Asia

By Paula Newton

Since the time when Marco Polo traveled the Silk Road into Asia, this continent has held an intrigue and fasination for travelers following in his footsteps. With good reason—Asia boasts the highest mountain, Mount Everest, at 8850 meters (29,035 feet), one of the world’s coldest deserts, the Gobi and the world’s longest man-made structure the Great Wall of China, which is also visible from a distance of 500 kilometers overhead, along with many other spectacular features, both natural and constructed. The region has a fascinating religious history—many of the world’s great religions were born in Asia. From Judaism and Christianity through to Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, the continent boasts some of the most important religious sites, including Jerusalem, Mecca and Borobodur.

A continent of extremes, and perhaps because of its religious and historic importance, Asia is no stranger to conflict and unrest. Encompassing much of the Middle East, the region is the center of the age-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict and more recent struggles such as those in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Iraq. However, the region has been blighted throughout its history with power struggles through colonial times for its riches and into more recent history, with each Cold War power trying to spread its own ideologies—particularly throughout South East Asia, which was dominated by the Vietnam War in the 1960s. Unrest is not limited to political issues, as the geology of the area is also inherrently unstable, not least due to the Pacific rim of fire on the eastern boundaries.

There is some disagreement from a geographical perspective as to the boundaries of Asia. Physical geographers consider Europe and Asia to all be one continent that they call “Eurasia”. However, the more common definition includes Turkey and Russia and everything west of that as European. The region is split into some fairly distinct sub-units, including Northern Asia, Central Asia, Western Asia, Southern Asia, Eastern Asia and South Eastern Asia. Northern Asia encompasses Russia and Mongolia, while Central Asia is made up of many territories that were formerly known as the USSR. Western Asia comprises what most would think of broadly as the Middle East, while Southern Asia consists of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and lands often otherwise referred to as the Indian Subcontinent. Eastern Asia is made up, amongst others, of China, Japan and Korea, while South East Asia is composed of many countries including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos.

Exotic Asia really does have something for everyone. Magnificent mountainous scenery for hikers, climbers and the adventurous, fascinating and unique cultures and history for culture buffs, diverse and wild animals and birds for wildlife fiends and spectactular palm-fringed beaches with crystal-clear waters with a rainbow of colorful sealife for snorkeling and diving for those who prefer a more leisurely vacation. In Asia you can do it all—visit prehistoric ruins, take an elephant or camel safari, practise yoga in ancient temples, feast on food as diverse as coconut curries, sushi and mutton fat, sleep in a ger, visit traditional tribes and learn more about ancient civilizations and religions.

From the bleak, desolate landscapes of Siberia and the arid Middle East, through to the little known but culturally rich lands of Mongolia and Bhutan, bustling modern cities such as Bankok and Beijing where old temples blends with new skyscrapers and emergent powers rise in the east rising to create a new world order, Asia is truly a land of untold beauty just waiting to be discovered.