Association of Southeast
Asian Nations
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations[4] (ASEAN
/ˈɑːsi.ɑːn/ ah-see-ahn,[5] rarely /ˈɑːzi.ɑːn/ ah-zee-ahn)[6][7] is a
geo-political and economic organization of ten countries located in Southeast
Asia, which was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.[8] Since then, membership has expanded to
include Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Its aims include
accelerating economic growth, social progress, cultural development among its
members, protection of regional peace and stability, and opportunities for
member countries to discuss differences peacefully.[9]
ASEAN covers a land
area of 4.46 million km², which is 3% of the total land area of Earth, and has
a population of approximately 600 million people, which is 8.8% of the world's
population. The sea area of ASEAN is about three times larger than its land
counterpart. In 2010, its combined nominal GDP had grown to US$1.8
trillion.[10] If ASEAN were a single entity, it would rank as the ninth largest
economy in the world.
