STORY BY PAUL HUGHES, 2018 -- IMAGE BY STREET PHOTOGRAPHER SOME.WALKS
When you travel to Asia you will find countries that are not only extremely diverse in culture and landscape, but also oriental history that goes back almost to the birth of humans.
There is the wonderfully ordered and fascinating traditional Japan that has maintained pace and often led the world in technology and growth.
Historic China was closed to the world for generations, but that all changed in 1978. Over the next four decades China became the fastest growing tourist destination in the world, both with Chinese traveling to other destinations and much of the world flocking to China.
Asia also includes North and South Korea, Taiwan and of course Hong Kong, one of the most awe-inspiring modern cities in the world.
When traveling to other countries - particularly across Asia - it's importanrt to learn about, appreciate and not conflict with the customs, religions and traditions of each culture.
Regretably, Asia is too large for us to visit every destination.
However you will enjoy learning about the dozen or so Asian destinations we have experienced, as well as the wonderful Asian holidays our many travel writers have enjoyed.
Asia comprises more than 50 recognised countries, of which 11 also are promoted as South East Asia.
All of these countries are different in a myriad of ways, including:
There is the wonderfully ordered and fascinating traditional Japan that has maintained pace and often led the world in technology and growth.
Historic China was closed to the world for generations, but that all changed in 1978. Over the next four decades China became the fastest growing tourist destination in the world, both with Chinese traveling to other destinations and much of the world flocking to China.
Asia also includes North and South Korea, Taiwan and of course Hong Kong, one of the most awe-inspiring modern cities in the world.
When traveling to other countries - particularly across Asia - it's importanrt to learn about, appreciate and not conflict with the customs, religions and traditions of each culture.
Regretably, Asia is too large for us to visit every destination.
However you will enjoy learning about the dozen or so Asian destinations we have experienced, as well as the wonderful Asian holidays our many travel writers have enjoyed.
Asia comprises more than 50 recognised countries, of which 11 also are promoted as South East Asia.
All of these countries are different in a myriad of ways, including:
- Extremes of weather and landscapes
- The complexity of diverse customs, cultures and religions
- Hundreds of different languages and dialects;
- Often there are different travel rules and regulations
- Every possible cuisine one could imagine
- Very noticeably, some of the weathiest people in the world live side by side with some of the poorest people in the world.
MALDIVES, BY ISHAN
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MONGOLIA, BY LIGHTSCAPE
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UAE, CHRISTOPHER SCHULZ
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These countries all hang out in Asia and South East Asia!
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Afganistan
Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan China Cyprus Georgia Hong Kong India Israel Iran Iraq Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kuwait |
Kyrgyzstan
Lebanon Macao Maldives Mongolia Napal North Korea Oman Pakistan Palestine (State of) Qatar Saudi Arabia South Korea Sri Lanka Syria Taiwan (Rep.of China) Tajikistan Turkey |
Turkmenistan
United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Yemen CHINA DEPENDENCIES Hong Kong and Macao are recognised as dependencies of China. Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China, claims independence although China claims it is a province of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). |
SOUTH EAST ASIA
These 11 countries are also in Asia, but are more recognised as being South East Asia. Brunei Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar (Burma) Philippines Singapore Thailand Timor-Leste Vietnam |
MAP COURTESY OF THE NATIONS ONLINE PROJECT
The Six Asia's of the World
When people speak about traveling to Asia they generally mean the countries around and between India and China.
Our Fun Fact is that there are six regions recognised or considered by historians as being part of “Asia”, possibly dating back thousands of years.
North Asia is today known as Russia and Siberia, covering east of the Ural Mountains and including the Ural region, Siberia and the Russian Far East.
Central Asia is home to the five “stan-countries” that were all former Soviet republics - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Sometimes Afghanistan is also included in this group, but it is in Southern Asia.
Southern Asia includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
East Asia includes China and its administrative regions, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan.
Southeast Asia comprises two geographic groups:
Western Asia incorporates 20 independent countries we generally know as the Middle East, and includes Bahrain, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Saudia Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, to name a few.
Our Fun Fact is that there are six regions recognised or considered by historians as being part of “Asia”, possibly dating back thousands of years.
North Asia is today known as Russia and Siberia, covering east of the Ural Mountains and including the Ural region, Siberia and the Russian Far East.
Central Asia is home to the five “stan-countries” that were all former Soviet republics - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Sometimes Afghanistan is also included in this group, but it is in Southern Asia.
Southern Asia includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
East Asia includes China and its administrative regions, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan.
Southeast Asia comprises two geographic groups:
- Mainland Southeast Asia includes Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia.
- Maritime Southeast Asia includes Indonesia and the Philippines and about 25,000 islands. It also includes some of India’s ocean regions as well as Singapore, Brunei and East Timor, Papua New Guinea and the Malay Archipelago, which covers Bornea, Sumatra and Java.
Western Asia incorporates 20 independent countries we generally know as the Middle East, and includes Bahrain, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Saudia Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, to name a few.
