First published in 1991, this is a contemporary human geography of the 'market' economies of the region usually defined by membership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Organized thematically, the chapters deal with the environment and development, plural societies, agrarian change and urbanization.

Preface; Acknowledgements; List of Figures; List of tables; A note on names; 1. Southeast Asia: physical and historical threads 2. Colonization, decolonization and the impact of the colonial period on Southeast Asia 3. Rice cultivation, the Green Revolution and agrarian change in Southeast Asia 4. Development and environment: the impact of development on the forest dwellers of East Malaysia and the Philippines 5. Land settlement in Southeast Asia: the Indonesian transmigration programme 6. Immigrant communities and plural societies: the New Economic Policy and the Chinese in Malaysia 7. Urbanization and primacy: Bangkok 8. Natural resources in Southeast Asia: oil and gas development and the Indonesian economy 9. Export-oriented development: the Singapore experience in an ASEAN context 10. Regional co-operation in Southeast Asia: the Association of Southeast Asian Nations 11. Setting an agenda for the future; Recommended Reading; References; Index