Southeast Asia is a fairly large region of the planet, within which 600 million people live. Today there are 11 countries, the list of which is given below, they differ significantly from each other in terms of the level and models of economic development. These differences will be discussed in our article.

Countries of Southeast Asia: list and capitals

The Southeast Asia region covers an area of ​​five million square kilometers. From the name itself it is clear that it is located in the southeastern part of Asia. Geographers usually include 11 states in this region. Six of them are located on the continent, and five more - on the islands and archipelagos adjacent to the mainland.

So, all the countries of Southeast Asia (list):

• Vietnam.
• Cambodia.
• Laos.
• Myanmar.
• Thailand.
• Malaysia.
• Indonesia.
• Philippines.
• Singapore.
• Brunei.
• East Timor.

It is worth noting that geographically Southeast Asia also includes the eastern parts of India and Bangladesh.

Southeast Asia: cultural and economic-geographical characteristics of the region

At least 600 million people live in this region, 35% of which are residents of one country, Indonesia. It is here that (the most densely populated on the planet) is located. There are quite a lot of migrants from China in the region. They mainly settle in Malaysia, the Philippines and

The indigenous peoples of this region are very diverse. Malays, Thais, Vietnamese, Burmese, Javanese and dozens of smaller nations live within Southeast Asia. The most popular religions here are Islam and Buddhism, Protestantism is widespread in some areas.

The formation of local culture was significantly influenced by Chinese, Indian, Arabic, and Spanish cultures. The cult of tea and the habit of eating with chopsticks are very common in Southeast Asia. Music, architecture, painting differ very little in each of the ethnic groups of the region.

The economy of many states of Southeast Asia is strongly tied to agriculture, industry and the service sector are gradually developing. In some countries of the region, tourism has become an important sector of the national economy (primarily Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia).

Developing countries of Southeast Asia: list

A developing country is a rather relative concept. By it is meant a state whose performance is significantly lower than that of the rest of the world.

According to the generally accepted classification, all 11 states of Southeast Asia should be classified as developing countries. However, among them there are three countries with a weaker level of development. They are also called These include:

• Laos.
• Cambodia.
• Myanmar.

The richest and most developed state in the region is considered to be Brunei, which is often referred to as the "Islamic Disneyland". The reason for this well-being is simple - solid oil and gas reserves. The country has long been in the top ten in terms of income of the population. It is curious that every second person who works at the industrial enterprises of Brunei came here from neighboring, less prosperous countries.

NIS countries in the region

New (abbreviated as NIS) is understood as a group of states that have experienced a significant leap in development and have significantly improved all their economic and social indicators in a very short time (only a few decades).

The countries of this group demonstrate amazing rates (up to 5-8% per year), generate powerful transnational corporations, actively introduce the latest technologies, allocate a lot of attention and funds to the development of science and education. Which states of the region can be attributed to the NIS group?

So, the newly industrialized countries of Southeast Asia (list):

• Singapore.
• Malaysia.
• Thailand.
• Indonesia.
• Philippines.

In addition, another country in the region, Vietnam, has quite real prospects for adding to this list.

Finally...

The countries of Southeast Asia, the list of which is given in this article, belong to the developing states of weak and medium development. Their economies are still heavily dependent on agriculture.

The most developed countries in the region are Singapore and Brunei, while the poorest are Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

Southeast Asia is one of the most dynamic regions in the world. There are very different countries here. they are united not only by the proximity of their geographical location, but also by an intensive search for ways to further the effective development of society. This is not always possible. Hence the acute problems and conflicts. Indonesia is the regional leader.

Indonesia

General information. The official name is the Republic of Indonesia. The capital is Jakarta (over 10 million people). Area -1900000 km 2 (15th place in the world). Population - more than 230 million people (4th place). The official language is Indonesian. The monetary unit is the Indonesian rupiah.

Geographical position. Indonesia is the most island country in the world. It completely occupies such large islands as Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, most of the island of Kalimantan and half of the island of New Guinea. In addition, Indonesia owns thousands of small islands located between the Indian and Pacific oceans. On land, Indonesia directly borders Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. The geographical position is generally favorable for the development of the economy. Indonesia is located on the sea routes between the Indian and Pacific oceans, where the powerful states of the world are now located - the USA, China, Japan and India.

History of origin and development. About 2 thousand years ago, the Hindus brought Buddhism to the Indonesian islands. From the 7th to the 13th century n. e. there was an empire under the leadership of the Hindus. At this time, the island of Java gradually became the center of the creation of Indonesian statehood. At the beginning of the XVI century. first the Portuguese and Spaniards appeared in the Malay Archipelago, and then the Dutch. In the latter, they managed to conquer the local Muslim states, from which they created a colony. During World War II, Indonesia was invaded by Japan. After the defeat of Japan in 1945, a republic was proclaimed. In the future, Indonesia experienced more than one crisis. There were massive violations of human rights, abuses of power, corruption flourished, which led to riots in 1998

State structure and form of government. Indonesia is a unitary state, a presidential republic. The head of state and government is the president. Legislative power belongs to the Council of People's Representatives. His term of office is 5 years. The highest body of state power is the People's Consultative Congress. The country is divided into 28 provinces, 2 special regions, 1 special district.

Natural conditions and resources. In the geological sense, Indonesia is a young, seismically active region, where the process of mountain building continues. There are more than 100 volcanoes, devastating earthquakes occur, which are often accompanied by tsunamis. In 1883 Krakatoa volcano exploded here. It was the largest eruption in human history.

More than half of the country is covered by mountains. The highest point in Indonesia, the city of Jaya (5029 m) is located on the island of New Guinea.

The equatorial and subequatorial climate prevails. Throughout the year, the average monthly temperature ranges from +25 ° C to +27 ° C. From 2000 to 4000 mm of precipitation falls annually. There are two monsoons in winter and summer (northwest and southeast).

There are no major rivers. They are short, but full-flowing. Almost 2/3 of the territory is covered with moist equatorial forests. They have many valuable species of trees. Diverse and rich wildlife, represented by elephants, rhinos, tigers, monkeys.

Indonesia has significant reserves of various minerals. There are energy carriers - oil and gas, coal and brown coal. Deposits of ore minerals are being developed - iron and manganese ores, bauxite, copper, tin, uranium, cobalt, thorium, silver and gold. Among non-metallic minerals, sulfur, phosphorites, asbestos, table salt stand out.

population. Indonesia, like many other countries, has a very unevenly distributed population. With an average density of more than 120 people per 1 km 2, individual islands are almost uninhabited, and on the island of Java, the population density approaches 1000 people per 1 km 2. There is no other country in the world where the population would be so torn apart from each other on different islands and over long distances. With a high birth rate and low mortality, there is a significant natural increase in the population (16% o). The urban population is a minority (40%). Many millionaire cities. In addition to the capital Jakarta, it is also Surabaya (more than 3 million people), Bandung (about Out of a million people), Medang (more than 2 million people).

Indonesia is an extremely diverse national composition. None of the nationalities has an absolute majority: Javanese - 33%, Sunds - 15 Minangkabau - 12%, etc. In total, there are more than 500 peoples living on their ethnic lands. Sunni Muslims predominate among believers (88%). There are also Christians (8%), Hindus (2%), Buddhists (1%).

Economy. Indonesia is an agro-industrial power. Almost 70% of the economically active population is employed in agriculture. Small farms predominate. The area of ​​large plantations is growing. Agricultural land occupies only 8% of the country's territory. The main agricultural crops are rice (the country ranks 3rd in the world in terms of cultivation), coffee (4th), tea (5th). They also grow sugar cane, coconuts, tobacco, and oil palm. The traditional occupations of the peasants are the collection of natural rubber (2nd place in the world), sisal (agave), copra. The main food products are rice, corn, cassava, soybeans, etc. Animal husbandry plays a supporting role. Fishing and harvesting of valuable tree species (sandalwood, teak, etc.) are more common.

The leading industry is mining, primarily the extraction of oil and natural gas, which is carried out by foreign companies, mainly Japanese. This industry provides up to 60% of foreign exchange earnings. Indonesia is the world's largest producer of liquefied natural gas, which is transported to Japan. Among the energy carriers, the extraction of hard and brown coal also stands out. The production of non-ferrous metals, gold and diamonds is growing.

Light and food industries are traditionally developed. The first is now dominated by textile, clothing and footwear. Crafts are very common. Unique are the famous hand-painted batik fabrics, woven mats, ivory carvings, etc.

Over the past decades, modern industries have been developing quite rapidly in Indonesia: aerospace, radio electronics, shipbuilding, automotive, etc. Production in the chemical and petrochemical industries is growing at a faster pace. The industry is rapidly diversifying. New industries are emerging and old ones are being reconstructed and expanded. Indonesia now produces paper, tires, matches, glass, cement, bricks, etc.

The island nature of the country determines the dominance of maritime transport in it. Indonesia has a huge number of seaports and marinas. The fleet has more than 2 thousand ships. In terms of the length of railway lines (7 thousand km), Indonesia is inferior to even small states in terms of area and population. The length of motor roads is more than 300 thousand km. The importance of air transport in both domestic and international traffic is growing.

Culture and social development. Indonesian cultural and historical heritage is extremely rich and varied. For example, there are more than 20 thousand (!) Temples on the famous island of Bali. Traditional holidays and ceremonies take place here more than 200 days a year. The largest cities have unique museums, for example, in the capital Jakarta, the Museums of Indonesian and Javanese culture. Lots of great art galleries and exhibitions. On the island of Java, world-famous temple complexes: Hindu - Pram-banana and Buddhist - Borobudur. In Indonesia, 85% are literate. The average life expectancy is 67 years.

The Republic of Indonesia recognized Ukraine on December 28, 1991 Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on June 11, 1992 by signing a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations. The Embassy of Indonesia has been working in Kyiv since April 1994

Questions and tasks

1. How does the insular position of Indonesia affect the development of the country?

2. Describe the natural conditions and resources of Indonesia.

3. Name and show on the map the largest cities in Indonesia.

4. Which sectors of the Indonesian economy use its historical and cultural heritage?

findings

Asia is a part of the world, colorful in every sense, where yesterday, today and the future are intricately intertwined. The largest number of regions (6) will be highlighted here. Each of them has one or more regional leaders.

The regions of Transcaucasia and Central Asia are represented by the former republics of the Soviet Union, they are trying to solve a lot of hereditary problems and get rid of colonial dependence on Russia.

Southwest Asia has concentrated on its territory the most acute political problems of the world. The confrontation between Israel and the Islamic world, the national liberation struggle of peoples, the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, the conflict between Iran and the United States, Israel - this is not a complete list of local contradictions.

South and East Asia is experiencing rapid economic growth and modernization in all spheres of life. Regional leaders China, Japan and India in terms of GNP are now consecutively the second, third and fourth countries in the world. In Southeast Asia, the most Islamic country on our planet, Indonesia, is changing rapidly.

Test control

1. The countries of Transcaucasia include:

a) Turkmenistan;

b) Georgia;

c) Afghanistan;

e) Armenia;

e) Azerbaijan.

2. Georgia borders on the following countries:

a) Turkey;

b) Russia;

c) Uzbekistan;

d) Moldova;

d) Azerbaijan;

e) Iraq.

3. Which of these statements are correct:

a) most of Georgia lies in the subtropical climate zone;

b) the largest natural wealth of Georgia is recreational resources;

c) the capital of Georgia is the city of Kutaisi?

4. The countries of Central Asia include:

a) Azerbaijan;

b) Pakistan;

c) Turkmenistan;

d) Tajikistan; d) Kyrgyzstan;

e) Uzbekistan.

5. In Uzbekistan, the population is:

a) 45 million people;

b) more than 25 million people;

c) 125 million people.

6. Specify the correct statements:

a) Uzbekistan is a unitary state, a presidential republic;

b) the climate of Uzbekistan is maritime;

c) the length of the railways of Uzbekistan is 90 thousand km.

7. The countries of Southwest Asia include:

c) Afghanistan;

d) Saudi Arabia;

e) Thailand.

8. The monetary unit of Iraq are:

9. Which statements are true:

a) the capital of Iran is Tehran;

b) there are many large rivers in Iran;

c) Is pig breeding predominating in Iran's animal husbandry?

10. The countries of South Asia include:

a) Sri Lanka;

b) Myanmar;

d) Cambodia;

d) Maldives;

e) Pakistan.

11. What place does India occupy in terms of population in the world:

a) the first;

b) second;

c) third?

12. India gained independence in:

13. East Asian countries include:

a) Republic of Korea;

b) Philippines;

c) Vietnam;

d) Mongolia;

14. The area of ​​China is:

a) 3300000 km 2;

b) 9600000 km 2;

c) 3800000 km 2.

15. Indicate the correct statement in your opinion:

a) the largest river in China is the Yangtze;

c) China ranks 5th in the world in terms of wheat cultivation.

16. Japan land borders with the following countries:

a) Russia;

b) Korea;

17. The countries of Southeast Asia include:

a) Bangladesh;

c) Myanmar;

d) Philippines; d) Mongolia; D) North Korea.

18. What climate prevails in Indonesia:

a) tropical;

b) subtropical and temperate;

c) equatorial and subequatorial?

It occupies the Indochina Peninsula, the Malay Archipelago and the Philippine Islands. These are 10 countries (Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, East Timor) with a population of over 410.6 million people, which is 13.4% of the Asian population.

Routes from Europe and the Middle East to East Asia and Australia pass through. The airports of Singapore and Bangkok are of the greatest importance for air routes, and the Malacca Strait for sea routes. There is a project to build a canal across the isthmus connecting the Malay Peninsula to the mainland.

According to the state system, it is a republic and a monarchy (Brunei, Cambodia, Thailand).

2. The natural resource potential of the South

Southeast Asia is located in the subequatorial and equatorial climatic zones. There is a lot of heat and moisture, fertile soils. This region of Asia is better than others provided with forest resources; significant areas are occupied by tropical rainforests. Iron, black, red, rosewood with hard, water-repellent wood, as well as camphor, sandalwood and a number of other species containing essential oils and resins, are in great demand on the world market.

Rich region and minerals. From Myanmar to Indonesia stretches part of the world's largest tin-tungsten belt. In addition, there are significant deposits of bauxite, copper, lead, manganese, gold, silver, precious and semi-precious stones. In the bowels of the Philippines there are deposits of chromites of world importance. Of the fuel resources is coal (Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia), significant reserves of oil and gas are in Indonesia, Myanmar, Brunei, Vietnam.

3. The population of South.

characterized by significant natural population growth. And although in recent years its level has decreased significantly, the countries belong to the second type of population reproduction. The racial, ethnic and religious composition of the population is diverse. Representatives of the Caucasoid, Mongoloids and Australoids, as well as their descendants, live here. There are more than 20 million Chinese immigrants (huaqiao) in Southeast Asia.

The distribution of the population is rather uneven. On the Indochina Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago, the population is concentrated in the deltas and valleys of the Irrawaddy, Menam, Mekong, Hongha, Java and Luzon islands. In Java, the average population density is 930 people / km2. Mountainous areas covered with forests are almost deserted.

The level of urbanization is quite low, the main share of urban residents is concentrated in the capitals, except for the capitals of Brunei, Cambodia and Laos, they are millionaire cities. More than half of the population is employed in agriculture.

4. General characteristics of Southeast Asia

The region of Southeast Asia is heterogeneous and does not constitute a group of countries that are characterized by certain general trends in socio-economic and political development. In the post-war period, in the course of the formation and strengthening of national sovereignty, the countries of the region were divided into two main groups. Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia chose the path of socialist development, and the rest - representatives of the Association of Southeast Asia (ASEAN), which included Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and since 1984 - Brunei, took the path of developing market relations . All countries of Southeast Asia started at approximately the same level. However, the former socialist countries of Asia have not been able to achieve such impressive results as the neighboring ASEAN member countries.

The economies of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in the 1980s had an agrarian orientation and were characterized by an almost complete absence of a manufacturing industry. According to the UN classification, in the late 80s they belonged to the group of countries with a low per capita income - less than 500 dollars. per year, and Laos and Cambodia are included in the group of least developed countries.

Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand are among the countries with an average per capita income - from 500 to 3000 dollars. in year.

Singapore and Brunei- states with a high level of per capita income, over 20 thousand dollars. in year. True, success in the economic development of these countries was achieved due to various factors: Singapore is a state with a developed industry, and Brunei is a petroleum-exporting country that receives a significant part of GDP due to oil production and export (up to 60% in 1995).

The economic success of the ASEAN countries was achieved due to four factors:
1) export industrial development strategy;
2) attraction of foreign capital;
3) state regulation;
4) creation of viable national corporations.

The countries of the region have a strong export base and are well endowed with natural resources, which form the basis of their economic development. That is why they have become the largest, and sometimes monopoly, exporters of certain goods.

A decisive role in shaping the industrial and export specialization of the ASEAN countries is played by TNCs (mainly American and Japanese), which first penetrated into the light industry, and now have created a base for the production of export components for consumer electronics and telecommunications equipment. Among market economies, Malaysia has become the world's third largest semiconductor producer. Thailand has become an important center for the production of integrated circuits. The same countries are major manufacturers and exporters of cars. The chemical industry and metallurgy are also developing. The penetration of TNCs into developing countries is explained by the active movement to these countries of labour-, energy- and material-intensive, environmentally hazardous industries, as well as cheap labor.

The restructuring of the economic system in Vietnam and Laos began in 1988, and already after 3-4 years noticeable results were achieved. Vietnam is sometimes referred to as the second "Kuwait". The end of the XX century. he became one of the medium oil producers. With the participation of foreign capital, oil and gas, iron ore, and bauxite extraction are being developed in these countries, oil refineries, enterprises for the production of nitrogen fertilizers, natural rubber, tea, coffee, and pharmaceutical factories are being built. One of the priority directions of economic development is the creation of free economic zones. The main investors in the Vietnamese economy are Taiwan, Singapore, France, Germany, the economy of Laos is Thailand. At the end of the XX century. both countries became members of ASEAN.

The influence of the colonial past of the country of the region is still felt today. Southeast Asia continues to act in MSUPU as an important supplier of agricultural raw materials. The basis of agriculture - the main sphere of the economy - is subtropical agriculture. An important feature of the equatorial belt is the plantation economy, founded by the colonialists. Plantations are beneficial not only economically, but also ecologically (they mimic the conditions of the equatorial forest). The countries of Southeast Asia are the largest rice-growing area in the world. Legumes, corn, sweet potato, cassava are cultivated everywhere. The region has long been known for growing spices (red and black pepper, ginger, vanilla, cloves), which are exported. The ASEAN zone provides almost 40% of the world's production of natural rubber, 60% of copra, 90% of yarn (manila hemp fiber), more than 50% of coconuts, 30% of palm oil and rice. The weak development of animal husbandry is compensated by summer and sea fishing.

One of the centers of world drug production is the "golden triangle". It covers the territory of northeastern Myanmar, northern Thailand and northern Laos and covers an area of ​​about 400 thousand square kilometers. In the mid 50s of the XX century. production of raw opium here amounted to 50% of the world. Now the regional bodies and the UN are trying to solve the drug problem in the area by giving the population the opportunity to replace the opium poppy with other equally profitable crops.

Singapore is an island city-state with an area of ​​about 620 km2 and a population of 3 million people. Representatives of many peoples of the world live here, speaking English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil. The country became independent in 1965. During the independence, Singapore has turned from a colonial city into a financial, trade, communication and industrial center of world importance. The seaport of Singapore is the second in the world after Rotterdam in terms of total cargo turnover. More than 3,000 branches of TNCs are located in the city. Therefore, the cost of 1 square meter of land in the financial center of Singapore has reached 60 thousand US dollars.

Geopolitical space of Southeast Asia.

It consists of the Indochina Peninsula, the Malay Archipelago and adjacent territories of Asia with an area of ​​about 4.5 million square meters. km. The region is located on the Indochina Peninsula and numerous islands of the Malay Archipelago. This region connects the mainland of Eurasia and Australia and is the border between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The states of Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, East Timor, Philippines, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand are marked on the map of Southeast Asia. Important air and sea routes run through the countries of Southeast Asia: the Strait of Malacca is comparable to the Strait of Gibraltar, the Panama and Suez Canals in terms of importance for world shipping.

Perhaps it is impossible to find another large region on Earth - more than 1/12 of humanity - a region in the cultural landscape of which the features of such different civilizations would meet. The eleven countries that make up the region strongly, sometimes strikingly, differ from each other in terms of cultural and economic types, ethnolinguistic situations, and political systems. There is a huge variation in the size of the territory and population, the provision of resources and the level of economic development. The indigenous population plus the visible and systemically important presence of the Chinese and Indian diasporas. The spread of Buddhism and Islam, "natural" for the region, plus the Christianity of the Philippines and East Timor, syncretic and ethnic beliefs.

The position of Southeast Asia in the zone of overlapping influences of the Indian and Chinese civilizations, the physical geographical fragmentation and the coastal geographical position of most of the populated territories led to the early participation of the region in international exchanges over long distances.

Geographical position, significant natural and human resources led to colonial conquests in the past and economic expansion in Southeast Asia in the present. After gaining independence, about 8% of the world's population lived in the territory of the states of Southeast Asia, but the economy of these countries as a whole was poorly developed. People lived quite poorly, which led to the production of many world-famous brands in these states with the involvement of local residents as cheap labor.

Attempts at mutual cooperation between the countries of Southeast Asia were made back in the years of the Cold War, but then they were of a pronounced military-political nature and boiled down to participation in a global confrontation between the two systems, for example, as part of such an odious bloc as SEATO (South East Treaty Organization). -East Asia). Interstate associations on an economic basis were of a subordinate nature and could not claim an independent role in international relations. In this regard, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which arose on the eve of the period of detente, was more fortunate. It has managed to develop into a non-military regional association of countries with high international prestige.

The Association was established by decision of the Foreign Ministers' Conference of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines on August 8, 1967 in Bangkok. The adopted ASEAN Declaration set the following goals:

– acceleration of economic development, social and cultural progress of the countries of Southeast Asia (SEA);

– strengthening peace and regional stability;

- expansion of active cooperation and mutual assistance in the field of economy, culture, science, technology and training;

– development of more effective cooperation in the sphere of industry and agriculture;

- expanding mutual trade and raising the living standards of citizens of the participating countries;

– establishment of strong and mutually beneficial cooperation with other international and regional organizations.

At present, ASEAN is a large regional association of dynamically developing countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei (1984), Vietnam (1995), Laos (1997), Myanmar (1997), Cambodia (1999)) occupying all more significant positions in the world economy. In the early 2000s, ASEAN had a population of over 500 million and a combined GDP of over $700 billion. If earlier this region traditionally played an important role in the world export of tropical crops (such as natural rubber, palm and coconut oil and other types of tropical farming products), then in the second half of the 20th century it gained importance as an exporter of raw materials and energy resources, namely, bauxite, copper, chromium and nickel ore, oil and gas. In many ASEAN countries, a number of different industries are currently actively developing, including the food industry, a developed network of roads and railways is being built, and tourism infrastructure is being developed. The ASEAN states conduct active trade with the United States, as well as many developed countries in Europe and Asia. In recent years, ASEAN has become a significant exporter of manufactured products, including both light industrial goods and electronic products.

The foreign policy and political interests of the USSR in Southeast Asia in the period of the 60s and 80s developed within the framework of two main directions:

the first was associated with close and multilateral cooperation with the countries of Indochina and, first of all, with Vietnam, which acted in the region as a direct ally of the USSR in the Cold War;

the second - with the ASEAN countries, which were US allies in the fight against communist forces and their influence in Asia.

The general nature of relations between the Soviet Union and the ASEAN countries has long been formed under the influence of the global confrontation between the USSR and the USA. This confrontation developed on the political, ideological and economic levels. Accordingly, relations with the ASEAN countries at all these levels have long developed based on the general logic of the struggle between the two superpowers. At the same time, it must be taken into account that in the Cold War, the ASEAN states at its various stages always acted to a greater or lesser extent on the side of the United States. Moreover, Thailand and the Philippines were the closest American allies in the operations of the US troops in Indochina against the socialist North Vietnam and the troops of the Cambodian and Laotian communists. The fronts of the "cold war" of the superpowers and their regional allies divided Southeast Asia politically, economically and ideologically, and the geopolitical situation in the region as a whole developed in such a way that a tough confrontation arose in Southeast Asia between two military-political and social economic systems.

The first - initially included only North Vietnam, and after the defeat of the United States in the war in Indochina in 1975, the entire united Vietnam and Laos and Cambodia, which came under the control of local communists. The second included other countries of Southeast Asia, with the exception of Burma, which sought to choose its own independent and separate path of development. At the same time, the first group of countries in ideology, politics and economy and in the military sphere relied on the help and support of the USSR and China, and the second group of countries in all these areas relied mostly on the support of the United States. All this led to the fact that for a long time there were no serious and deep relations based on the common interests of the ASEAN countries and the USSR.

The Soviet Union had fairly intense economic ties with the countries of Southeast Asia that belonged to the socialist camp, and limited with the rest. For example, in the mid-1980s, Vietnam, Kampuchea, and Laos accounted for about 80% of the total turnover of the USSR's foreign trade with the countries of Southeast Asia. With the rest of the countries in the region, trade was insignificant, although from time to time one-off purchases in individual countries increased their share in total trade.

It should be noted that for Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, trade was determined by the needs of their national economies. Exports from the USSR to these countries were very significant, at least in comparison with other countries of Southeast Asia. In turn, these three countries did not have sufficient resources to balance foreign trade with the USSR, and their exports to our country were very small.

The USSR's trade with the non-socialist countries of Southeast Asia was largely commercial. The USSR bought the goods it needed in these countries, but offered little to the markets of these countries, and its exports to Malaysia, Burma, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines were very small. For this reason, the balance of trade with all these countries was negative.

On the whole, the turnover of the USSR's foreign trade with the countries of Southeast Asia had a stable positive balance, which in the mid-1980s exceeded 2 billion rubles. The problem was the solvency of counterparties in Vietnam, Laos and Kampuchea, but this issue was resolved by providing loans to these countries by the Soviet side.

Until the mid-80s, one can speak of the heyday of the Soviet military presence in Southeast Asia. Then a powerful naval group was assembled at the base in Cam Ranh (Vietnam). Despite the fact that the Soviet naval and air forces in this region, although inferior to the American ones, still could not be ignored in the global confrontation as an important outpost of the USSR in Asia.

However, the further weakening of the USSR, turmoil, political instability led to the fact that the attitude towards the USSR as a politically independent and strong power fell. Economic interest in the development of cooperation was insignificant, especially in the context of growing chaos and the collapse of the Soviet economy. All this led to a certain stagnation and to the loss of interest on the part of the ASEAN countries in the development of relations with the USSR. As for the USSR, the end of the Cold War and global confrontation, the departure from ideological foreign policy and communist principles led to the fact that in Moscow, too, interest in moving into Southeast Asia was largely lost, and relations with the countries of the region turned out to be on the periphery of Soviet foreign policy.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, China began to gradually, and in recent years increasingly actively, to win the regional influence that Moscow had lost. In Southeast Asia, his diplomatic and commercial influence has become much stronger than it was during the Cold War era. China is becoming a competitor to America and its strategic ally Japan. Meanwhile, ASEAN is cautiously developing cooperation with Beijing - the countries of the region are afraid of Chinese expansion, and some even see a military threat in China's policy. However, it is impossible to ignore the colossal economic power of this country, and ASEAN considers the signing of agreements and declarations with it as a certain guarantee of the civilized behavior of the northern neighbor. Therefore, along with strengthening bilateral business ties, ASEAN is seeking to adjust to China's growing influence by establishing the ASEAN+3 Forum, which includes China, Japan, and South Korea in addition to ten ASEAN members.

For more than a decade, the post-Cold War economic crisis left Russia without the economic opportunity and strategic ambition to establish itself in the region. At the present stage, Russia is restoring its former influence in the region. She regularly participates in ASEAN post-ministerial conferences, being one of the dialogue partners of the Association. Since 1994 - in the work of the ARF on security issues. At the initiative of the Russian Federation, the documents of the Forum found a place for the idea of ​​gradual progress from establishing confidence-building measures through the stage of preventive diplomacy to creating a system of regional security covering Pacific Asia.

Since mid-1997, the ASEAN-Russia Joint Cooperation Committee began to operate, meetings of which are periodically held in Moscow or in one of the ASEAN capitals. The Russia-ASEAN Foundation, provided for by dialogue relations, has been created and is working on the problems of bilateral economic, trade, scientific and technical cooperation. Representatives of both official, business and academic circles participate in its activities.

Russia's trade relations with the ASEAN countries, which are leaders in the system of bilateral economic relations, are successfully developing. The volume of mutual trade for the period 1992-1999 amounted to more than 21 billion dollars. A prominent place in relations with such ASEAN countries as Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia is occupied by military-technical cooperation. At the expense of Russian-made military equipment, the modernization of the strategic missile forces is carried out completely, the Malaysian Air Force is equipped with Russian-made aircraft. President Vladimir Putin, the first Russian leader to visit Indonesia since the visit of the late Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in 1960, signed a large number of cooperation and arms sales agreements with his Indonesian counterpart, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The situation with Russia's financial interests in the ASEAN countries is developing quite well. Indonesia paid off its massive debt ahead of schedule, dating back to the 1960s. In 2000, an agreement was signed to settle Vietnam's large debt. A similar agreement is being implemented with Laos.

Large-scale military and economic agreements are one of the latest signs of Moscow's ongoing diplomatic offensive aimed at establishing new or renewing old ties in Southeast Asia. Russia is seeking to improve its diplomatic relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The new agreements are less ideological and more economic and indicate that Russia intends to become a third player in the struggle between China and the United States for influence in the region.

Until recently, ASEAN considered the United States, a natural ally and patron of the leading countries of Southeast Asia, to be the only counterbalance to China. With the return and strengthening of Russia's positions in the region, the opinion appeared in the Association countries that Russia is and will remain a great Eurasian power, that regional security will benefit from its involvement in the most important political and world economic processes going on in the Asia-Pacific region and Southeast Asia.

Russia has emerged belatedly on the scene of a new capitalist order in which free trade agreements take precedence over aid and arms deals, and it faces an intense struggle for regional influence with China and the United States. However, in Southeast Asia, the trilateral confrontation between the Cold War era opponents is already underway, and it promises to complicate the geopolitical processes developing in the region. Over the past half century, Southeast Asia has gone from a trading crossroads region to a leader in the developing world in terms of the pace and quality of development. The accelerated modernization and the formation of an outwardly oriented investment model were facilitated by state policy, rapid demographic transition, rapid urbanization and the transformation of the labor factor: from cheapness to quality. The result was high growth rates and restructuring of the economy. Although irrigated rice remains the basis of the subsistence of most of the inhabitants of the region, its modern specialization in the international division of labor is determined by the manufacturing industry, including (and increasingly) its medium and high-tech industries. Development gives rise to the complication of the territorial organization of societies, the enclave nature of the development of the territory is being overcome, and countries are being integrated into global structures. Southeast Asia is a representative cross section of the developing world. Almost every country in the region exemplifies a particular type and trajectory of socio-economic development. Indonesia is the region's largest and one of the world's largest rich, poor countries with acute problems of territorial integrity and national integration. Singapore is a post-industrial maximally "globalized" economy, completely dependent on the world market. Malaysia is a country in which the modernization of the economy takes place while preserving the traditional culture and socio-political structures. Thailand is a peasant country exporting rice and electronics. The Philippines is a country that took an early "industrial start" and is now faced with the fact that demographic growth has outpaced economic growth. Brunei is a wealthy oil exporter with a backward socio-economic structure. Vietnam is a poor country that has recently opened up to the world market and is demonstrating a rapid pace of development. Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar are poor agrarian countries that have suffered from internal instability and are poorly connected with the world economy. East Timor is the youngest state in the world with an unformed economic structure, dependent on international assistance. All this multidimensionality of Southeast Asia does not destroy the commonality. The institutional embodiment of the regional community - the Association of Southeast Asian Nations allows the countries of the region to withstand the challenges of globalization, makes the region a major economic player and an integral part of the Asia-Pacific region; Japan and China compete for dominance in its markets. Modern political storms, regional conflicts, international terrorism do not bypass this busy crossroads of mankind, testing the experience of coexistence of societies with dissimilar cultures and religions, developed in Southeast Asia for thousands of years.