Chapter 1：Overview on Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration in ASEAN

1.1 The ASEAN Region

The Association of South East Asian Nations or the ASEAN was established on 08 August 1967. The ASEAN has ten （10） member states-Brunei Darussalam，Cambodia，Indonesia，Lao PDR，Malaysia，Myanmar，the Philippines，Singapore，Thailand and Viet Nam. With the motto “One Vision，One Identity，One Community”，the ASEAN stands by its fundamental principles of mutual respect and effective cooperation.

ASEAN comprises a total of 450 million hectares and is home to more than 580 million people. ASEAN constitutes a great mixing pot of different cultures，races，languages and major religions：Buddhism，Hinduism，Islam and Christianity. Malays，Protomalays，Chinese，Thai，Khmer，Vietnamese，Arabs，Indians and many minority ethnic groups live across the region，but all share a common heritage of geography，climate and history that helps bond them together （ASEAN Biodiversity Outlook，2011）.

ASEAN includes the entire Indochinese，Sundaic，Philippine and Wallacean biological and sub-regions. Nine countries of the ASEAN share the same seas and fisheries. Five of the ASEAN countries （Cambodia，Lao PDR，Myanmar，Thailand and Viet Nam） are linked by the same Mekong River. Three countries （Malaysia，Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam） share the great island of Borneo. Indonesia，Malaysia and the Philippines form part of the Coral Triangle. The Mekong River，the Coral Triangle and Borneo are all important centers of biodiversity in the world. The ASEAN countries share many species with their neighbors and as a whole are rather biologically distinct from the rest of the world and much of the heritage biota shared is by ASEAN alone. Shared heritage of ASEAN Member States include the following：Asian elephant （7 AMS）；tiger （6）；leopard （7）；wild cattle （6）；sambar deer （9）；barking deer （9）；macaques （10）；gibbons （8）；hornbills （10）；green peacock （6）；sunbear （9）；and palm civet （10）.