Southeast Asia lies between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with mainland areas and island groups. The climate is warm and humid with monsoon winds, and travel between islands was difficult due to seas and mountains. When Indian and Chinese merchants arrived, they spread Hinduism, Buddhism, and their languages and political ideas, influencing the region. The powerful Khmer Empire dominated trade and built impressive irrigation systems and structures like Angkor Wat. Island kingdoms like Srivijaya also rose to power by controlling important trade routes. Vietnam was influenced by China but maintained its own identity.

1. Geography of South Asia Southeast Asia lies between the Indian and Pacific Ocean with two main parts; the mainland peninsula that borders China to the north and India to the west and the islands Sumatra, Borneo, and Java. Most of the land is warm and humid with monsoon winds that bring long annual rain. There was poor communication and travel between the islands because of the seas and straits and valleys with raised hills and mountains. They had control of trade routes and harbors because powerful lords charged merchants high fees for using their ports, passing through their waterways, and/or protecting their ships from pirates. Southeast Asia also lies on the most direct sea route between the Indian Ocean and South China Sea. Cathy Hsu

2. Influence of India and China When Indian merchant boats began arriving in Southeast Asia, Hindu and Buddhist missionaries spread their faiths to different regions and many people adapted the religion and political ideas of Indians. People of Southeast Asia also adopted Hindu practices, wrote poems in Sanskrit which was an ancient Indian language. Migration and trade was used to spread Chinese ideas and culture southward Chinese also had a political influence through direct rule or demanding tributes from local rulers. Cathy Hsu

3. The Khmer Empire was the main power on Southeast Asia mainland. An early kind named Funan dominated sea trade between India and China and Khmer reached a peak of power and had expanded their land to an empire. Rice cultivation helped Khmer prosper. They built irrigation and waterway systems which increased the crop production of an area in a year. The Angkor Wat was also built which was a city-and-temple complex. It is one of the world’s greatest architectural achievements. It is built as a symbolic mountain dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu and also used as an observatory. Cathy Hsu Khmer Empire

4. Island Trading Kingdoms While the Khmer empire expanded on the southeastern Asian mainland the Sailendra Dynasty arose to create an agricultural kingdom on the island of java. The Sailendra kings made one of the world’s greatest monuments, the Buddhist temple in Boroburdur in 800 and it reflects Indian influences. A key feature of the temple was its nice terraced levels. Soon the Sailendra would fall to the Srivijaya empire which would now have control of the powerful island. Srivijaya grew in power by taxing the trade through the waters that they controlled. At their capital of Palembang, Buddhism became a center of learning in Asia so monks did not have to travel all the way to India to continue their prayers.

5. Vietnam The Vietnamese country was least influenced by Indian culture. Vietnam is located on the costal region south of China. It was taken control over by China around 100 B.C. The Han Dynasty took control over Northern Vietnam for 1000 years until the fall of the Tang Dynasty in 900 and became an independent kingdom in 939. Chinese culture influenced the country especially with Buddhism but the Vietnamese preserved many of their own individual cultural identity , for instance Vietnamese women had more freedom than Chinese women. On the red river delta, leaders of the Ly Dynasty established their capital of Hanoi. Slowly Vietnam began to conquer neighbors to the south. Even when Mongols tried to conquer Hanoi three times, Vietnam was always able to force them out.

6. The establishment of Korea is based on a Korean and Chinese legend. The Korean one says it was founded by a hero, and the Chinese says it was founded by the Shang Dynasty. Both stories reflect Korean Culture. Korea, like many countries borrowed many ideas from China but also had their own traditions. Korea is located on a peninsula right above china and left of Japan. The size of Korea is about the size of Utah. Korea’s weather is very hot in the summer, and very cold in the winter. Korea is a very mountainous land and only a portion can be farmed. Because of its mountain and the sea, Korea developed isolation from its northern neighbors. Korea and its Geography