Indochina

For the French colonial regime, see French Indochina.

Indochina Indochinese Peninsula Mainland Southeast Asia
Peninsulas of Asia
Countries	Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia
Topographical map of mainland Southeast Asia

Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula (also known as Mainland Southeast Asia), refers to the continental portion of Southeast Asia lying east of India and roughly south or southwest of China. The historical name "Indochina" has its origins in the French Indochine, a combination of the names of "India" and "China", referring to the location of the territory between those two countries.

The countries of mainland Southeast Asia received cultural influence from both India and China to varying degrees. Some cultures, such as those of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia are influenced mainly by India with a smaller influence from China. Others, such as Vietnam, are more heavily influenced by Chinese culture with only minor cultural influences from India, largely via the Champa civilization that Vietnam conquered during its southward expansion.

The region experienced colonial rule through the 19th century into the mid-20th century with French Indochina as well as British India.

Geography

Mainland Southeast Asia, 1886

The territories of mainland southeast Asia comprise the following:

• Cambodia
• Laos
• Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia only)
• Myanmar (formerly Burma; part of the British India until 1937)
• Thailand (formerly Siam)
• Vietnam

Biogeography

In biogeography the term Indochinese Region is used to mean a major biogeographical region in the Indomalaya ecozone, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom. It includes the native flora and fauna of all the countries above. The adjacent Malesian region covers the maritime Southeast Asian countries, and straddles the Indomalaya and Australasian ecozones.

See also

• Annam (French protectorate)
• ASEAN
• Chindia
• Cochinchina
• East Indies
• French Indochina
• Greater Mekong Subregion
• Indochina War
• Indochina Time UTC+7
• List of butterflies of Indochina
• Mainland Southeast Asia linguistic area
• Malay Peninsula
• Maritime Southeast Asia
• Lower Mekong River Basin
• Serindia
• Zomia (geography)
• Southeast Asian Massif
• Tonkin

References

• History of the mountain people of southern Indochina up to 1945 (Bernard Bourotte, i.e. Jacques Méry, U.S. Agency for International Development, 195?

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Indochina or Flora of Indochinese Region

• (English) (French) The Colonization of Indochina from 1892