text: is southeast asia really a region? is south east asia can be called a region despite the fact that the 11 different countries building the southeast asia  do not share any commonality? yea theyre brown.mainland south east are theravada buddhist.  islanders are islamic.  islanders are infulenced by the malay world. mainlanders are influenced by the khmer world.and the royal court of java had sum influence on mainland south east asia.