Malay Archipelago - Demography

Demography

Over 350 million people live in the region, with the most populated island being Java. The people living there are predominantly from Austronesian subgroupings and correspondingly speak western Malayo-Polynesian languages. This region of Southeast Asia shares more social and cultural ties with other Austronesian peoples in the Pacific than with the peoples of Mainland Southeast Asia. The main religions in this region are Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and traditional Animism.

Culturally, the region is often seen as part of 'Farther India' or Greater India -- the Coedes 'Indianized states of Southeast Asia' refers to it as 'Island Southeast Asia'.