A World of Words: Southeast Asia - High School

Study this list to review the land features, natural resources, and political structures of countries in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Learn about flora such as lemongrass and mangrove, fauna such as the pangolin and the tapir, and weather events like cyclones and typhoons.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. Achmad Sukarno
    Indonesian statesman who obtained the independence of Indonesia from the Netherlands in 1949 and served as president until ousted by Suharto in a coup d'etat (1901-1970)
  2. agrarian
    relating to rural matters
  3. agriculture
    the practice of cultivating the land or raising stock
  4. Andaman Sea
    part of the Bay of Bengal to the west of the Malay Peninsula
  5. animism
    the doctrine that all natural objects have souls
  6. armistice
    a state of peace agreed to between opponents
  7. Association of Southeast Asian Nations
    an association of nations dedicated to economic and political cooperation in southeastern Asia and who joined with the United States to fight against global terrorism
  8. authoritarian
    characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule
  9. Bahasa
    the dialect of Malay used as the national language of the Republic of Indonesia or of Malaysia
  10. Bali
    an island in Indonesia to the east of Java
  11. Bangkok
    the capital and largest city and chief port of Thailand
  12. batik
    a dyed fabric
  13. Bay of Bengal
    an arm of the Indian Ocean to the east of India
  14. Bengal tiger
    southern short-haired tiger
  15. Borneo
    3rd largest island in the world
  16. Brunei
    a sultanate in northwestern Borneo
  17. Buddhism
    a religion represented by the many groups (especially in Asia) that profess various forms of the Buddhist doctrine and that venerate Buddha
  18. buffer state
    a neutral country situated between two rival powers
  19. Cambodia
    a nation in southeastern Asia
  20. canal
    long and narrow strip of water for boats or for irrigation
  21. capitalism
    an economic system based on private ownership of assets
  22. cash crop
    a cultivated plant that is grown to be sold for profit
  23. Christianity
    a monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior
  24. civil war
    a war between factions in the same country
  25. coastal
    located on or near or bordering on a shore
  26. coastline
    the outline of a coast
  27. colonialism
    exploitation by a stronger country of a weaker one
  28. colony
    a geographical area controlled by a distant country
  29. colugo
    arboreal nocturnal mammal of southeast Asia and the Philippines resembling a lemur and having a fold of skin on each side from neck to tail that is used for long gliding leaps
  30. commonwealth
    a politically organized body of people under a government
  31. communism
    a form of socialism that abolishes private ownership
  32. Confucianism
    the teachings of Confucius emphasizing love for humanity
  33. coup d'etat
    a sudden and decisive change of government by force
  34. crude oil
    a dark oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbons
  35. cyclone
    a violent rotating windstorm
  36. deforestation
    the state of being clear of trees
  37. delta
    a low area of alluvial deposits where a river divides
  38. democracy
    a political system in which power lies in a body of citizens
  39. development
    making some area of land or water more profitable or useful
  40. Dien Bien Phu
    the French military base fell after a siege by Vietnam troops that lasted 56 days; ended the involvement of France in Indochina in 1954
  41. diversity
    noticeable variety
  42. domino theory
    idea that communist nations will convert neighboring nations
  43. dry season
    one of the two seasons in tropical climates
  44. earthquake
    vibration from underground movement along a fault plane
  45. East Timor
    a former Portuguese colony that was annexed by Indonesia in 1976; voted for independence from Indonesia in 1999 and in May 2002 became an independent nation
  46. embargo
    a government order imposing a trade barrier
  47. entrepot
    a port where merchandise can be imported and then exported without paying import duties
  48. erosion
    the process of wearing or grinding something down
  49. eruption
    the sudden occurrence of a violent discharge
  50. ethnic group
    people of the same race or nationality who share a distinctive culture
  51. fauna
    all the animal life in a particular region or period
  52. Filipino
    of or relating to or characteristic of the Philippines or its people or customs
  53. flora
    all the plant life in a particular region or period
  54. galangal
    southeastern Asian perennial with aromatic roots
  55. gemstone
    a crystalline rock that can be cut and polished for jewelry
  56. globalization
    growth to a worldwide scale
  57. Hanoi
    the capital city of Vietnam; located in North Vietnam
  58. highland
    elevated (e.g., mountainous) land
  59. Hinduism
    the religion of most people in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal
  60. Hmong
    a people living traditionally in mountain villages in southern China and adjacent areas of Vietnam and Laos and Thailand; many have emigrated to the United States
  61. Ho Chi Minh City
    a city in South Vietnam
  62. human right
    any basic freedom to which all people are entitled
  63. import
    commodities bought from a foreign country
  64. independence
    freedom from control or influence of another or others
  65. Indian Ocean
    the 3rd largest ocean
  66. indigenous
    originating where it is found
  67. Indochina
    a peninsula of southeastern Asia that includes Myanmar and Cambodia and Laos and Malaysia and Thailand and Vietnam
  68. Indonesia
    a republic in southeastern Asia on an archipelago including more than 13,000 islands; achieved independence from the Netherlands in 1945; the principal oil producer in the Far East and Pacific regions
  69. industrialization
    the development of commercial enterprise
  70. infrastructure
    basic facilities needed for the functioning of a country
  71. instability
    a disorderly state
  72. insular
    relating to or characteristic of or situated on an island
  73. Irrawaddy River
    the main river of Myanmar rising in the north and flowing south through the length of Burma to empty into the Andaman Sea
  74. Islam
    the monotheistic religious system of Muslims
  75. isthmus
    a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas
  76. Jakarta
    capital and largest city of Indonesia
  77. Java
    an island in Indonesia to the south of Borneo
  78. Javanese
    the Indonesian language spoken on Java
  79. Khmer
    a native or inhabitant of Cambodia
  80. Khmer Rouge
    a communist organization formed in Cambodia in 1970
  81. killing field
    an area where many people have died
  82. kingdom
    the domain ruled by a monarch
  83. Komodo dragon
    the largest lizard in the world
  84. Krakatoa
    a small volcanic island in Indonesia between Java and Sumatra; its violent eruption in 1883 was the greatest in recorded history
  85. Kuala Lumpur
    the largest city and former capital of Malaysia until 2005
  86. Laos
    a mountainous landlocked communist state in southeastern Asia; achieved independence from France in 1949
  87. lemongrass
    a tropical grass native to India and Sri Lanka
  88. Luzon
    the main island of the Philippines
  89. mainland
    the main land mass of a country or continent
  90. Malay Peninsula
    a peninsula in southeastern Asia occupied by parts of Malaysia and Thailand and Myanmar
  91. Malaysia
    a constitutional monarchy in southeastern Asia on Borneo and the Malay Peninsula; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1957
  92. Mandalay
    a city in central Myanmar to the north of Rangoon
  93. mangrove
    a tree that grows in salty, tropical water near the coast
  94. Manila
    the capital and largest city of the Philippines
  95. manufacture
    put together out of artificial or natural components
  96. manufacturing
    the act of making something (a product) from raw materials
  97. maritime
    relating to ships or navigation
  98. martial law
    military rule over civilian affairs
  99. Mekong River
    an Asian river
  100. metropolitan
    relating to or characteristic of a large urban area
  101. migration
    the movement of persons from one locality to another
  102. Mindanao
    the second largest island of the Philippines at the southern end of the archipelago; mountainous and volcanic
  103. monarchy
    autocracy governed by a ruler who usually inherits authority
  104. monsoon
    a seasonal wind in southern Asia
  105. mountainous
    containing many mountains
  106. Mount Pinatubo
    a volcano on Luzon to the northwest of Manila
  107. Muslim
    a believer in or follower of Islam
  108. Myanmar
    a mountainous republic in southeastern Asia on the Bay of Bengal
  109. natural gas
    a fossil fuel in the gaseous state
  110. natural resource
    material in the environment that can be used by people
  111. New Guinea
    a Pacific island to the north of Australia
  112. North Vietnam
    a former country in southeastern Asia that existed from 1954 (after the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu) until 1975 when South Vietnam collapsed at the end of the Vietnam War
  113. outsource
    obtain goods or services from an external supplier
  114. paddy
    an irrigated or flooded field where rice is grown
  115. pangolin
    a toothless mammal with horny scales and a long snout
  116. peninsula
    a large mass of land projecting into a body of water
  117. petroleum
    a dark oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbons
  118. Philippines
    a republic on the Philippine Islands
  119. Philippine Sea
    a naval battle in World War II
  120. Phnom Penh
    the capital and largest city of Kampuchea
  121. plain
    an extensive tract of level, open land
  122. plateau
    a relatively flat raised area of land
  123. population growth
    increase in the number of people who inhabit a territory or state
  124. prime minister
    head of government, especially of a parliamentary democracy
  125. proboscis monkey
    Borneo monkey having a long bulbous nose
  126. protectorate
    a state or territory partly controlled by a stronger state
  127. rainforest
    a densely wooded tropical area with heavy precipitation
  128. rainy season
    one of the two seasons in tropical climates
  129. Rangoon
    the capital and largest city of Myanmar
  130. Red River
    a tributary of the Mississippi River that flows eastward from Texas along the southern boundary of Oklahoma and through Louisiana
  131. refugee
    an exile who flees for safety
  132. regime
    the governing authority of a political unit
  133. resource
    a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed
  134. Roman Catholicism
    the beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church based in Rome
  135. rural
    of or relating to the countryside as opposed to the city
  136. sanction
    the act of punishing
  137. silt
    mud or clay or small rocks deposited by a river or lake
  138. Singapore
    a country in southeastern Asia on the island of Singapore
  139. socialism
    an economic system based on state ownership of capital
  140. South China Sea
    a tropical arm of the Pacific Ocean near southeastern Asia subject to frequent typhoons
  141. South Vietnam
    a former country in southeastern Asia that existed from 1954 (after the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu) until 1975 when it was defeated and annexed by North Vietnam
  142. subsistence farming
    farming that provides for the basic needs of the farmer without surpluses for marketing
  143. Suharto
    Indonesian statesman who seized power from Sukarno in 1967
  144. Sulawesi
    a mountainous island in eastern Indonesia
  145. sultan
    the ruler of a Muslim country
  146. sultanate
    country or territory ruled by a sultan
  147. Sumatra
    a mountainous island in western Indonesia
  148. Tagalog
    a member of a people native to the Philippines chiefly inhabiting central Luzon around and including Manila
  149. tamarind
    large tropical seed pod with very tangy pulp that is eaten fresh or cooked with rice and fish or preserved for curries and chutneys
  150. tapir
    a large hoofed mammal with a heavy body and fleshy snout
  151. terrain
    a piece of ground having specific characteristics
  152. textile
    artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting fibers
  153. Thai
    of or relating to or characteristic of Thailand or its people
  154. Thailand
    a country of southeastern Asia that extends southward along the Isthmus of Kra to the Malay Peninsula
  155. Timor
    an island in Indonesia in the Malay Archipelago
  156. tourism
    the business of providing services to travelers for pleasure
  157. trade
    the commercial exchange of goods and services
  158. tribe
    a group of people with shared ancestry and customs
  159. tropical
    relating to part of the Earth's surface with hot climate
  160. tropics
    the part of the Earth's surface between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn; characterized by a hot climate
  161. tsunami
    a cataclysm resulting from a destructive sea wave
  162. tungsten
    a heavy grey-white metallic element
  163. typhoon
    a tropical cyclone in the western Pacific or Indian oceans
  164. urbanization
    the social process whereby cities grow
  165. valley
    a long depression in the surface of the land
  166. Vientiane
    the capital and largest city of Laos
  167. Vietnam
    a communist state in Indochina on the South China Sea
  168. Visayan
    a member of the most numerous indigenous people of the Philippines
  169. Visayan Islands
    group of islands in the central Philippines
  170. volcano
    a fissure in the earth's crust through which gases erupt
  171. wetland
    an ecosystem, like a bog or swamp, saturated with water
Created on Wed Feb 22 11:17:08 EST 2017 (updated Fri Mar 31 11:48:21 EDT 2017)

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