Acknowledgments East and Southeast Asia Today Map: East, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific HISTORICAL BACKGROUND A Diversity of People Religious Beliefs Women in Traditional Asia The Impact of the West Nationalism, Communism and Revolution Women in Modern East and Southeast Asia From Post-Colonialism to Globalization "Asia and the Climate Crisis" Reprinted with permission of the Association of Asian Studies from Education About EAST ASIA China The People's Republic of China Hong Kong Macau Tibet "Tibetan Buddhism" by Jeannine Chandler Taiwan: Republic of China Japan Korea The Republic of Korea (South Korea) South Korea's Rasputin by Mark JihunSuk Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) Mongolia SOUTHEAST ASIA Brunei Darussalam Cambodia East Timor Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar (Burma) Papua New Guinea The Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam WESTERN PACIFIC Australia New Zealand Island Communities of the Western and Southern Pacific Bibliography and Additional Resources.