South East Asia
- Level of urbanization: low
- Rate of urban growth: high
- In many countries, rate of urban growth is increasing rather than decreasing
 
 Historical Overview
- impact of external influences
- first urban places: to contact with Indian sailors, merchants and priests
- other influences: Chinese, Arabs, Europeans, Americans, and Japanese
- indigenous people had their own belief system, forms, and cultures
- more coastline than any other region in the world
- a lot of settlements are on or near the coast
- by 3000 BCE  village based agricultural societies
- by 1000 BCE techniques for growing rice
- three periods
1. 16th century Indian, Chinese, Arab influences, indigenous kingdoms existed
2. 1509: arrival of Europeans (Portuguese)
3. Americans and Japanese

 Outside Influences
 Indian Influence:
- began approximately 100 BCE, 2000 years ago
- travelers, teachers, traders
- elements of Indian culture introduced:

 + concept of royalty and kingdoms
 + religion
- first indigenous kingdoms and cities arose from this.

 Two types of cities:
 1. Inland Sacred City

- large
- wealth drawn from large rural hinterland
- large area under its control
- elaborate temple complexes, stone made
- if ruler’s authority declined, the city declined
 2. Coastal Market City
- smaller, compact
- wealth from sea trade
- did not control large territories
- more population diversity: differentiated land use
- grew in size over time
 
 Muslim Influence:
- entered by trade routes through South Asia
- Gujarati merchants
 
 European Influence:
- before European arrival many coastal areas were thriving: Malacca
 
 Portuguese:
- 1511 captured Malacca
- dominated many  islands in Eastern Indonesia archipelago
 
 
 Spanish:
- 1521 trans-Pacific route
- settlement in Philippines (Manila – 1571)
- treated this like colonies in America
 
 Dutch:
- 1521 trans-Pacific route
- Dutch East India Co.
- Established Batavia (Jakarta)
 
 British:
- large presence beginning in 1800s
- Burma and Malay peninsula
- Singapore in 1819, Rangoon 1824
 
 French:
- large presence in 1800s
- French Indo-China: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
- Saigon in 1859 (Ho-Chi Minh City)
 
 Thailand remained independent. Buffer between British and French.
 
- 19th century interest in region increased, Industrial revolution: generated need for raw materials, Advances in transportation made region closer, opening of Suez canal increased interest in region
- primate cities consolidation: major commercial, administrative, financial, cultural, and education centers
- mining towns, resort centers/hill stations, regional administration centers
- common characteristics of cities at the end of colonialism:
 
 Independence in region after WWII
- Singapore in 1965
 
 
 Colonial Effects in Urbanization
- boundaries
- coastal expansion, interior decline
- rural to urban migration
- population increase
- increasing ethnic diversity
 
 
 Chinese in South East Asia
- 4% of total population
- concentrated in cities
- commercially successful
- viewed with suspicion and distrust, residentially and culturally separate
- violence in Indonesia
 
 
 Major Distinctive Cities
- independence end of 1950s
- neocolonialism or still dependent in former colonial power
- all cities have experienced rapid population growth
- foreign element (Chinese) still play a dominant role in the commercial activities. Lately Japanese influence
- through the process of "urban concentration" many of the larger coastal cities still exert a dominant influence
- types and locations of land use in the larger cities are similar (result of colonialism)
- Figure 10.5 pg. 399
 
 Continuing problems
- overpopulation
- rapid urban growth
- neo-colonial economic pattern
- employment
- quality of housing, services, facilities
- preserve local characteristics and environment
- causes for urban growth - Jakarta: closed in 1970, lack of electricity, water, waste, disposal system, public schools, health facilities