Malay World

From Freepedia

The Malay World or Nusantara refers to the Malay cultural and linguistic sphere of influence, covering the archipelago of modern-day Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, and East Timor.

The term Alam Melayu is the equivalent of "Malay World" in Malay, and Nusantara is often used in Indonesian although it may refer strictly to the territories of Indonesia.

Most of the languages spoken in the region are part of the Malayo-Polynesian family, including Tagalog, widely spoken in the Philippines, Javanese spoken in Java, and of course Malay, spoken in Malaysia (where it is known as Bahasa Malaysia), Indonesia (where it is known as Bahasa Indonesia), Singapore and Brunei (where it is known as Bahasa Melayu in the latter two.)

The culture in the region is influenced by a number of religions. Islam has the largest following, and is predominant in Indonesia, Brunei, and Malaysia. Catholicism is predominant in the Philippines and East Timor. West Malaysia and Singapore are homes to great numbers of Buddhists and Christians of various denominations, along with a few Hindus. Hinduism predominates in Bali.

Nusantara is also a family name used in Indonesia. Most families surnamed Nusantara are of Javanese extraction.