Southeast Asia is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of areas south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent and north-west of mainland Australia.
The region covers roughly 4.5 million square kilometres and holds a population of approximately 676 million people across eleven countries, all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It divides into mainland and maritime zones, with most of the mainland sitting in the Northern Hemisphere while parts of Timor-Leste and southern Indonesia lie south of the equator. The region sits near the intersection of geological plates — the Sunda Plate underlies most nations except Myanmar and parts of northern mainland states, while the Philippines and eastern Indonesia fall within the Pacific Ring of Fire. This placement results in frequent seismic and volcanic activity, particularly across the Philippines and Indonesia. Culturally, Southeast Asia ranks among the world’s most diverse regions, with hundreds of languages spoken by distinct ethnic groups across terrain that ranges from mountain ranges linked to the Alpide belt to thousands of islands scattered through tropical seas.
The region appears in Episode: Surviving the Canadian wilderness, and Desert Island Survival, with Tom Williams.
