive-date=7 March 2021 |url-status=dead |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref> |- |{{flag|Malaysia}} |'''Malaysian''', '''English''', Mandarin, Tamil, Daro-Matu, Kedah Malay, Sabah Malay, Brunei Malay, Kelantan Malay, Pahang Malay, Acehnese, Javanese, Minangkabau, Banjar, Buginese, Tagalog, Hakka, Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew, Fuzhounese, Telugu, Bengali, Punjabi, Sinhala, Malayalam, Arabic, Brunei Bisaya, Okolod, Kota Marudu Talantang, Kelabit, Lotud, Terengganu Malay, Semelai, Thai, Iban, Kadazan, Dusun, Kristang, Bajau, Jakun, Mah Meri, Batek, Melanau, Semai, Temuan, Lun Bawang, Temiar, Penan, Tausug, Iranun, Lundayeh/Lun Bawang, and others<ref>{{Citation |title=Malaysia |date=28 December 2021 |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/malaysia/ |access-date=6 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127015620/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/malaysia/ |archive-date=27 January 2021 |url-status=dead |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref> ''see: Languages of Malaysia'' |- |{{flag|Myanmar|name=Myanmar (Burma)}} |'''Burmese''', Shan, Kayin (Karen), Rakhine, Kachin, Chin, Mon, Kayah, Mandarin, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and other ethnic languages.<ref>{{Citation |title=Burma |date=2024-07-08 |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/burma/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240718135404/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/burma/ |archive-date=July 18, 2024 |url-status=dead |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Country: Myanmar (Burma) |url=https://joshuaproject.net/countries/BM |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911195440/https://joshuaproject.net/countries/BM |archive-date=11 September 2018 |access-date=15 May 2018 |website=Joshua Project}}</ref> |- |{{flag|Singapore}} |'''English''', '''Malay''', '''Mandarin Chinese''', '''Tamil''', Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka, Japanese, Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Indonesian, Boyanese, Buginese, Javanese, Balinese, Singlish creole and others<ref>{{Citation |title=Singapore |date=2024-07-11 |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/singapore/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240720133151/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/singapore/ |archive-date=July 20, 2024 |url-status=dead |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref> ''see: Languages of Singapore'' |- |{{flag|Thailand}} |'''Thai''', Isan, Northern Khmer, Malay, Karen, Hmong, Teochew, Minnan, Hakka, Yuehai, Burmese, Iu Mien, Tamil, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Shan, Tai Lü, Phuthai, Mon and others<ref>{{Citation |title=Thailand |date=28 December 2021 |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/thailand/ |access-date=6 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610164345/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/thailand/ |archive-date=10 June 2021 |url-status=dead |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref> |- |{{flag|Vietnam}} |'''Vietnamese''', Cantonese, Khmer, Hmong, Tày, Cham and others<ref name="CIA-Gov-VN2">{{cite web |title=East Asia/Southeast Asia :: Vietnam – The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/vietnam/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610173010/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/vietnam/ |archive-date=10 June 2021 |access-date=11 November 2019 |website=cia.gov |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency}}</ref> |}

== Major cities == {{Main|Cities of Southeast Asia}}

{{Largest population centres | name = Largest urban areas of Southeast Asia | country = Mainland Southeast Asia | stat_ref = <ref>{{Cite web |date=2025 |title=The World’s Cities in 2025 |url=https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.pd/files/undesa_pd_2025_data-booklet_world_cities_in_2025.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216033906/https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.pd/files/undesa_pd_2025_data-booklet_world_cities_in_2025.pdf |archive-date=16 Feb 2026 |access-date=13 April 2026 |website=United Nations |publisher=UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs}}</ref> <ref name="Population in Brief 2025">{{cite web |title=Population in Brief 2025 |publisher=Singapore Department of Statistics |url=https://www.population.gov.sg/files/media-centre/publications/Population_in_Brief_2025.pdf|access-date=29 September 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250929084313/https://www.population.gov.sg/files/media-centre/publications/Population_in_Brief_2025.pdf |archive-date=29 September 2025}}</ref> | list_by_pop =  | div_name = Country | div_link =  | city_1 = Bangkok| div_1 = Thailand| pop_1 = 18,180,000| img_1 =  | city_2 = Ho Chi Minh City| div_2 = Vietnam| pop_2 = 14,053,000| img_2 = | city_3 = Kuala Lumpur| div_3 = Malaysia| pop_3 = 8,444,000| img_3 = | city_4 = Singapore| div_4 = Singapore| pop_4 = 6,110,200| img_4 = Beijing Sunset2.jpg | city_5 = Yangon| div_5 = Myanmar| pop_5 = 5,618,000 | city_6 =Hanoi | div_6 =Vietnam | pop_6 =5,068,000 | city_7 = | div_7 = | pop_7 = | city_8 = | div_8 = | pop_8 = | city_9 = | div_9 = | pop_9 = | city_10 = | div_10 = | pop_10 = }} <gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="110" perrow="3"> File:0008871 - Krung Thep Bridge 001.jpg|Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and has one of the world's largest metropolitan populations. File:Saigon skyline night view.jpg|Ho Chi Minh City is the most populous municipality of Vietnam. File:Moonrise over kuala lumpur.jpg|Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia. File:Singapore skyline at sunset viewed from Gardens by the Bay East - 20120426.jpg|Singapore is a densely populated city-state. File:City Lay-down under the Fullmoon.jpg|Yangon is the largest city in Myanmar. File:Hanoi Cityscape.jpg|Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam. </gallery>

== Territorial and regional data ==

=== Etymology === {| class="wikitable" ! rowspan="2" |Flag ! colspan="2" |Common Name ! colspan="2" |Official name ! colspan="4" |ISO 3166 Country Codes<ref name=":03">{{cite web |title=Country codes |url=https://www.iso.org/iso-3166-country-codes.html |website=iso.org}}</ref> |- !Exonym !Endonym !Exonym !Endonym !ISO Short Name !Alpha-2 Code !Alpha-3 Code !Numeric |- |{{flagdeco|KHM}} |Cambodia | align="center" |កម្ពុជា |Kingdom of Cambodia |ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា |Cambodia |KH |KHM |116 |- |{{flagdeco|LAO}} |Laos | align="center" |ປະເທດລາວ |Lao People's Democratic Republic |ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ |Lao People's Democratic Republic (the) |LA |LAO |418 |- |{{flagdeco|MYS}} |Malaysia | align="center" |Malaysia |Malaysia |Malaysia |Malaysia |MY |MYS |458 |- |{{flagdeco|MMR}} |Myanmar | align="center" |မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ |Republic of the Union of Myanmar |ပြည်ထောင်စုသမ္မတမြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော် |Myanmar |MM |MMR |104 |- |{{flagdeco|SGP}} |Singapore | align="center" |Singapore |Republic of Singapore |Republic of Singapore |Singapore |SG |SGP |702 |- |{{flagdeco|THA}} |Thailand | align="center" |ประเทศไทย |Kingdom of Thailand |ราชอาณาจักรไทย |Thailand |TH |THA |764 |- |{{flagdeco|VNM}} |Vietnam | align="center" |Việt Nam |Socialist Republic of Viet Nam |Cộng hòa Xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam |Viet Nam |VN |VNM |704 |}

== See also == {{Portal|Asia|Geography}} * Southeast Asia ** Maritime Southeast Asia ** Western Southeast Asia * East Indies ; Related regional concepts * Mainland Southeast Asia linguistic area * Southeast Asian Massif * Sundaland * Zomia

; Sub-regions * Golden Chersonese * Golden Triangle * Greater Mekong Subregion

== Notes == {{notelist-lr}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * {{cite book|author=Bernard Philippe Groslier|title=The art of Indochina: including Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia|url=https://archive.org/details/artofindochinain00gros|url-access=registration|year=1962|publisher=Crown Publishers}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070615035222/http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADG750.pdf History of the mountain people of southern Indochina up to 1945 (Bernard Bourotte, i.e. Jacques Méry), U.S. Agency for International Development, 195?] (PDF)

== External links == {{Commons category}}

{{Timeline of sovereign states in Mainland Southeast Asia since the 1st century AD}} {{Regions of Asia}} {{Authority control}}

Category:Geography of Southeast Asia Category:Names of places in Asia Category:Mainland Southeast Asia Category:Southeast Asian studies