Southeast Asia Geographically, Southeast Asia’s composition of islands and peninsulas resembles many of the world’s most highly economically developed areas such as Great Britain, Japan, South Korea, Italy and Taiwan; nonetheless, most of Southeast Asia lies in economic dispair. Southeast Asia’s tremendous ethnic diversity has hindered economic growth and prosperity. These sub- cultures represent devolutionary forces that prevent these countries from uniting as a whole, making them susceptible to foreign invasion. For example, Peter Muller, the Author of the book Geography: Realms Regions and Concepts 2000, writes, “In the river basins and