Land Use and Land Cover Change in Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asia is a culturally, environmentally, and geographically rich, diverse, and dynamic region. Comprised of eleven countries, it spans the Indochina and Malay peninsulas and the Malay Archipelago. Five nations, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, are entirely on the mainland. The remaining six, Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore, are spread across thousands of islands. Coastal zones and river deltas, piedmont zones and mountain chains, with peaks reaching heights greater than 19,000 feet, characterize the region. The land cover and land use change patterns evident in Southeast Asia are as diverse and dynamic as the political, economic, and demographic spheres in these eleven nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]