[b][u]Southeast Asia[/u][/b]

[b]Myanmar[/b]
Myanmar as a country has been long plagued with unrest. A civil war was been ongoing in the country since the late 1980s and into the pre-Heavenfall period, in part due to the military council ruling the country refusing to cede power after a successful revolution. 
The Heavenfall put something of an end to the conflict, or at least reduced the intensity of it, due to the devastation that wracked the country. However, the overall standards of living dropped, as the military government's ability to project power and enforce order were severely hampered and rendered essentially ineffectual, their control remaining limited to the most built-up areas of the country, while the more rural and remote areas remained nominally independent, governed by localised councils and agreements between them, often in collaboration with other movements or groups. 

[b]Thailand[/b]
Thailand weathered the Cold War well, managing to escape without being courted too heavily by either side, and maintaining mostly cordial relations with the west, and was an important ally in the region against the spread of communism. The country has always been in political conflict between various forms of rule, and this continued into the 21st century. 
When the Heavenfall struck, it upended the country, the peninsular region of the country was devastated by tidal waves and flooding, and there was great loss of life. While seismic activity and other disasters did affect the mainland, it was spared as much of the devastation, but in the period following there was a military coup, followed by mass protests calling for democratic elections and political 
reforms. These were successful, but the resulting constitutional monarchy was much more cool on the idea of relations with the N/UN and the former Western powers, and instead opened relations with the NCAA and China. 

[b]Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam[/b]
These three countries that neighbour one another so closely have always been linked in fates, and the latter 20th and early 21st century were no exception. Cambodia has had ongoing issues with internal conflicts and insurgencies, and a history of coups to change power and leadership. Another such incident occurred in 1997, and the new government had barely settled in before the Heavenfall occurred. 
Following the Heavenfall, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam all forged closer relationships with one another, and with China. While they did not become satellite states in the Soviet style, they received considerable economic, materiel and military aid, as well as significant investment and upgrades to their national infrastructure, such as power generation and distribution, roads, industrial plants, telecommunications, medical facilities and more. These close ties have made the region particularly 'resistant' to N/UN influence, though neither are they 'hostile' to the N/UN as such. 

[b]Nusantara[/b] 
[i]Author's note: for the sake of convenience and relevance, mainland peninsular Malaysia is included in this section.[/i]

Nusantara is the term that has been adopted to refer to the Indonesian Archipelago, the chain of islands that includes Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and other island nations in the region. Often the Phillipines are included in the geographical definition, though for the sake of this guide they are incuded in the East Asia section. 

Historically, the region has been a cultural melting pot. There are a diverse number of peoples in the region, with a wide variety of religious, ethnic and cultural origins as well as a hugely diverse biosphere and range of climates. Much of the region is densely populated, and there are stark contrasts between urbanised, developed areas with considerable modernised industrialisation, and rural areas where subsistence farming and cultivation are still the primary way of life for many people. 
Many of the nations in the region have struggled with internal conflicts, driven by ethnic, religious and ideological reasons, and many of these have persisted for long periods of time. After the Heavenfall, the area was ravaged by earthquakes, tidal waves and flooding, as well as volcanic activity. Many millions died, and there was a massive deal of destruction that coursed through the cities and settlements, especially in coastal regions. In the chaos that followed, there was a clash of ideologies and ideals throughout the area.
Muslims had been a large population in the region for a long time, with many insurgency or political groups intent on establishing Islamic rule. Communist and socialist groups had also been a recurring influence, and there were movements by many ideological groups to attempt to establish their own government and influence. Some of these were more successful than others, with Borneo forming an Islamic majority government, which is allied with the ISL and has diplomatic and trade ties with the NCAA.