Asia
Welcome to Asia
Asia, the world's most massive landmass, is so huge it is often sub-divided into its many regions. More than just to organize the huge landmass, this is also done due to vast cultural differences. From the Middle East to the Far East the people are incredible different and unique. Even the people in between these geographic extremes are unique from the people of Central Asia to India, and all the way to Southeast Asia.
Asia is divided by huge distances, but also by geographic blockades, which have fortunately made the continent an incredible mosaic of cultures and people; cultures often divided by desert, mountains, or waterways. Despite the vast differences from region to region, the people in each of these regions often share many cultural similarities.
The Middle East is primarily an Arabic speaking region with a Muslim majority. This religion and language greatly affect the culture and lifestyle, helping direct the people in how to dress, how to behave, and what to eat. Despite the similarities, the degree to which each of these aspects of life is participated varies from person to person and from country to country.
Like the Middle East, Central Asia shares a religion, but a vastly different history under Soviet rule, altering many of the cultural aspects found in the Middle East. Just as the political barrier changed the culture there, many geographic barriers distinguished the cultures of the Far East and Southeast Asia. In these regions Buddhism is popular and foods move from spicy to sweet. The dress and languages in these regions are also incredible diverse. In fact, just on the Indian sub-continent alone there are hundreds of linguistic and cultural variations.
Asia remains a mosaic of cultures today as the people of each region, country, and city offer a different lifestyle, interests, foods, dress, and more. Yet, many of these people are also becoming more uniform in terms of technology and communication. In cities particularly, high-speed rail lines transport the morning rush, skyscrapers dominate the skyline, fast food is common, and dress is no different than it is elsewhere in the world. Despite these changes, foods, religions, customs, and other aspects of the lifestyle remain rooted in the history of the people.