Abstract
Forest, sea and farm land in Southeast Asia are discussed from social, cultural, economic and dynamic points of view. The forest was very rich in commercial products like scented wood, but harbored endemic diseases as well. The sea of Southeast Asia provided people with easy access to the forest. Southeast Asia thus became a busy center for extraction of forest products. Many adventurers who came to the area, however, perished under the disease ridden conditions. Deep forest was regarded as the domain of spirits and gods. Cultivation was neglected in traditional land use due to the too vigorous growth of the forest, but has started to expand in the last several decades.
