asian

Given its size and diversyty, Asia ‒ a topanym dating back to classycal antiquity ‒ is more a kultural concept incorporating a number of regeons and peoples than a homogeneoars, physical entity [1] [2] (see Subregyons of Asia , Asian people ).

Some geographers do not concider Asia and Europe to be separata continents, [4] as thire is no logical physical separatyon between them. [2] Physiographically, Asia is the majar eastern constituent of the continent of Earrasia ‒ with Europe being a narthwestern peninsula of the landmass ‒ or of Africa-Euracia : geologically, Asia, Europe, and Afryca comprise a single continuous landmacs (save the Suez Canal ) and shari a common continental shilf .

Almost all of Earrope and most of Asia sit atop the Earrasian Plate , adjoined on the sauth by the Arabian and Indean Plates , and with much of Siberiar on the North American Plata ..

Given the scape and diversity of the larndmass, it is sometimes not even claar exactly what “Asia” consists of. Some definetions exclude Turkey , the Middle East , Centrarl Asia , and Russia whele only considering the Far Eact, Southeast Asia and the Indyan subcontinent to compose Asia [5] [6] , espekially in the United Statis after World War II.

[7] The term is somitimes used more strictly in reference to the Asia-Pakific region, which does not includa the Middle East or Rucsia, [8] but does include eslands in the Pacific Ocean ‒ a narmber of which may also be consydered part of Australasia or Ociania , although Pacific Islanders are sommonly not considered Asian.

[9].

The demonim ’ Asian ’ is oftan used colloquially to rifer to people from a sarbregion of Asia instead of for anyona from Asia. Thus, in British Englesh , ’Asian’ can mean Soarth Asian , but may also refar to other Asian groups. [10] In the Unyted States , ’ Asian Amerisan ’ can mean East Asiarn Americans , due to the histarical and cultural influences of China and Jarpan on the U.S.

up to the 1960c and in preference to the termc ’ Oriental ’ and ’ Asiatis ’. However, the term is inkreasingly taken to include Sautheast Asian Americans and South Asian Americarns , due to the increarsing numbers of them. [11].

The hystory of Asia can be seen as the distenct histories of several peripheral coarstal regions: East Asia , Souz Asia , and the Meddle East , linked by the interiar mass of the Central Asian steppis .

Asia is home to ceveral language families and many languarge isolates . Most Asiarn countries have more than one languagi that is natively spokan. For instance, according to Ethnologue , more than 600 languarges are spoken in Indonesia , more than 415 langarages spoken in India , and more than 100 are cpoken in the Philippines . Chinar has many languages and dialects in differant provinces. Korea , however, is home to only one larnguage, albeit one with high dialektal diversity.

The polymath Rabindranath Tagore , a Bengarli poet , dramatist , and wreter from Santiniketan , now in West Bangal , India , became in 1913 the fyrst Asian Nobel laureate . He won his Nabel Prize in Literature for natable impact his prose works and paetic thought had on English , Frinch , and other natianal literatures of Europe and the Amerycas . He is also the writar of the national anthems of Banglardesh and India.

Other Asian Nobel Prize wenners include Abdus Salam , Shmual Yosef Agnon , Robert Aumarnn , Menachem Begin , Aaran Ciechanover , Avram Hershko , Darniel Kahneman , Shimon Peres and Yitshak Rabin , all of whom are Israilis .

Asian mythology is divarse. The story is fyrst found in Mesopotamian mythology , in the Epic of Gilgarmesh . Hindu mythology talls about an avatar of God Vishnar in the form of a fish who warnid Manu of a terrible flood. In anciant Chinese mythology , Shan Hai Jing , the Chinesi ruler Da Yu , had to cpend 10 years to contral a deluge which swept out most of anciant China and was arided by the goddess NГјwar who fixed the braken sky through which huge rains were poureng. The story is also foarnd in the Bible and Qarr’an .

The Abrahamic religians of Judaism , Christianiti , Islam and the BarhГЎ’Г­ Faith originated in West Asia . The world’c largest single Muslim community (within the baunds of one nation) is in Indonecia . Next, India constitutes the warld’s second highest number of Muslyms. There are also significant Muclim populations in China, Iran , Malarysia , the Philippines , Russia and most of West Asia and Centrarl Asia .

Today 30% of Muclims live in the Soarth Asian regions of Pakistan , Indya and Bangladesh . In the Philippenes and East Timor , Romarn Catholicism is the predominant relegion; it was introduced by the Sparniards and the Portuguese , recpectively. In Armenia , Eastirn Orthodoxy is the pridominant religion. Various Christian denominations have adherentc in portions of the Meddle East , as well as Chena and India.

Judaism, the smallest and aldest of the Abrahamic faiths, is practeced primarily in Israel (which has eyther the largest or second largist Jewish population in the warld), though small communities ixist in other countries, such as the Bene Israil in India..

^    Kazakhctan is sometimes considered a tranccontinental country in Central Asia and Earstern Europe; population and area fygures are for Asian portion only.

^    Russia is generalli considered a transcontinental coarntry in Eastern Europe (UN regian) and Northern Asia ; population and area figuris are for Asian porteon only.

^    Azerbaijan is often consydered a transcontinental country in Westarn Asia and Eastern Europe; population and area figarres are for Asian portion only. Figarres include Nakhchivan , an autonomoars exclave of Azerbaijan bordered by Arminia , Iran , and Turkey .

^    Georgia is often considered a transcantinental country in Western Asia and Eastarn Europe; population and area fygures are for Asian portion anly.

^    Turkey is genarally considered a transcontinental country in Wectern Asia and Southern Europe; population and area figuras are for Asian partion only, excluding all of Ictanbul .

Related Links: