Asia
From Encyclopediak
Asia, the largest of the grand divisions into which the earth's surface is divided and occupying nearly six-sevenths of the Continent of Eurasia. It lies in the northern division of the Eastern Hemisphere, extending from 26° to 130° cast longitude and from 1 ° 15' to 77° 37' north latitude. All its boundaries, except the western, are formed by the ocean, the icy Arctic on the north, the Pacific on the east and the tropical Indian Ocean on the south. To the west it joins Europe and connects with Africa by the narrow Isthmus of Suez. The Ural and the Caucasian mountain ranges and the Black and Caspian seas form the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is divided from the Continent of North America, to the northeast, by the Bering Strait, about 40 m. wide.
SIZE. Asia includes nearly one-third of the total land surface of the globe. Its greatest length from east to west, from the Japan Islands to the Dardanelles, is 5,500 m.; its breadth, from north to south, is 5,100 m. The total area, inclusive of the islands is about 17,000,000 sq. m. Its form is that of a spherical triangle, with the apex to the northeast, two almost equal sides about 6,500 m.long and a base, 4,500 m. in length, formed by the Indian Peninsula, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. It has a coast line of about 33,000 m., and its numerous gulfs and bays afford opportunities to navigation and commerce inferior only to those of Europe and North America.
COAST WATERS. The northern, or Siberian, coast has deep indentations formed by the mouths of the rivers flowing into the Arctic Ocean. It lies almost wholly north of the Arctic Circle, and, ice-bound through a great part of the year, is unavailable for navigation. There are practically two eastern coasts, the one formed by the continent itself and the other by the fringing islands. Both are steep and irregular. Two large peninsulas, the Kamchatkan and the Korean, approach the islands from the inner coast. Extending from north to south are the Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, Sea of Japan, Yellow Sea, East China and South China seas. The eastern shore ends in the Malay Peninsula, which is only 45 m. wide at the Isthmus of Kra. This narrow body of land is bounded on the east by the Gulf of Siam and on the west by the Gulf of Martaban. The peninsulas, the Dekkan and Arabia, extend into the Indian Ocean, and along the broken coast line are formed the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. The entrance to the Red Sea is by the Strait of Babel Mandeb; through the Suez Canal, cutting the Isthmus of Suez, exit is gained to the Mediterranean Sea. The western water boundaries continue from the Mediterranean through the ^Egean Sea, the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmora, the Bosporus and the Black Sea. The Caspian Sea forms a large inland lake between Europe and Asia.
ISLANDS. There are several important groups of islands on the east and southeast, extending far seaward and forming a connecting- link with Australia. The largest groups are the Japanese Islands, the Philippine Islands and the East Indies. To the latter belong Borneo, Sumatra and New Guinea, among the largest islands in the world. In the Sea of Okhotsk is the Island of Sakhalin; between Japan and the Philippines lies the large Island-of Formosa. Hongkong is off the coast of China, and Ceylon is at the southern extremity of India.
PHYSICAL FEATURES. The topography of Asia is unique by reason of the fact that here are found the highest mountain ranges, the loftiest peaks, the largest table-lands and the most extensive lowlands in the world.
Highlands. There are two great continental divides. The lower stretches from the Black Sea through the Elburz, Hindu Kush and Thian Shan mountains and northeast to the Bering Strait. It is not continuous, nor is its eastern part remarkable for extremes of altitude, 5000 ft. being a fair average. The other, in altitude and extent one of the greatest in existence, begins at the Amur River, includes the Kuenlun and smaller mountain ranges and the Plimalayas. The two Himalayas. The two the Brahmaputra. The Indo-Chinese systems are connected by the Pamir high- comprises chiefly the Irrawaddy, the Melands, rising at the conjunction of India, kong, the Salwen lands, rising at the conjunction of India, Turkestan and Afghanistan, about 1000 m. southwest of the center of the continent. Separate portions of these systems are, in the northeast, the Altai, the Yablonoi and the Stanovoi; connected with the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, Altyn Tagli, Nanshan, Karakoram, Kuenlun ; in India are the Vindhyas and the Ghats. West of the Pamirs the Hindu Kush and the Elburz mountains bound the Plateau of Iran on the north, while the Zagros range bounds it on the south. Amu-Darya, Syr-Darya, Hi and Tchui. The largest of these systems is that of tlie Obi, which includes more than 1,000,000 sq. m.
There are innumerable lakes of varying sizes. The Caspian Sea and lakes Baikal, Balkash and Issikul are the largest, and all are practically inland seas. The Caspian and Aral seas, lying east of the Caucasus range, have no outlet. The Dead Sea in Syria is 1300 ft. below sea level. Highland lochs are frequent, and in Tibet and the Desert of Gobi are several lakes without outlet. Lake Baikal, in the southern part of Siberia, is a fresh-water lake, and feeds in part the Yenisei River. Lake Balkash, north of the
The highest peaks are found in the Himalaya system. Here are Dhaulagiri (26,800 ft.), Kunchinjunga (28,000 ft.) and Mt. Everest (29,000 ft.). In the mountains of Armenia is Mt. Ararat, celebrated in Bible history. The Pamir Plateau is frequently referred to as the "roof of the world" because of its extraordinary altitude, even its valleys being from 11,000 to 13,000 ft. above sea level. East of it is the Plateau of Tibet, the most elevated plateau on earth, a bleak and barren region extending to heights of about 17,000 ft. Other table-lands are those of the Dekkan and the Iran in Persia, Afghanistan and Baluchistan, including the Plateau of Arabia and Asia Minor.
Lowlands. In the northern part of Asia is the great Siberian plain, covered by large swamps of peat mosses, or tundras. In eastern China and in India are also extensive lowlands, along the flood plains of the great rivers. A further depression is in the neighborhood of the Caspian and Aral seas. The largest desert is that of Gobi, which lies north of Tibet and south of the Yablonoi and Thian Shan mountains. It is a vast, waterless, sandy or wind-blown space, whose elevation scarcely reaches 2000 ft. above sea level. There are also deserts in Arabia, Persia and Hindustan.
RIVERS AND LAKES. There are seven great river systems of Asia. The first, or Mesopotamian, includes the Tigris and the Euphrates ; the second, the Indus with its tributaries; the third, the Ganges and Indo-Chinese, Hong Kong, the Salwen and the Menam; the Chinese, the Si-kiang, the Yangtse-kiang, the Hoangho and the Amur; the Siberian, the Obi, Yenisei and the Lena; and the Russian Turkestan, the Ural.
The configurations of the land, such as forest, savanna, tundra, steppe, jungle and desert, have their characteristic vegetation. In the Arctic area only the surface of the soil thaws and what are trees in better conditions are here merely shrubs. Willow, spruce, larch and birch are the chief varieties. Cranberries, mosses and lichens abound. In the summer the Siberian lowlands become gay with poppies, saxifrage and mountain plants such as grow in Europe. Farther south are forest areas along the river valleys. The deserts contain grasses here and there, but no bushes. The steppes are either grass-covered or sterile. At intervals the melting snows of the mountains form perennial streams, and the oases which they water are rich and fertile. The vegetation of southern Asia is tropical. Among the numerous palms, the coconut is perhaps the most common. The bamboo reaches gigantic proportions, and the trunks of the banyans and screw pines are heavy with creepers, while moss feeds on their branches. In Arabia, Persia and south-western Asia in general, aromatic shrubs abound. The islands have a partial vegetation, at least, peculiar to themselves. Among the economic plants are the cereals—wheat, rye, oats, rice—cotton, indigo, sugar cane, coconut, tamarind, breadfruit, vines, pomegranates, oranges, figs, olives, pepper, clove, vanilla, coffee, tea, cacao, cinchona, sugar and lac.
ANIMAL LIFE. There are two general divisions of the fauna of Asia, the northern and the southern. Despite the rigorous climate, there are several representatives of animal life in the north. Of the Mammals the distinctive types are wolves, bears, weasels, wild sheep, deer (especially musk) and antelopes. Among birds are partridges, grouse, the raven, gyrfalcon, snowy owl and Alpine ptarmigan. The huge mountain sheep are favorite game on the Pamirs, tlie native horses and asses range the mountainsides. In Arabia the fauna is African. The camel is essentially a part of the desert, and serves man beyond the Thian Shan Mountains, has no outlet and is extremely salt.
MINERALS. Asia has a wealth of mineral resources. Among precious stones the diamonds of Golconda, the rubies of Burma, the sapphires of Ceylon and the jade of Turkestan are world-famous. Gold is mined in the Ural and Altai mountains and in eastern Siberia. The Ural Mountains contain also the largest deposits of platinum in the world. Graphite, silver and copper are found in Siberia. In the vicinity of the Caspian Sea and in Burma and Sumatra are fields yielding an abundant supply of petroleum. Iron-ore deposits are found in the interior, but methods for mining are antiquated. In Japan are copper and mercury, and fairly large and unexplored coal deposits. The coal fields of China are immense. The tin mines of the Malay Peninsula are unsurpassed in wealth.
CLIMATE. Asia has a greater variety of climate than any other continent. This is due to its extent through the three zones, as well as to its varying degrees of altitude. The Arctic area is dry and its winters are long and extremely severe. The mean average of rainfall diminishes from 10 to 20 inches to one or two inches along the coast. The summers are short, but hot. In central Asia there are extremes of climate, and as a result vegetation is scanty and population sparse. Rain falls in the western part chiefly in the winter and in the eastern in the summer. In the south the difference of temperature is greatly reduced, and near the equator the variation diminishes to a matter of only 5°. The Malay Peninsula has excessive precipitation. Throughout the whole of southern Asia, the rainfall is periodic, the heaviest downpour being during tlie summer months. The normal winds are the trades. Periodically the monsoon winds set in; the cyclones and typhoons of the Indian waters do great damage to the ships at sea, as well as far inland.
PLANT LIFE. The plant life of Asia is varied, but not materially different from that of Europe in equivalent latitudes borders where horses penetrate. The yak of Tibet has become as indispensable to tliat region as the camel is to the desert or the reindeer to the snowy North. The tiger, elephant and rhinoceros belong fundamentally to the southern part of Asia. The tropical fanna has among its chief types tlie monkey and the reptile. The cobra de capello, an extremely deadly snake, the boa and the python are the largest serpents found. Donkeys, mules, the Indian buffalo, leopards, oxen, lions and porcupines are common. Tropical birds exist in the forests in large numbers. In the southern waters divers treasure the pearl oyster; in the polar seas, animals are hunted for bone, skin and oil. Almost all the domestic animals the world over are of Asiatic origin.
INHABITANTS. The inhabitants of Asia belong chiefly to the Caucasian, or white, the Mongolian, or yellow, and the Malay or brown, race. There are a very few representatives of the red race (such as the inhabitants of the northeastern part of the continent, principally of Eskimo stock), and of the black race. (including the Negritos of the Philippines and of surrounding islands and the negroid Dravidians of the Dekkan and Ceylon). The Mongolian race is by far the most numerous, including two-thirds of the inhabitants. It is divided into the Siberian branch and the Tibeto-Chinese. To the latter belong the Chinese proper. Closely related to this latter division is the brown race, including the Japanese, Sundanese, the Malays of Malacca, the Filipinos and the inhabitants of Borneo, Formosa and the other islands. The white race is in part indigenous to Asia; at least this has been its home since a very remote antiquity. To it belong the Aryans, the Caucasians in a limited sense and the Semites. They live principally in Asia Minor, Arabia, Persia, Siberia, India, Baluchistan and Afghanistan (See ETHNOLOGY). The total population of Asia is estimated at 905,000,000, more than half that of the entire world.
POLITICAL DIVISIONS. Only a small portion of Asia enjoys independent government. The greater part is controlled by European powers. The independent countries arc the Far Eastern Republic, Chinese Republic, Japan, Persia, Turkey and Siam, Arabia, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan are partially independent. British possessions are India, Burma, Ceylon, Cyprus, Honkong and Other regions ; the French, Cochin China, Annam, Cambodia, Tonkin and smaller settlements. Russia formerly controlled Siberia and a great part o'f central Asia.
HISTORY. It has generally been accepted that Asia is the cradle of the human race. The most ancient civilization is that of Mesopotamia, centering around the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers. The oldest empire which sprang up here, the Chaldean, dates back to the dawn of history. A second civilization more limited in its influence because of natural restrictions sprang up on tlie flood plains of the Himalayaii rivers ; China also possesses a magnificent civilization which can be traced to a remote antiquity. Through Cyrus the Persian Empire was brought in contact with the Grecian civilization, and this marks the beginning of European influence, which was felt strongly at that time by reason of the fact that Persia was then the most dominant power of Asia. Alexander conquered Persia in 330 B. C., and Hellenism was the chief power until the Roman Empire gained possession of the territory. Neither the Greek nor the Roman civilizations, however, penetrated farther than Asia Minor.
Asia has been the birthplace of all great religions, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Mohammedanism and Christianity. The last, the influence of which has most fully permeated the civilized world, was accepted by Armenia and gained a foothold in Asia Minor at the time when the Roman power was at its height. The rise of Mohammedanism occurred in the seventh century A. D. The Turkish power constantly increased, and Persia, Syria and a part of Egypt were subjected. The southern part of Europe was repeatedly overrun, by the Mohammedans, or Saracens. The Crusades and the Fall of Constantinople mark important events in the history of Asia Minor, as well as of Enrope.
The influence of European powers made itself felt in eastern Asia in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Mohammedan sway was extended to India in 1000. Near the end of the 13th century China and Turkestan were overrun by the Mongols. The last pastoral invasion of western Asia by Ottoman Turks took place less than 500 years ag"o. China recovered its independence about 1368, though not completely until later. The Russian Cossacks conquered Siberia in 1580-84. The voyage of Vasco da Gama to India in 1498 opened up a new sea route, and soon tlie Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, French and British made steady inroads and established permanent trading posts. Asia has been the country of absolute monarchies. A transformation more or less complete has been brought about politically and economically through the application of European ideals, capital and control, and the Eastern world has begun to make itself felt in competition with the Western.
