What is East Asia?

, , Leave a comment

What is East Asia?
East Asia refers to a sub-region in Asia also called as the “Far East”. This region comprises of the following countries: China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, and Mongolia. But some people also consider the ten countries of the “South East Asian” Region as part of this sub-region.

Much of East Asia has experienced economic growth over the past three decades. China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore have been dubbed as the “Four Tigers” of the East Asian Economy due to robust growth. In a span of 30 years, these four countries posted more than 6% growth compared to the modest 3-5% growth of its neighboring countries. Many countries of East Asia are fast developing and positioning themselves to get “first-world” status, leaving behind other developing nations from South America and southern parts of Africa.

East Asia also includes the most populous countries and cities with China leading the pack. Because of China’s evolution from socialism to capitalism, it grew to one of the world’s biggest economies today. China alone has some of the world’s largest cities like Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Beijing, contributing to become the global centers of business and trade. Japan and Taiwan also continue to post great development for various technological advancements.

In terms of religion, much of East Asia is into Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Buddhism has its roots in India, but later spread to the Chinese regions. From China, Buddhism had spread to Korea and Japan. Much of South East Asia meanwhile was exposed to Indian influence with Hinduism. Countries like Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, and Indonesia have large populations practicing Hinduism. Other countries like the Philippines, which was colonized by Spaniards, adopted Christianity, particularly Roman Catholicism.

With many of the world’s biggest populations and economies, East Asian countries are now gaining much more influence in the world stage.

Tea Time Quiz

[forminator_poll id="23176"]
 

Leave a Reply