Asia is the largest part of the world and forms the continent of Eurasia with Europe. It is conventionally separated from Europe along the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains. Asia is washed from the north by the Arctic Ocean and is separated from North America by the Bering Strait. From the east it is washed by the Pacific Ocean, in the south - by the Indian Ocean. And in the south-west, the borders pass through the seas of the Atlantic Ocean, and it is separated from Africa by the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. Due to such a vast territory, Asia is characterized by diversity in nature and climate.
And as a result, the peoples of Asian countries are diverse, speaking different languages, having their own, sometimes very rare ethnic ethnic roots, professing different religions. Their formation began a very long time ago. It was in Asia that the oldest civilizations in the world were born. On its territory to this day there are rare tribes in which only a few hundred people live.
Half of humanity
The peoples of Asia are the most numerous. Among them, most of all are Chinese, Bengalis, Hindustanis and Japanese. This is almost three billion people - half the world's population.
The first settlements, and then the first states arose in the basins of the Yellow River, Tiger, Euphrates, Indus. Irrigated land, a favorable climate for life contributed to an increase in population. The peoples of Asia began to settle, populate other territories favorable for life. In the era of the great migration, people wandered to the north, south, east, and also to the west - to Europe. The most populated today remain South, East and West Asia.
Homeland of religions
Many religions exist on Earth, but Asia is the birthplace of the three most famous in the world. This is Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. In Southwest Asia, Christianity arose in the first millennium AD. Developing, it broke up into several directions. The most significant are Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. Muslims are adherents of Islam, which arose on the Arabian Peninsula in the seventh century AD and is now very strong in the Arab countries and in the southwest. The oldest religion, Buddhism, originated in South Asia in the sixth century BC, and is now widely distributed among the peoples of East and Southeast Asia.
In Asia, there are religions that only the peoples of individual countries adhere to. This is Japanese Shintoism, Indian and Bangladeshi Hinduism, Chinese Confucianism.
Regions of Asia
In general, five vast regions are distinguished throughout Asia: North, South, Central, East, and West. From the name of the territories received their generalized names and peoples of Asia. There are two dominant tribes. Mongolian lives in northern and eastern Asia, and Central Asian lives in western and southern. The southeast is mostly populated by Malays and Dravids. These tribes in number in second place. According to linguistic characteristics, the peoples of Asia are represented by Hyperboreans and High Asians. Hyperboreans are residents of the Far North: Koryak, Chukchi, Chuvash, Yukagir, residents of the Kuril Islands, Cotta and Ostyaks living on the Yenisei. Most of them are still pagans or accept Russian Orthodoxy.
Mongolian language group
The High-Asian language group is divided, in turn, into subgroups of polysyllabic and monosyllabic languages. In the first subgroup are the Urals and Altai. Altaians are Mongols, Tungus and Türks. The Mongols are divided into Buryats and Kalmyks in the western part and the Mongols proper in the eastern part.
The development of the language, literature and culture of the Mongols and Kalmyks occurred under the influence of Buddhists from India. In the Tungus, Chinese influence was and remains very strong. The peoples of the Turkic language subgroup fall into four more. The first - with a center in the Siberian city of Yakutsk, which received its name - "Yakuts" - from the name of the city.
Eastern Turks
The second is the Eastern Turks, the peoples of Central Asia, speaking the ancient Zhdagatai and Yugur languages. Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, Turkmen, Tajiks and Uzbeks live on the territory of modern Central Asia. Modern research shows that here, as in China, the formation of world civilization took place. And while a century ago, these peoples lived in feudal-patriarchal states. Yes, and still there are strong medieval customs and traditions, veneration of elders, isolation in their national groups, wariness towards strangers. Traditional clothes, housing, and the whole way of life have been preserved. The hot climate and arid climatic conditions contributed to the development of the endurance of the peoples of these countries, adaptability to extreme situations and at the same time restraint in emotions and feelings, reduced socio-political activity. The peoples of Central Asia have very strong tribal and - especially - religious ties. In Central Asian countries, Islam was severely propagated. Its rooting was facilitated by the simplicity of dogma and the simplicity of its rituals. With a relatively large psychological similarity, the peoples of Central Asia are largely distinctive. So, Kazakhs and Kyrgyz, like the Mongols, from ancient times were engaged in raising sheep and horses, led a nomadic lifestyle, lived for a long time away from people. Hence their restraint in communication and love for animals. Since ancient times, the Uzbek people were engaged in trade and agriculture. Therefore, it is a sociable, enterprising people with a careful attitude to the land and its wealth.
Arab-Persian subgroup
The Ural Tatars, residents of Kazan and Astrakhan, and their tribesmen in the North Caucasus make up the third Turkic subgroup, and Turks and Ottomans make up the fourth, southwestern branch of the Turkic tribe. The peoples of the fourth language subgroup developed under Arabian and Persian influence. These are the descendants of the Kangles who lived off the banks of the Syr Darya River and founded the Seljuk empire. The empire broke up under the pressure of the Mongols, and the peoples were forced to move to Armenia, then to Asia Minor, and under Ottoman they founded the Ottoman Turkish Empire. Since the ancient Ottomans led either a completely sedentary or nomadic way of life, now it is a mixture of various racial types, which show a kinship with other Turkic peoples. Persian and Transcaucasian Turks of Seljuk origin are very mixed, because their numbers were reduced by continuous wars, and they were forcedly mixed with Slavs, Greeks, Arabs, Kurds and Ethiopians. With all the ethnic heterogeneity, the peoples of the southwestern Turkic branch are united by a strong Muslim religion and culture, which also transferred the Byzantine and Arab influence. Turks and Ottomans - a solid people, serious, not fussy, not talkative, not intrusive. The villagers are hardworking and hardy, very hospitable. City dwellers love idleness, enjoyment of life and at the same time are fanatically religious.
Monosyllabic language group
The second largest subgroup of the Mongolian language group is the numerous peoples of China, Tibet, the ancient Himalayan tribes, the wild tribes of Burma, Siam, as well as the primitive peoples of South Asia that remain to this day. They constitute a monosyllabic language group.
The development of peoples in Tibet, Burma and Siam occurred under the influence of the ancient culture of India and Buddhism. But the few peoples of East Asia have experienced and are experiencing the strongest influence of China.
People of the Middle Kingdom
The Chinese are the oldest people in the world. Ethnogenesis lasted several millennia. There are three teachings in religion - Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Many nations still have ancestral cult that pervades all beliefs in China.
Hereditary villagers - Achans, who grow different types of rice, live in the provinces of Yunnan, Jingpo, Dachang. The Hsi swords of the Achan people are very popular in China. Bai farmers live on the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau. People of this nationality have a rich history and ancient culture. On the banks of the Huankhe River, people of the smallest people in China, Bao'an, are engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. The Bui people number more than two million and live in the region where the Huangguoshu Falls is located. Tea and cotton are grown by Bulan farmers. Daurs live on the banks of the Nenjang River. For twenty centuries, bamboo plantations of Yunnan and Lingchang provinces have been cultivating dengi. And the dun settlements are surrounded by fir forests of the Jenyuan, Jinpin and Tianzhun regions.
