Asia

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.

 

Regions

South Caucasus

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.

 

Middle East

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.

 

Central Asia

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.

 

Far East

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.

 

Indian subcontinent

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.

 

Southeast Asian

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.

 

Cities

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 .

 

Important cities

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 .

 

Destinations

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.

 

Getting here

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.

 

Language

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.

 

What to do?

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.

 

Eat

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.

 

Drink and go out

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.

 

Take care of your health

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.

 

Etymology

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.

 

Geography

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).

 

Flora and fauna

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.

 

Superlatives

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.

 

History

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.

 

Religion, mythology and philosophy

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.

 

Middle East

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.

 

South and East Asia

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.

 

Economic and political alliances and organizations

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.

 

Population

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.

 

Business

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.

 

Industrial nations

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.

 

Tiger states

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.

 

Developing countries

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.