History of Southeast Asia

The term Southeast Asia has been in use since World War II. The region has been further divided into two distinct sub-regions, Mainland Southeast Asia, also Indochina that comprises the modern states Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and West Malaysia and Maritime Southeast Asia, also Insular Southeast Asia that comprises the modern states Indonesia, East Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, East Timor, Brunei, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and the Christmas Island.

Earliest Homo sapiens presence in Mainland Southeast Asia can be traced back to 50,000 years ago and to at least 40,000 years ago in Maritime Southeast Asia. As early as 10,000 years ago, Hoabinhian settlers have developed a tradition and culture of distinct artefact and tool production. During the Neolithic Austroasiatic peoples populated Indochina via land routes and sea-borne Austronesian immigrants preferably settled in insular Southeast Asia. The earliest agricultural societies that cultivate millet and wet-rice emerge around 1,700 BCE in the lowlands and riverine floodplains of Indochina.

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