Asia, part of Eurasia, is the largest continent by area, covering
around 44.6 million square kilometers and about a third of the total
landmass. With around 4.75 billion people, more than half of the world's
population, it is also the most populous. There are 47 internationally
recognized states in Asia.
In the history of mankind, Asia played
an important role early on. Here originated around 1100 BC. BC under the
Zhou dynasty the first great empire, followed by u. the Neo-Assyrian
Empire or 500 BC the even larger Achaemenid Empire.
Azerbaijan,
Armenia,
Georgia
The mountain
system of the Caucasus, which stretches from the Black to the
Caspian Sea, is a natural border between Europe and Asia.
Historical heritage, richness of landscapes and unique natural
conditions make the region interesting from a tourist point of
view. At the same time, several local zones of territorial
conflicts create certain problems for travelers.
Saudi Arabia
· Bahrain · Qatar ·
United Arab Emirates · Iran
· Iraq ·
Israel ·
Jordan · Kuwait ·
Lebanon · Oman ·
Palestine ·
Syria · Yemen ·
Turkey
Land of spirituality and
conflict, the Middle East is the cradle of human civilization and
the origin of the three main monotheistic religions in the world. In
the Holy Land you can visit the holy sites of Jerusalem and quickly
jump into the effervescence of Tel Aviv. Syria and Jordan maintain
impressive ruins such as Palmyra or Petra, while Iraq tries to
re-emerge where Babylon once stood. The Arabian Peninsula,
meanwhile, faces the duality of Mecca's religiosity and Dubai's
excessive luxury.
Afghanistan ·
Kazakhstan
·
Kyrgyzstan ·
Uzbekistan · Tajikistan
· Turkmenistan
The grasslands and
steppes of Central Asia have been home to various nomadic tribes
throughout history, taking advantage of their strategic location
between Europe and Asia. From the plains of the Caspian Sea to the
high mountains of the East, thousands of caravans traveled the Silk
Road, passing through beautiful cities such as Samarkand and
wonderful places such as the Fergana Valley. While Afghanistan tries
to stabilize after decades of civil war, the rest of the countries
try to develop after the end of Soviet rule.
China (Hong Kong,
Macao, Taiwan)
· North Korea · South Korea · Japan ·
Mongolia
One fifth of the world's population so it is not
surprising that this region presents as much variety as the human
being can have. From the vast rice fields of southern China, the
steppes of Xinjiang and Mongolia, or the high plateaus of Tibet, one
can travel to the ultramodernity of global trading centers like
Shanghai, Hong Kong, or Tokyo. Cities like Beijing or Kyoto still
maintain the monumental essence of the ancient great empires of the
region, while Macao delights with its ruins of Portuguese origin and
its exotic casinos. North Korea's secrecy, meanwhile, presents a
challenge to many adventurers.
India
·
Pakistan
·
Sri Lanka
·
Nepal · Bhutan
·
Bangladesh ·
Maldives
A mixture of
diverse religions and traditions, chaotic and crowded cities, peaks
that rise to infinity and impenetrable jungles characterize this
piece of land between the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean. Going into
cities like Calcutta, Mumbai, Karachi or Dhaka are a challenge for
any tourist who wants to really get to know this region, beyond the
classic attractions such as the Taj Majal. In the north, Mount
Everest stands guard over the valleys of Nepal, while remote Bhutan
captivates with its Buddhist traditions. Finally, an escape to the
wonderful beaches of the Maldives can be the perfect closure of an
incomparable excursion through South Asia.
Myanmar · Thailand
·
Cambodia · Laos
·
Vietnam
·
Philippines
·
Malaysia · Brunei
·
Indonesia ·
Singapore ·
East Timor ·
Federated States of
Micronesia
Thanks to its extensive jungles,
beautiful beaches and scattered archipelagos, Southeast Asia has
experienced a tourist boom in recent decades. Thousands of
backpackers have ventured to discover ruins such as Angkor Wat in
Cambodia, the wonderful mountains of Laos or the canals of Hoi An in
Vietnam. Thailand stands out for the cultural wonders that
congregate in its capital, Bangkok, as well as spectacular beaches
on islands such as Phuket and Phi Phi. While the skyscrapers of
Singapore and Kuala Lumpur continue to light up the night, Bali
delights its tourists with its perfect mix of culture, adventure and
unforgettable landscapes.
Bangkok - Thailand 's bustling capital , cosmopolitan with temples,
nightlife and fervor
Beijing - is the capital of the People's
Republic of China, with Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and many
cultural attractions.
Dubai - most modern and progressive emirate in
the United Arab Emirates, development at an incredible price
Hong
Kong - a truly world-class metropolis with a unique mixed Chinese and
British heritage
Jerusalem - contains the World Heritage Site of the
old city, this city is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims
Mumbai
- India's most eclectic, cosmopolitan and busiest city, known for its
nightlife and well known as the economic center of India.
Seoul -
beautiful sights, good food and a lively nightlife, Seoul is a phonetic
way of experiencing old Asia.
Singapore - modern, thriving city-state
with a mix of Chinese, Indian, Malay and British influences
Tokyo -
the world's largest city brings a vast metropolis, rich and fascinating,
with high-tech visions of the future side by side with glimpses of
ancient Japan .
Bangkok - Thailand 's bustling capital , cosmopolitan with temples,
nightlife and fervor
Beijing - is the capital of the People's
Republic of China, with Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and many
cultural attractions.
Dubai - most modern and progressive emirate in
the United Arab Emirates, development at an incredible price
Hong
Kong - a truly world-class metropolis with a unique mixed Chinese and
British heritage
Jerusalem - containing the World Heritage Site of
the old city, this city is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims
Mumbai - India's most eclectic, cosmopolitan and busiest city, known for
its nightlife and well known as the economic center of India.
Seoul -
beautiful sights, good food and a lively nightlife, Seoul is a phonetic
way of experiencing old Asia.
Singapore - modern, thriving city-state
with a mix of Chinese, Indian, Malay and British influences
Tokyo -
the world's largest city brings a vast, rich and fascinating metropolis,
with high-tech visions of the future side by side with glimpses of
ancient Japan .
While every continent has a wealth of things to see, what sets Asia
apart is the incredible variety of things to see. From the desolate
Siberian tundra and taiga in the far north to the colorful street scenes
of India, from ruins along the Silk Road to dazzling futuristic
metropolises and from camels in the Arabian desert to dragons. Komodo
roaming the jungles of Flores, it's safe to say that Asia has something
for everyone.
Stretching from the Arctic to beyond the Equator,
Asia is home to virtually every type of climate and ecosystem that
exists in the world and a corresponding number of different plants and
animals. Almost every part of Asia boasts iconic animals, including
pandas, brown bears, tigers, monkeys, elephants, crocodiles, camels, and
birds, though many of them are threatened in the wild. While North and
Central Asia is part of the Palaearctic region, South and Southeast Asia
form the Indomalaya region. There's no shortage of jaw-dropping
landscapes either. Vast boreal forests cover the northern part of the
continent interspersed by some of the longest rivers in the world.
Farther south, Asia is dominated by a massive system of mountain ranges
that stretch from the Turkish highlands through Iran and Central Asia to
China, where it branches off into a northern section that includes the
Altai Mountains and continues all the way way through the Russian Far
East. and in a section further south that includes the Himalayas, which
features the highest peaks in the world, and then the highlands of
Southeast Asia. Many mountains in the easternmost parts of the continent
are volcanic, Pakistan and Indonesia and Kamchatka are indeed great
destinations for volcanic tourism. Central Asia features steppes, which
become desert when you travel south, and if you've always wanted to
experience a desert environment, the Middle East is definitely a good
choice. Another great desert is the Gobi on the borders of Mongolia. and
Chinese. Finally, tropical Asia that covers a part of eastern and most
of South and Southeast Asia, where it is neither cultivated nor
urbanized, is dominated by various types of tropical forests and
thousands of beaches ranging from isolated paradise islands such as the
Maldives. to some of the world's most popular spas in Thailand.
Home to more than half of the world's population, the birthplace of the
world's major religions, and using all of the world's most widespread
writing systems, the different peoples and cultures you can find on this
continent are probably even more varied than the landscapes. Nearly
every region of Asia has ruins from some of the world's oldest
civilizations, often dating back several millennia. The Holy Land of the
Abrahamic religions is located in the Middle East. Similarly, the Indian
subcontinent is the source of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism,
and East Asia of Confucianism, Taoism, and Shintoism. Asia is also
witnessing the spread of the great religions in the form of amazing
religious architecture, including ancient tombs and places of worship at
Angkor Wat, Borobudur, Samarkand, the Taj Mahal, and thousands of
others. There are also other types of historical sites such as the Great
Wall, Petra, Ayutthaya, and the royal and imperial palaces of past and
present dynasties. Even in the latter case, royal traditions can be
experienced such as at the royal changing of the guards at Gyeongbokgung
Palace in Seoul. The ruins of St. Paul's Church in Macau, showing the
contrast between colonial architecture and the rapid development taking
place in much of Asia. Colonial influences are not as prominent as in
Africa, America or Oceania, but this does not mean that they are not
there. Virtually all of South and Southeast Asia was ruled for centuries
by various European empires that introduced things like Western
architecture and food (some of it from the Americas), as well as
Christianity, European languages, and the Latin alphabet. We must not
forget about Russian Asia and Central Asia, which was part of the
Russian Empire and the Soviet Union for a century and a half. The
history of the 20th and 21st centuries, although much of Asia features
many wars and other sad things, is also present in monuments and
museums. Finally if you want to immerse yourself in modern cities with
most of the tallest buildings in the world, glass, steel and huge LED
screens, extensive and modern transportation systems and centers of
entertainment and fun, Asia is also the place to go, especially the Gulf
States and East Asia.
By plane
Asia's busiest airports include Hong Kong (HKG), Dubai
(DXB ), Singapore (SIN), Bangkok (BKK), Seoul (ICN), Tokyo (NRT, HND)
and Jakarta (CGK). If you're going anywhere in Asia, chances are you'll
pass through at least one of these airports, either in transit or as a
final stop. Fortunately for those with long transit times, they are some
of the best equipped airports in the world, known for their efficient
service and ample distractions. In addition, Beijing (PEK), Shanghai
(PVG), New Delhi (DEL) and Mumbai (BOM) are the main hubs for travel to
China and the Indian subcontinent. For the Middle East, Doha (DOH) and
Abu Dhabi (AUH) also have quite good connections.
By train
If
you are coming to Asia by train, you must enter through Russia or
Turkey, although there may be other options. For an interesting
experience, try the "Trans-Siberian Railway".
Boat
Although
the distance between Indonesia and Australia may seem close, there are
no ferry services between the two continents, and freighter travel is
probably the most reasonable option. Several cruise companies such as
Royal Caribbean and Princess do not leave Australia, but only Holland
America ships through the Pacific from North America.
Due to the
vast distances and expanses of water separating the Asian regions, air
travel is likely to be the preferred mode of transportation between the
regions for many destinations. Fares are lower on average than in Europe
or the United States, and low-cost airlines in Asia are rapidly
expanding their networks, especially in Southeast Asia.
Many languages are spoken throughout Asia, which comprises a number
of families and some unrelated isolates. While local languages are
always best, some Manta languages can be useful in multiple countries.
In the Middle East, Arabic is widely known, while knowledge of Russian
will help you in Mongolia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. Hindi/Urdu is
useful in South Asia and Malay/Indonesian will help you in Southeast
Asia. Mandarin Chinese is spoken by the majority in China, and
understood in Taiwan and, to a lesser extent, Singapore, but there are
many other languages spoken including different dialects.
In most
Asian countries, local languages use their own alphabets, so the feeling
of being completely lost in them is multiplied several times. To avoid
this, it is advisable to go first to the local tourist office, and there
ask for a map in English or some Western language. Once this is done, at
least you can get your bearings, even if things still sound Chinese to
you.
Cross between the spectacular limestone cavities, islets and islands,
in the emerald blue sea of Ha Long Bay.
Sleep aboard a houseboat on
the Kerala backwaters in India.
Experience the excitement and
architecture of the Taj Mahal in Agra in India.
Dive into a crystal
blue sea in Bunaken, Indonesia to see a colorful coral reef and its wide
variety of tropical fish.
Climb Mount Everest, the highest point on
earth on earth (Nepal).
Explore Borneo, one of the oldest living
rainforests in the world, in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Climb Mount
Bromo, Indonesia, an active volcanic mountain that has amazing scenery
during sunrise.
Take a tour of Yogyakarta, the cultural center of
Indonesia, and the gateway to see the magnificent Borobudur Buddhist
temple and Prambanan Hindu temple. and there are also beautiful palaces,
beaches, mountains, and a wide variety of shops Cheap handicrafts only
found in Jogja
Dive in Raja Ampat, Indonesia, one of the best diving
destinations in the world. It is estimated that more than 75% of the
world's coral species live here. There are also at least 1,320 coral
reef fish fauna here.
Explore Lake Toba, the largest volcanic lake in
Indonesia and the world.
Visit Lombok, a popular island to the east
of Bali, with its beautiful white sand beaches and famous island of Gili
Trawangan and Mighty Mount Rinjani located in Indonesia.
Climb Mount
Fuji, an icon of Japan.
Snorkel in the crystal clear waters of the
Maldivian atolls and watch a wide variety of tropical marine life swim
past you.
Asia is known for having some of the world's best cuisines and natural and social amenities. Asian cuisine is incredibly diverse, from Turkish kebabs to Arabic pita breads, Indian curries and Chinese noodles, there really is no shortage of different food you can try. Rice, in its many varieties, is a very common staple throughout Asia. Street food is also available almost anywhere in countless variations. Southeast Asia offers a wide variety of tropical fruits and wonderful food at affordable prices.
To drink
Tea is the most common drink, especially in South and
East Asia. In tropical areas, enjoy fresh fruits and coconut juices.
Fresh sugarcane juice is available in many cities in India. It can be
served plain or with ginger and lemon. In some areas, fresh water and
clean drinking water may not be readily available. Yogurt-based drinks
are common in some areas, lassi in India and Pakistan and doogh in some
western parts of Asia such as Iran and Armenia.
Alcohol is widely
available throughout North, Southeast, and East Asia. Often larger
cities or tourist areas have a modern night scene. Alcohol is illegal in
some parts of India and in some Middle Eastern countries. While beer is
commonly available in countries that serve alcohol, it often uses rice
as the basic grain, which affects the flavor somewhat. Another common
drink, especially in Japan, Korea, and China, is "rice wine" (closer to
beer because it contains more starch than sugar) which is sold and
produced under various names and with a variety of variations on the
basic recipe. .
Usually the largest city or capital has the best
nightclubs. Tea is a common drink, especially in East Asia. In the
tropical areas, there is a lot of fresh fruit and coconut juice, which
makes the heat of these areas more bearable.
Go out
In Asia it
is not very customary to go out in the European style, almost always
seasoned with alcohol. Either because there are many countries that are
Muslim, which prohibit alcohol, or because some Asian peoples are not
genetically prepared for it, it is not very common. In any case, after
globalization, the style of nightlife imported from Europe has spread,
and one can always find pubs or discos; many of them frequented by
locals, and others by foreigners. Alcohol will continue to be expensive
and scarce compared to what we are used to in Europe or America, but at
least one will be able to go out and have a good time as they are used
to.
In China, Korea and Japan, karaoke is very common.
Sail
among the spectacular limestone karsts, islets and islands, in the
emerald blue sea of Ha Long Bay.
Sleep aboard a houseboat on the
Kerala backwaters in India.
Experience the architecture of the Taj
Mahal Agra in India.
Dive into a crystal blue sea in Bunaken,
Indonesia, to see a colorful coral reef and its wide variety of tropical
fish.
Climb Mount Everest, the highest point on earth (Nepal) or K2,
the second highest, in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Explore Borneo, an island
divided between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei that contains some of
the oldest rainforests in the world.
Climb Mount Bromo, Indonesia, an
active volcanic mountain that has amazing scenery during sunrise.
Take a tour of Yogyakarta, Indonesia's cultural center and gateway to
see the magnificent Borobudur Buddhist Temple and Prambanan Hindu
Temple.
Explore Lake Toba, the largest volcanic lake in Indonesia and
the world.
Visit Lombok, a popular island east of Bali, with its
beautiful white sand beaches and the famous Gili Trawangan island and
the mighty Mount Rinjani located in Indonesia.
Climb Mount Fuji, an
icon of Japan
Asia has a large number of dive sites, from snorkelling
to scuba diving, with very interesting underwater life and quite a few
shipwrecks. For more information, see Diving #Asia.
Visit Cox's
Bazar, the world's longest sea beach, and the Sundarbans, the world's
largest mangrove forest, in Bangladesh.
Watch anime and manga in
Japan.
Go buy Persian rugs at the Central Asian bazaars.
For the
seasoned traveler, visit the two Stalinist countries of the world,
Turkmenistan or North Korea. on a guided tour.
Bet on some of the
world's largest casinos in Macau.
Experience the ancient
caravanserais of the Silk Road like Samarkand in Uzbekistan.
Relax on
a beach in the Maldives.
Visit the Holy Land in Israel and Palestine.
Travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Vladivostok and
experience Siberia from the comfort of a train carriage.
Travel
through the Asian cradles of mankind, in the Indus River Valley, Yellow
River Valley, and Mesopotamia.
Visit India's national parks and
protected areas.
Many areas of Asia, especially Southeast Asia and South Asia, are
humid tropical, and there are health risks associated with traveling in
those regions. See tropical diseases and country articles for specific
information.
The parts of Asia, such as Mongolia and Siberia,
with very harsh winters. See cold and country/region articles for more
information.
In some areas, such as Tibet, travelers will have to
take precautions to avoid altitude sickness and in other places, such as
India, diseases due to overcrowding are present, so vaccination is
suggested.
The word “Asia” goes back to the Greek Ἀσία (Asía) via the Latin
Asia. The further origin is unclear. An origin from the Assyrian assu
"sunrise, east" is usually assumed. The name Asía would therefore
designate an eastern region that lies in the direction of sunrise, and
would correspond to the Latin word Orient or the German "Morgenland".
In Greek mythology, Asia was the name of an Oceanid (or Hesiod's
mother of such) after whom the geographic region was named. The early
Greeks initially only called the landmass of Asia Minor Asia, which
later gave rise to the name of the Roman province of Asia. Pliny the
Elder (Naturalis historia, around 77 AD) then related the name to the
larger continent. In the long term, old Asia became Asia minor.
Asia is the largest continent on earth. With an area of approx. 44.6
million square kilometers (excluding Russia 31.7 million square
kilometers), it covers around a third of the entire landmass. Along with
Europe, Asia is also considered part of the greater continent of
Eurasia.
The continental landmass lies entirely in the Eastern
Hemisphere and north of the equator except for the south-easternmost
islands in the Malay Archipelago which are in the Earth's southern
hemisphere. The Chukchi Peninsula in Eastern Siberia is east of the
180th longitude, but the east time is +12h.
Asia is bounded by
the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the east, and the
Indian Ocean to the south.
Asia has no clear geographic or
geological boundary to the west with Europe. The most common definition
of the border with Europe from north to south: the Ural Mountains, the
Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus or the Manych Valley, the
southern coast of the Black Sea, as well as the Bosphorus, the Sea of
Marmara and the Dardanelles. From the Barents Sea to the Black Sea, this
border is around 2700 km long.
North of the Red Sea, Asia is
connected to Africa via the Sinai peninsula (Suez Isthmus, 145 km wide).
In the northeast, the mainland masses of Asia and North America lie
a little over 80 km apart at the Bering Strait. In the southeast, the
Malay Archipelago forms the connection to Australia. The Indonesian
island of Pamana forms the southernmost point.
The northernmost
mainland point of Asia and the Earth is Cape Chelyuskin on the Taimyr
Peninsula (77° 43′ 21″ N), the easternmost point Cape Dezhnev on the
Chukchi Peninsula (169° 39′ 7″ W). From there to the westernmost point
of Asia, Cape Baba in Asia Minor (26° 3′ 50″ E), it is 8,223 km as the
crow flies. The southernmost mainland point of the Asian continent is
Cape Tanjung Piai on the Malay Peninsula (1° 15′ 57″ N).
The main vegetation zones or ecozones (from north to south):
Treeless tundra north of the Arctic Circle. The most important animals
for the nomadic inhabitants like the Nenets are the reindeer.
Temperate zone forests, including the boreal coniferous forest (taiga)
in Siberia roughly between the Arctic Circle and the course of the
Trans-Siberian Railway, and deciduous forests roughly in the Far East
and in the Caspian Sea region. The diverse fauna is (historically)
important for hunting, in addition to agriculture and animal husbandry,
the use of wood is also important. Here live e.g. the rare Amur tiger
and Amur leopard, as well as deer, wild boar, lynx and bears.
Continental grasslands or steppes. Animal species that naturally inhabit
these steppes include wild horses, saiga antelope, Mongolian iguanas,
wolves and ground squirrels.
Low-vegetated, rocky mountain landscapes
and desert landscapes. Highland climate with large daily temperature
fluctuations and lots of sunshine. The mountains are populated by
numerous mountain grazing animals such as ibex, gorals, serau and wild
sheep. The most important predator of the Central Asian mountains is the
snow leopard. The desert areas are home to half donkeys, wild camels,
cheetahs and gazelles.
Tropical savannas and dry forests, mainly on
the Indian subcontinent, but also in Southeast Asia. Characteristic
large animals are lions, blackbuck, nilgai and various deer.
Tropical
rainforests. After clearing, the next step in destruction is often the
cultivation of monocultures such as palm oil plantations, e.g. in Sabah
(Malaysia) on Borneo.
Tropical monsoon areas such as the Mekong
Delta: Rice cultivation and poultry and pigs as farm animals as well as
fishing dominate here.
Asia boasts a number of global geographic superlatives:
the most
populous country: India (until around early 2023 China)
the largest
share of the world's largest country in terms of area: Russia. This
portion of Russia itself is larger than the world's second largest
country, Canada.
the highest and the second highest mountain range:
Himalayas and Karakoram, contain all mountains with a peak height of
over 8000 meters
the deepest and oldest inland lake: the Baikal
the largest inland lake: the Caspian Sea
the deepest body of water:
the Dead Sea
It is the continent with the most diverse
vegetation, ranging from the permafrost of Siberia to the jungle of
Southeast Asia. In addition to the extremes of tundra, desert and
tropical rainforest, all other vegetation zones on earth can also be
found in Asia.
Another special feature are most of the
intercontinental states of the world, with both Asian parts of the
country and territories in other parts of the world. These include
Russia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Japan, Egypt and Turkey.
Asia is the cradle of numerous cultures, for example in China, Japan,
India, Iran as well as Babylonia and Assyria in the Near East. All
so-called world religions originated in Asia.
Asia and Europe
share a long tradition of wars (e.g. Alexander the Great, the Persian
Wars, the Crusades, the invasions of the Huns and the Turks) and voyages
of discovery (e.g. Sven Hedin), but also many important trade
connections, such as the Silk Road.
Asia has always been
characterized by great empires and is not as fragmented as Europe.
Chinese culture has left its mark on the world, but especially in East
Asia (paper, letterpress, compass, silk, porcelain and much more).
Buddhism spread from India. North Asia (especially Siberia) remained
almost uninhabited for a long time, only when the Russian Empire
expanded further were larger cities founded there. Central Asia was
traditionally home to steppe peoples (equestrian peoples) (e.g. the
Mongols) who posed a threat to Europe in earlier times. Western Asia has
been shaped by Islam since the 7th century and has had a strong
influence on North Africa.
Several regions of Asia, including Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley (cf. Indus culture), Iran and China, are considered the "cradles of civilization". The development of religions went hand in hand with the development of civilizations and the early advanced cultures in these areas. All of the religions commonly referred to as “world religions” have their origins in Asia. With more than 1 billion followers, Islam is the largest religion in Asia and comprises more than a quarter of all inhabitants of the continent, Muslims make up the majority of the population in more than half of all Asian countries.
One of the earliest monuments of human religious sensibility is the
complex at Göbekli Tepe in present-day Turkey. Created around 9000 BC.
B.C., although the origins are likely to go back even further, when the
Neolithic revolution and thus the beginning of agriculture and animal
husbandry were still to come, Göbekli Tepe is considered the oldest
known temple complex in the world. Findings in Nevalı Çori on the
Euphrates in today's Turkish province of Şanlıurfa date from around the
same time, where comparable sculptural works such as anthropomorphic
figures and animal depictions that indicate religious use were also
found.
In Mesopotamia (Mesopotamia; cf. "Fertile Crescent")
developed from about the fourth millennium BC. the Sumerian religion. It
is one of the oldest known religions and was a crucial influence on
later developing belief systems of the Canaanites (precursors of the
Hebrews), Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Hittites, Hurrians,
Ugarites and Arameans. In addition to a number of the main and
primordial gods, the Sumerians worshiped city gods at a time when some
of the first cities such as Ur and Byblos (see list of historical city
foundations) were founded, and thus already had a pantheon of gods at
their disposal. The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of mankind's earliest written
records, has its origins in this epoch and tells of King Gilgamesh's
encounters with the gods and his quest for immortality. The Enūma eliš
(written c. 12th century BC) is again one of the most original creation
myths. Sumerian myths, such as the tale of the Deluge, also found their
way into the Judeo-Christian traditions.
Probably in Bactria
arose between 1800 BC. and 700 B.C. Zoroastrianism, one of the oldest,
albeit originally dualistic, monotheistic (Ahura Mazda) religions that
has survived to this day.
The Judges (ca. 1250 BC) and the
patriarchs, considered the earliest records of Jewish history,
originated in Mesopotamia, where the ancestors of the Hebrews were
nomadic peoples. Abraham, the progenitor of Israel, is said to have come
from Ur himself. The Jewish religion has been handed down in a written
and an oral teaching recorded in the Torah (Talmud and others).
With Jesus of Nazareth (cf. Jesus Christ) about 7 to 4 B.C. The founder
of Christianity, who himself stands in the tradition of the Jewish
religion, must have been born in Palestine. After his death, the
teachings of his disciples first spread to the Middle East and, within
the Roman Empire, to southern Europe. Various traditions of the
Christian Orient developed in Asia, some of which, such as Nestorianism,
penetrated far into Central Asia and China. Starting with the Byzantine
Empire, the ancient oriental churches spread to the Near East and India,
as well as the orthodox churches, which are still predominant in large
parts of North Asia today.
The history of Islam began in the 6th
century with the ministry of Mohammed on the Arabian Peninsula.
According to the teachings of Islam recorded in the Koran, he is
regarded as the last prophet in human history and the perfector of
biblical prophecy. In Asia, with Islamic expansion, Islam spread across
the Middle East and much of Central and South Asia to the Malay
Archipelago in the southeast.
Hinduism, which is still dominant in India today, arose towards the
end of the Indus culture around 2000 BC. The teachings are based on the
Vedas, sacred scriptures, the oldest of which, the Rigveda, dates from
around 1200 to 1000 BC. was compiled. Hinduism includes a large number
of sometimes very different schools of faith and views. There is neither
a common creed nor institutions that have equal authority for all
believers. Common features are the central deities Brahma, Shiva and
Vishnu (Trimurti) - who are viewed very differently in the teaching
traditions such as Shivaism, Vishnuism or Shaktism - and the belief in
the constantly repeating cycle of life (samsara) and reincarnation. Like
Indian philosophy, Hinduism had a formative influence early on in those
countries that were influenced by Indian culture and found its way into
the religious worlds of South and Southeast Asia.
At the turn of
the sixth to the fifth century BC, Siddhartha Gautama lived in northern
India. According to tradition, he attained enlightenment at the age of
35 and thus became Buddha (“awakened”, “enlightened”). Coming from the
Vedic tradition and leaving it behind, he became the founder of
Buddhism. Around the same time, Mahavira also founded the teachings of
Jainism in India.
Buddhism first became known in the Indian
subcontinent, in Sri Lanka and in Central Asia. Southern Buddhism
(Theravada) spread to the countries of Southeast Asia. Northern Buddhism
(Mahayana) reached Central and East Asia via the Silk Road, as well as
from North India to the countries of the Himalayan region, where, in
interaction with already widespread belief systems such as Bon, further
traditions developed; for example Vajrayana (Tibet), Chan (China) or Zen
(Japan) and Amitabha Buddhism (East Asia).
In China, the
philosophers Laozi (also Lao Tse, Lao-tzu; 6th century BC, whether he
actually existed has not been finally clarified) and Confucius (also
Kong Tse, Kǒng Fū Zǐ; approx. 551 BC to 479 BC) founded the teaching
traditions of Daoism and Confucianism, which still have a formative
influence on the world of thought and society in East Asia and also
influenced the development of Buddhism in these regions (cf. Buddhism in
China).
Religion in Japan was characterized early on by the
syncretism of different belief systems. To date, Shinto and Buddhism
(Zen, Amidism), which reached Japan in the 5th or 6th century, are the
most widespread religions. Contents of the Chinese teachings of Daoism
and Confucianism were taken up and integrated by Shinto and Buddhism.
Since the end of World War II, there has been a particularly high level
of religious tolerance in Japan, which has led to a proliferation of new
religious groups.
At the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries,
Guru Nanak founded Sikhism in the Punjab, in north-western India. Often
referred to as a split or reform movement from Hinduism or as a
syncretism between Hinduism and Islam, Sikhs describe their faith as a
cross-religious way of life that is not based on dogmatic boundaries but
on lived wisdom.
Officially founded on September 7, 1926 in
southern Vietnam, Caodaism (Đạo Cao Đài) is now the third largest
religion in the country after Buddhism and Catholicism. The founder of
the religion was Ngô Văn Chiêu, who received the teachings of this
religion, which includes various contents from several Asian religions
and Christianity, through spiritistic sessions.
In the 20th
century, personalities as different as the Indian Mahatma Gandhi, with
his doctrine of non-violence (Ahimsa) derived from Indian philosophy,
and the Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong, with his Maoism based on
communism, had a decisive influence on the politics of the two largest
countries in the world in terms of population and beyond.
The Arab League was founded as an association of Arab states on March
22, 1945 in Cairo, where it is also based. It consists of 22 member
states: 21 nation states in Africa and Asia and Palestine. The main
objective of the Arab League is to promote relations between the member
states in the political, cultural, social and economic fields. The
independence and sovereignty of the member states and Arab foreign
interests should be preserved and disputes within the league settled.
League resolutions are only binding on those states that have agreed to
them. Member States from Asia are: Bahrain, Iraq, Yemen, Jordan, Kuwait,
Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab
Emirates. Within the league, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE
and Oman make up the Gulf Cooperation Council.
In September 1960,
Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the South American state of
Venezuela founded OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)
in Baghdad, which later also included the oil-producing countries of
Qatar (1961), Indonesia (1962) and the United Arab Emirates (1967 )
joined. The OPEC member states from Asia, Africa and South America
together produce about 40% of the world's oil production and have about
three quarters of the world's oil reserves. OPEC's goals are a common
oil policy in order to protect itself against a fall in prices and at
the same time to secure the global oil supply. Oil production is
regulated by setting production quotas for the individual OPEC members.
In addition to OPEC, a number of states are also represented in OAPEC
(Organization of Arab Oil Exporting States), which was created in 1968
by Kuwait, Libya and Saudi Arabia as a union of politically conservative
Arab countries in Asia and North Africa and as a counterpoint to OPEC.
Other members from Asia today are Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Syria and the
United Arab Emirates.
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian
Nations) was founded on August 8, 1967 as a political, economic and
cultural association of the Southeast Asian states of Thailand,
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. The aim was and is
cooperation in promoting economic growth, social progress and political
stability in the region. Founded during the "Cold War" period, the
alliance was geared towards a capitalist market economy and cooperation
with Western industrialized nations from the outset, and competed with
the communist, planned-economy People's Republic of China. The Sultanate
of Brunei joined ASEAN in 1984, Vietnam in 1995, Myanmar and Laos in
1997 and Cambodia in 1999. Papua New Guinea has observer status. With
the establishment of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) on January 1,
2003, a free trade area was created to which all member states of ASEAN
belong. Australia and New Zealand are in negotiations to join this free
trade agreement. ASEAN plus three denotes the joint conference of the
ASEAN countries with China, Japan and South Korea. In Thailand, the
Chiang Mai Initiative was established in 2000, which stipulates close
cooperation between ASEAN plus three countries in the financial sector.
Iran, Pakistan and Turkey founded the Organization for Economic
Cooperation (ECO) in 1985, which was to become a free trade area. Since
the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have
also joined the cooperation alliance. It is of international importance
primarily due to the wealth of mineral resources in some member
countries and its strategic location as a transit corridor for these
goods both to Europe and to China.
At the initiative of the USA,
Japan and Australia, the Asia-Pacific Economic Community (APEC) was
created in 1989, the aim of which is to set up a free trade zone
encompassing all Pacific Rim countries in two steps: The free trade
agreements for the industrialized nations of the regions are to apply
from 2010 and from 2020 also for the developing countries. Asian members
of APEC are Brunei, the People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Japan,
Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South
Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Asia-Europe Meeting
(ASEM) serves for consultation and multilateral talks between Europe and
Asia on cooperation in business, politics, education and culture. The
proposal for this meeting came from then Prime Minister of Singapore Goh
Chok Tong and was implemented in March 1996. Asian members are: Brunei,
Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and
Vietnam.
In 1997 the group of eight developing countries (D-8)
was founded, which includes Egypt and Nigeria as well as the Asian
states of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan and Turkey.
The aim of the D-8 is to improve their position in the world economy,
diversify trade relations and create new trade relations, expand
participation in decisions at international level and thus ensure better
living conditions for people in developing countries.
The
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO; also: Shanghai Cooperation
Organization, SCO) emerged in 2001 from the Shanghai Five Group, which
was primarily intended to serve the military cooperation of the member
countries and the reduction of military presences at the common borders.
Uzbekistan was added to the original member states of the People's
Republic of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan when
the SCO was founded. Mongolia, India, Pakistan and Iran have observer
status. India in particular is encouraged to become a full member. In
addition to improving political stability in the region, for which an
anti-terrorist network (Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure, RATS) was set
up, long-term goals are a common foreign policy and the creation of a
free trade zone.
In the run-up to the fifth ministerial
conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Cancún (Mexico), the
G20 (at times also G21, G22 or G20+) was created on August 20, 2003 as a
common platform for developing and emerging countries and as a
counterweight to the USA and the EU . In addition to Brazil, the
People's Republic of China and India are the leading forces. Also
members are Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand.
Since 2002, 30 Asian countries from all regions have been cooperating in
the Asian Cooperation Dialogue. Annual meetings, primarily of the
foreign, finance and economics ministers, are intended to contribute to
increased cooperation.
Other important Asian organizations are:
the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Asia Development Bank
(ADB) and the Asian Human Rights Commission.
Development of the population of Asia (in billions; without Russia,
including Turkey)
Around 4.75 billion people live in Asia, which
corresponds to around 60% of the world's population. About 1.4 billion
people live in India and the People's Republic of China. While Russia
and Mongolia in particular are very sparsely populated, other countries
are struggling with the effects of their population explosion.
Health and life expectancy correlate with the wealth of nations. A
higher standard of living also means more resources for one's own and
for public health.
Macau, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan have the
highest median ages among Asians. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and
Indonesia are around the world average in terms of life expectancy. The
shortest life expectancy in Asia is found in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar,
Cambodia, Laos, Bhutan and Afghanistan.
Malaria is common in
South Asia and Southeast Asia. There is still no effective vaccine
against malaria. Insect sprays could contain the spread somewhat, but
these are too expensive for large parts of the affected population.
AIDS is widespread. The HI virus is particularly prevalent in
Russia, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia.
On the other hand, relatively few people in Japan, Mongolia, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and the Near East have
contracted AIDS. However, this information should be viewed with
caution, since the HIV infection rate is based on the average for the
whole country, but occurs more frequently in the large cities.
After the division into North Asia (Russia), West Asia (W), Central
Asia (Z), South Asia (S), Southeast Asia (SO) and East Asia (O), the
following picture emerges:
Asia has the most developing countries
after Africa. These include Vietnam (SO), Cambodia (SO), Laos (SO),
Myanmar (SO), Bangladesh (S), Bhutan (S), Nepal (S), Pakistan (S),
Afghanistan (S), Tajikistan (Z ), Uzbekistan (Z), Kyrgyzstan (Z),
Georgia (W), Armenia (W), Azerbaijan (W), Yemen (W), Mongolia (O) and
(still) the People's Republic of China (O) and India ( S).
Countries
'bought' into the industrial age include the oil-producing states of
Iran (S), Iraq (W), Kuwait (W), Saudi Arabia (W) and the United Arab
Emirates (W).
Industrial nations are Japan (O), Singapore (SO), the
Republic of China (Taiwan) (O), South Korea (O), Israel (W), and the two
special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau belonging to the
People's Republic of China (O). These countries are now among the
world's leading countries in areas of high technology. Malaysia (SO) is
also making successful efforts to catch up to the top.
The richest
country in the world, Qatar (W) is located in Asia.
China is the largest economy in Asia and the second largest in the world, measured both in terms of exchange rate-based gross domestic product and in terms of purchasing power parity. In Asia, Japan, India and South Korea follow. For decades, Japan's economy was the fastest growing economy in Asia. While Japan's economic situation has been deteriorating since the 1990s, China and India have shown above-average economic growth of more than 10 and 7 percent per year in a global comparison over the same period. However, Japan gave up the role of Asia's leading economic nation to China in 2010. Nevertheless, it is Asia's leading industrial nation and (along with Russia, which is largely part of Europe) the only country on the continent to be a member of the Group of Eight leading industrialized countries. In terms of purchasing power parity, India today (2015) has a larger GDP than Japan.
After the Second World War, which intensified from the 1960s, economic growth was initially concentrated on the countries and areas along the Pacific coast, from which Japan, South Korea and Taiwan in particular benefited, as well as the former British colonies of Hong Kong and Singapore, which are closely related to the US economy tied. In the 1980s, several countries in East and Southeast Asia developed from emerging economies into industrialized countries with rapid economic growth: the so-called "tiger states" Hong Kong (at that time still a crown colony of the United Kingdom), Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea. In 1997/98, the rapid boom in many of these countries came to an end with the Asian crisis, which – starting in Thailand – was primarily a financial and currency crisis. Since then, the economies of these countries have continued to grow, but the very high growth of up to ten percent has slowed down to five to six percent.
Large parts of Asia are still agricultural, with rice cultivation and
fishing being particularly important.
Countries lacking in raw
materials or countries thrown back by wars and corrupt governments such
as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and the
former Soviet republics in Central Asia are still characterized by
agriculture according to their topography.
Most of today's
Central and North Asian states were part of the Soviet Union until its
collapse in 1990/91 and were therefore organized according to a planned
economy. The economy of these countries is largely determined by
agriculture and heavy industry.
The abundance of raw materials in
some regions, such as oil and gas in the Caspian Sea region or those in
the Siberian tundra, are gaining importance in the intensifying global
struggle for these resources, with the curse and blessing for the
inhabitants often being close together (environmental pollution,
corruption and wars) .
Gulf countries
In Southwest Asia, oil production is the dominant industry. The world's largest known reserves are located in the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding Persian Gulf regions, with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia having the most extensive oil fields. Other important producing countries are Iran and Iraq. The emirates of Kuwait and Qatar, which are small in terms of area, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain are among the richest countries in the world thanks to the sale of oil and a relatively small population.