Weathering the Storm: The Economics of Southeast Asia in the 1930s Depression

By Peter Boomgaard

Book Overview

The principal cause of the 1930s depression in Southeast Asia lay outside the region-through a sharp contraction in demand for the region's major commodity exports. But it had important internal causes, too: an oversupply of primary commodities and an increasing scarcity of new agricultural land leading to higher rents and lower wages, rising indebtedness and increasing landlessness. This work thoroughly analyses the pre-war depression. It also looks at the changes in the basic structures of the economies of Southeast Asia that were of long-term importance, such as the role of the state in the economy. The authors also draw similarities and contrasts between the 1930s depression and the 1990s Asian crisis.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9067181633
• ISBN13: 9789067181631
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Brill
• Length: 350 Pages