Mainland Southeast Asia



"So this is Indochina, also known as Mainland Southeast Asia, huh? Well, this is the contiental portion of Southeast Asia, which lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of China. Bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west and the Pacific Ocean on the east. That's where Myanmar (or Burma), Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam sit in."

--Su Ji-hoon, Vietnam Rises Again

Mainland Southeast Asia (or the Indochinese Peninsula) is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. It includes the countries of Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The term Indochina (originally Indo-China) was coined in the early nineteenth century. It emphasizes the cultural influence on the area of Indian civilization and Chinese civilization. The term was later adopted as the name of the colony of French Indochina (today's Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos).