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East Asia China |
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East Asia covers China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan and sometimes Vietnam. East Asia refers to those countries which have historically been influenced by the Chinese view of civilization. Thus, these countries share many common elements in their civilization and culture, such as the dominance of Confucianism, the role of rulers and elites, the importance of education, elements of the written language, traditional trade and international relations, etc. In terms of culture and international relations, China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, share many of these elements although they have taken different forms in the different countries. Vietnam also shares many of these elements and historically had many cultural, economic, and political ties to China. Thus, while geographically Vietnam is definitely part of Southeast Asia, culturally, it can also fit into the East Asian cultural tradition. One the other hand, while Mongolia is certainly East Asian in geographical terms, in terms of lifestyle and culture, it is more readily seen as part of the Central Asian complex of cultures which feature tribal, nomadic groups as opposed to the East Asian model of settled agricultural communities, large cities, and highly literate and integrated societies. For detailed information
on the countries in this region, please click on the individual nations.
If you would like a teaching idea for this region as a whole, please click
here (teaching idea #1)
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Southeast Asia Brunei |
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Of the Asian regions, this is probably the most diverse and sprawling region, with the greatest variety of cultures, ranging from the world's most populous Islamic country (Indonesia) to a nation where the King must be a Buddhist (Thailand). Geographically too, this regions encompasses both mainland nations, (Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, etc.), island nations (Indonesia and the Philippines), nations which have both a mainland and an island component such as Malaysia. These nations have varied populations, each nation having one or more dominant peoples, but also being home to a variety of tribal and other ethnic groups, many of which share linguistic, racial, and tribal ties to groups in other countries. Linguistically, this area is home to a multiplicity of languages; this is evidenced in the national languages of Singapore, a small country of 3 million people with 4 official languages: English, Hindi, Malay, and Chinese. A variety of alphabets and writing systems too exist in Southeast Asia: the Roman, Thai, Arabic, Burmese scripts are all vastly different, as are the Chinese characters used in Singapore and in Chinese Diaspora communities in Southeast Asia. However, this area does share similarities other than simple geography. Historically, they have been subject to waves of influence and conquest: they have been vastly influenced by Indian culture and Indian civilizations of the past (Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Burma all share remnants of these vanished Indian civilizations.) All have also been greatly influenced by China, primarily in the area of trade and settlement; all are home to overseas Chinese communities with dominance in the fields of trade, economics and with ties to mainland China. All were subject to colonization and domination by the West (Thailand alone managed to remain free of outright colonization), by Portugal, Spain, France, Britain, the US, etc. All were conquered and ruled by Japan during WWII and have a lasting legacy from both Western and Japanese domination. The area today shares many security and economic ties as well as development and modernization issues. For detailed information on the countries in this region, please click on the individual nations. If you would like a teaching idea for this region, please click here (teaching idea #2) |
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South
Asia Bangladesh
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Just as the nations of East Asia were historically influenced by Chinese civilization, the nations of South Asia were shaped by Indian civilization. Some of these nations, such as Pakistan and Bangladesh were historically part of the Indian nation, having separated with Indian Independence from Britain in 1947, or in the case of Bangladesh, from Pakistan in 1971; others such as Nepal and Bhutan were at times also politically part of India, or were settled, like Sri Lanka, by migrants from India. These nations share many cultural traits, including languages, writing systems, religion, family and political structures, economic and trading links and contemporary development issues. Burma (Myanmar) is a border state that, while geographically in Southeast Asia, also shares cultural and linguistic traits with the Indian States. Religion is a vital factor in this area: Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism have all historically shaped these states and provide the basis for much of the current conflicts between and within them. Population is another important issue as South Asia has some of the highest birthrates in the world; all of these countries are dealing with issues of a large impoverished underclass, basic rights for women, and provision of services such as clean water, education, housing, medical care, etc. For detailed information on the countries of this region, please click on those nations. If you would like a teaching idea for this region, please click here (teaching idea #3)
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Central Asia Afghanistan |
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Central Asia is characterized by populations with strong tribal affinities; to many, the tribal ties are uppermost, far more important and more historical, than any recently imposed state borders. Nomads are mobile, moving back and forth across national borders, with strong ties to tribal members in these areas. In addition to traveling with their flocks, they have traditionally been leaders of trading caravans, and derived much of their wealth and importance from their success in this exchange of goods. Religions, like trade goods, have moved across and influenced this area: Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism have all been part of the religious mix of this area. Today the entire area (with the exception of Tibet) is firmly Islamic in religion and culture. For detailed information
on the individual countries in this region, please click on those nations.
If you would like a teaching idea for this region, please click here (teaching
idea #4)
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