NATIONS      

         Southeast Asia is a geographical region located south of China and east of India. Because of its location it has been called the crossroads of the East. With the rapid modernization of its societies the importance of the region has grown economically, politically and strategically.

          Five of the ten countries of southeast Asia - Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand (once called Siam), and Myanmar also known as Burma) - are situated on the Asian mainland. Three are island countries - the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore. Malaysia belongs to both the mainland and islands of Southeast Asia. It includes most of the Malay peninsula, plus Sarawak and Sabah on the island of Borneo, much of which is part of Indonesia. Brunei, situated on the north coast of Borneo, has the smallest population of the Southeast Asian countries. Indonesia has the fourth largest population in the world, after China, India and the United States.