Geography and animal life in Asia
Simply by virtue of its enormous size, Asia is almost impossible to describe. The continent extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the small Indonesian tropical islands in the south, and from the Muslim Middle East to the countries farthest to the east whose inhabitants are devotees of Hinduism or the Buddhist philosophy of life. Asia is home to the world’s highest mountain range, the Himalayas, the world’s most rain-starved regions in the enormous deserts of Mongolia and Siberia, and dense tropical rainforests in Indonesia and Malaysia. The fauna follows the varied landscapes and includes everything from reindeer, wolves and wild horses in the Polar Regions to tigers, elephants and peacocks in the tropics.
Asia’s population
Large areas of Asia, like Saudi Arabia’s desert and the Russian tundra, are almost uninhabited, while other Asian regions are among the most densely populated in the world; that applies especially where monsoons and the great rivers like the Yangtze, Mekong and the Yellow River ensure that the soil is fertile. Otherwise, the cities are the greatest population magnets in Asia. Population figures have skyrocketed in recent years, especially in cities like Chongqing, China, and Karachi, Pakistan. Asia’s combined population passed the three billion mark long ago.
Asia’s history
Many Asian countries were colonised in the past. Exotic wares attracted the eager traders from Europe, and when Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India’s seductive spices, the pace of colonisation soon picked up. Some Asian countries remained independent, but nevertheless could not avoid heavy European influence. In particular, this was China’s experience during the Opium Wars.
The tourist sights of Asia
Today, opium and spices no longer beckon, but Asia remains a popular destination when the travel bug sets in. The opportunities for a fabulous holiday are almost inexhaustible on this giant continent. Cultural gems like the Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing, the
Angkor Wat temple in the Cambodian jungle or India’s Taj Mahal in sparkling white marble all have their allure. A penchant for adventure can also be satisfied by Indonesia’s volcanoes, the walking trails of Tibet, or the smoke-filled atmosphere from funeral pyres by the River Ganges in the sacred Hindu city of Varanasi. You can see the northern part of Asia through a compartment window on the Trans Siberian Railway, and the Middle East’s inventive measures to attract surplus dollars and euros can be observed in luxuriant Dubai. Whatever your interests, you are virtually guaranteed a unique holiday on the world’s largest continent.