REGIONS

CULTURE AND REGIONAL ECONOMY OF ASIA

AUTHOR: Ignacio Mendivelso Bernal / Translation and update: Johana Paola Hoyos
Jiménez
 INDEX

1. Geographical description of the regions

1.1 Geographical analysis
1.2 Demographics aspects
1.3 Regions
2. Historical contextualization
1. China
2. India
3. Japan
4. Singapore
5. South Korea
6. Taiwan
7. Hong Kong
8. Indonesia
9. Malaysia
10. Philippines
11. Thailand

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INTRODUCTION

The study of the geographical and historical context is configured as a fundamental reference point when
addressing the study of Asia. First, because the various facts and events were conducted within a territory
with boundaries, which have been transformed with the time; and secondly, because they were made by
various characters throughout the story that should be framed in a space-time line by the student.

These concepts are linked to the population living in these places, demographic characteristics that
identify them and to the characteristics of each of the regions that are part of this continent.

In this thematic core concepts that allow us to study the geographical and demographic importance of the
Asia will be analyzed; and a historical analysis of the major countries of East Asia.

Throughout the course, students will perform the reading of each of the booklets, guides, materials and
resources, which are the material foundation of the learning process. From different techniques of study,
students will solve the proposed problems, appropriated concepts and perform the activities planned
during the course.

The main objective is to identify the geographic and demographic aspects, and the distinctive
characteristics of the regions of Asia. Different historical notions of the major countries of East and
Southeast Asia, the analysis will be complemented by discussions on the topics covered will also be
studied.

The different proposed themes give the opportunity to understand the sense of geography and
demography in developing Asia. Moreover, the understanding of the various historical moments of
greatest relevance in East Asia, will allow students to generate trials with a high degree of argumentative
and purposeful value.

Academic Recommendations

✓ To read each one of the primers.

✓ To build your own reading records with key ideas, your own analysis and bibliographic reference
source.
✓ To review the schedule of activities and evaluation criteria.
✓ To participate in each of the activities and comply with expected deliveries.
✓ To access to the virtual classroom regularly.
✓ Do not hesitate to express to tutor any concerns regarding the topics of the course.

CULTURE AND REGIONAL ECONOMY OF ASIA 3

 THEMATIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Geographical description of the regions

1.1. Geographical analysis

Asia is the cradle of the oldest civilizations, the oldest religions and the earliest empires. Asia, in time of
Homer. The Greeks spread to Asia Minor and then to other countries in the East that became known.

Asia is where the first commercial relations in the world remains. Their cultural and industrial riches are
famous throughout the ancient world. At that time, the great caravans crossed it from west to east.
Babylon in the days of glory was the main reservoir Superior and South Asia.

Palmira in the desert appeared as a commercial intermediate point between the regions. The maritime
cities of Phoenicia Bactria and Samarkand are cited as deposits of goods transported from India or China
and intended Asia or North West. Finally, the maritime cities of Asia Minor, almost all Greek colonies,
changed with Asian products in Europe and Africa; this was an industrial point of collection and the great
bazaar of three continents.

Palmira in the desert appeared as a commercial intermediate point between the regions. The maritime
cities of Phoenicia Bactria and Samarkand are cited as deposits of goods transported from India or China
and intended Asia or North West. Finally, the maritime cities of Asia Minor, almost all Greek colonies,
changed with Asian products in Europe and Africa; this was an industrial point of collection and the great
bazaar of three continents

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 Figure 1. Asia

Source: Michał Barański (s.f)

Asia is the largest of the world’s continents, covering approximately 30 percent of the Earth’s land area. It
is also the world’s most populous continent, with roughly 60 percent of the total population.

Asia makes up the eastern portion of the Eurasian supercontinent; Europe occupies the western portion.
The border between the two continents is debated. However, most geographers define Asia’s western
border as an indirect line that follows the Ural Mountains, the Caucasus Mountains, and the Caspian and
Black Seas. Asia is bordered by the Arctic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

Asia’s physical geography, environment and resources, and human geography can be considered
separately. Asia can be divided into five major physical regions: mountain systems; plateaus; plains,
steppes, and deserts; freshwater environments; and saltwater environments. (Nationalgeographic, 2016)

Asia border boundaries are, in the north the Arctic Ocean, east to the Bering Strait and the Pacific Ocean,
south of the southwest Indian Ocean and the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. West border between
Europe and Asia is marked by the Urals and extends southwesterly along the Ural River to the Caspian Sea,
the Caucasus and the Black Sea. The Himalaya Mountains extend for about 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles),
separating the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia. Asia is home to many plateaus, areas of relatively

CULTURE AND REGIONAL ECONOMY OF ASIA 5

 level high ground. The Iranian plateau covers more than 3.6 million square kilometers (1.4 million square
miles), encompassing most of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Central Asia is dominated by
a steppe landscape, a large area of flat, unforested grassland. Mongolia can be divided into different
steppe zones: the mountain forest steppe, the arid steppe, and the desert steppe. These zones transition
from the country’s mountainous region in the north to the Gobi Desert on the southern border with
China. Lake Baikal, located in southern Russia, is the deepest lake in the world, reaching a depth of 1,620
meters (5,315 feet). The lake contains 20 percent of the world’s unfrozen freshwater, making it the
largest reservoir on Earth. It is also the world’s oldest lake, at 25 million years old.

The Yangtze is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world (behind the Amazon of South
America and the Nile of Africa). The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers begin in the highlands of eastern Turkey
and flow through Syria and Iraq, joining in the city of Qurna, Iraq, before emptying into the Persian Gulf.
The land between the two rivers, known as Mesopotamia, was the center of the earliest civilizations,
including Sumer and the Akkadian Empire. Today, the Tigris-Euphrates river system is under threat from
increased agricultural and industrial use. These pressures have caused desertification and increased salts
in the soil, severely damaging local watershed habitats.

Botanists nickname China the “Mother of Gardens.” It has more flowering plant species than North and
South America combined. Because China has such diverse landscapes, from the arid Gobi Desert to
the tropical rain forests of Yunnan Province, many flowers can adapt to climates all over the world. From
roses to peonies, many familiar flowers most likely originated in northern China (Nationalgeographic,
2016)

1.2. Demographic aspects

The population in Asia is about 4,308 million people and has a total of 48 countries, focusing on the coast
of the South China Sea and the Indian peninsula, in regions that reach densities thousand inhabitants per
square kilometer. As relevant data, generally about 70% of births worldwide occur in Asia so that the aging
population is not so obvious and there is a majority population whose age is less than 30 years.

The continent of Asia covers 29.4% of the Earth's land area and has a population of over 4 billion,
accounting for about 56% of the world population. The combined population of both China and India are
estimated to be over 2.6 billion people.

The languages spoken in Asia are numerous. Among them is the most widely spoken Chinese or Mandarin,
followed by Hindi, Cantonese Chinese, Urdu, Arabic, among others. They stand out as Tibetan official and
native languages Japanese, Bahasa Indonesian, Korean, Turkish, Hebrew, Persian, Burmese, Thai, Tagalog,
Russian, and Armenian.

Asia is a continent of great spiritual wealth and great religious importance as the most practiced religions
of the world emerged in Asia, being the birthplace of the five great religions; Judaism, Christianity, Islam,

6 POLITÉCNICO GRANCOLOMBIANO
Buddhism and Hinduism. Other religions that flourished in Asia are the Baha'i faith (Iran), Confucianism
(China), Jainism (India), Sikhism (India), Shinto (Japan), Taoism (China) and Zoroastrianism (Iran).

Regions

Central and Eastern Asia

Make this region China, Taiwan and Mongolia, and around the Caspian Sea in the central area, Kazakstan,
Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. This region occupies 20% of the Asian continent and
has a varied geography, with large mountain ranges that belong to the Alpine folding and exceeding 8000
meters. There are desert areas in the northwest of the region and steppe zones exist in northeastern
direction. It has been also identified areas of temperate forests in the east. What predominates in most of
the region are the tropical forests and jungles.

North Asia

Russia covers all of North Asia. Siberia, which has been a part of Russia since the 17th century, runs from
the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to
the borders of Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China in the south. It covers approximately 10 percent of the
Earth's surface. In the region, they have been detected large deposits of oil and coal.

Siberia is a vast, sparsely populated mineral-rich region. At 13.1 million kilometers, it is 77 percent of
Russia's area yet it is home to only about 40 million people, in contrast to European Russian, which is home
to approximately 110 million people in about a third of the space. Novosibirsk is the largest city in North
Asia and is the third most populous city in Russia. There are large, undeveloped deposits of oil and natural
gas, as well as 70 percent of Russia's developed oil fields.

Significant geographical features include Klyuchevskaya Sopka, an active volcano and the highest point in
Siberia, and Lake Baikal, a freshwater lake that is the deepest and possibly oldest lake in the world. Its
rivers freeze in winter and little rain falls. Other economic activities are logging of conifers for the
production of paper.

Western Asia

Known as the Middle East, this region includes the territories of Asia Minor (Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon,
Israel, Jordan and autonomous territories of Palestine), Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman,
UAE, Kuwait), and Asia (Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan), places characterized by its aridity.

Great deserts like Saudi and Syria occupy the territory. In the northwest, with the exception of Israel,
dominated by a traditional economy based on herding and agriculture, unlike the southwestern area
where the economy has benefited from the oil wealth.

CULTURE AND REGIONAL ECONOMY OF ASIA 7

 This area is a big hot desert in the day, found the Arabian Desert, where almost does not rain during the
year there. High mountains and plateaus the mountains Elbrus border the region. The sub region is more
unlivable ancient Mesopotamia (Tigris and Euphrates rivers), Iraq today.

The region has few rivers; hence the problem of lack of drinking water for human consumption and for the
development of socio-economic activities. By limiting the great climate, this region has very few biotic
resources. It has camels, donkeys, which mostly are used as means of transport.

There is the Dead Sea, where because of the high rate of salinity there is no marine life. The people of this
region is white, mostly. As prominent groups Hebrew, Lebanese, Syrians, Arabs, Iraqis, Afghans,
Armenians, Turks, Persians are, among others. The problems most often live in the region are terrorist
attacks, caused by the confrontation between Arabs and Israelis. There have also been fighting among the
Arabs for oil fields in the region.

Arabia produces coffee. Turkey is one of the largest producers of wine and olive, while Israel provides
oranges to Europe. The largest oilfields in the world are in the Persian Gulf. In this region, there are
industries carpets and tapestries.

South Asia

It represents the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan SAARC
countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka)

South Asia corresponds to the two peninsulas located in the Indian Ocean: the peninsula of Hindustan
(India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh) and the Indochinese Peninsula (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam,
Cambodia). It is characterized by the influence of the summer monsoon winds, which generate heavy rains
that are exploited for agricultural activities, especially for traditional rice cultivation.

Asia in the Far East.

This region includes the Japanese archipelago and the Korean Peninsula (North Korea and South Korea).
The Japanese archipelago is characterized by a climate oscillation product of typhoons that originate in
the Pacific Ocean, and a tectonic instability given by its location in the Ring of Fire. The monsoon rains also
influence the Korean peninsula. Both Korea and Japan are predominantly mountainous areas; making the
few plains are the most densely populated places. Its main economic activity is industry, given the high
investment and the availability of cheap labor.

This area has been the scene of ideological, political and military clashes in the twentieth century: the war
between Japan and neighboring nations; the war between the two Koreas; the Vietnam War; World War
II, in which Japan led the conflict and then was defeated by the allied countries.

Japan, today is the world leader in the production of automobiles, boats, and high-precision equipment
(computers and robots). With the advancement of this region, they have created an economic bloc that
has been called the "Asian tigers" for its great technological and financial progress

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Southeast Asia

Region formed by the Malay Peninsula with Singapore as an island state and the insular region composed
by Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, East Timor and the archipelago of the Philippines. It has more than 13,000
islands that stand between Borneo, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Java.

Southeast Asia is mountainous and unstable due to volcanic activity and it has warm and humid climate
that favors the appearance of tropical forests. These conditions favor the development of plantation
agriculture with the production intended to export rice, sugar, coffee, tea, bananas, palm oil and rubber.
Currently this region promotes industrialization with cheap labor, which has meant the emergence of
economies such as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

It is a very volcanic mountain ranges and large area. It has multiplicity of forest ecosystems. Its major urban
centers are Manila and Singapore. This archipelago was and has been the meeting point between Asia and
America

2. Historical contextualization

2.1. China
The earliest recorded human settlements in what is today called China were discovered in the Huang He
basin and date from about 5000 B.C. During the Shang dynasty (1500–1000 B.C.), the precursor of modern
China's ideographic writing system developed, allowing the emerging feudal states of the era to achieve
an advanced stage of civilization, rivaling in sophistication any society found at the time in Europe, the
Middle East, or the Americas. It was following this initial flourishing of civilization, in a period known as
the Chou dynasty (1122–249 B.C.), that Lao-tse, Confucius, Mo Ti, and Mencius laid the foundation of
Chinese philosophical thought.

The feudal states, often at war with one another, were first united under Emperor Ch'in Shih Huang Ti,
during whose reign (246–210 B.C.) work was begun on the Great Wall of China, a monumental bulwark
against invasion from the West (about 5,000 kilometers long). Although the Great Wall symbolized China's
desire to protect itself from the outside world, under the Han dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D. 220), the civilization
conducted extensive commercial trading with the West. The "terracotta warriors and horses" unearthed
in the tomb, is an important archaeological find. The grandiose and compelling scene of the figures impress
the Chinese and foreign tourists.

In the T'ang dynasty (618–907)—often called the golden age of Chinese history—painting, sculpture, and
poetry flourished, and woodblock printing, which enabled the mass production of books, made its earliest
known appearance.

During the Han Dynasty; agriculture, crafts and trade experienced a huge development. Emperor Wudi
sent Zhang Qian on a mission to the west, opening the famous "Silk Road", which started from ChangAn

CULTURE AND REGIONAL ECONOMY OF ASIA 9

 (now Xi'an, Shaanxi Province) to the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea, through Xinjiang and Asia
Central, a route that made possible the continuous transport of silk garments from China to the West. In
the Tang Dynasty, agriculture, handicrafts and trade expanded in large measures. Pottery, steel saw new
technical developments. Communications by land and water registered a great development and wider
economic and cultural contacts with Japan, Korea, India, Persia and Arab countries were established.

Papermaking, printing, the compass and gunpowder, the four great inventions of the Chinese nation were
recorded during the Song dynasty (960--1279) and Yuan (1271--1368), The Mings, last of the native rulers
(1368–1644), overthrew the Mongol, or Yuan, dynasty (1271–1368) established by Kublai Khan.

Figure 2. Terracotta warriors

Source: 赵 建康 (26. Sept 2015)

2.2. India
India is a land of ancient civilization. Indian history begins with the birth of the Indus Valley Civilization and
the coming of the Aryans. These two phases are usually described as the pre-Vedic and Vedic age.
Hinduism arose in the Vedic period.

The fifth century saw the unification of India under Ashoka, who had converted to Buddhism, and it is in
his reign that Buddhism spread in many parts of Asia. In the eighth century Islam came to India for the first

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time and by the eleventh century had firmly established itself in India as a political force. It resulted into
the formation of the Delhi Sultanate, which was finally succeeded by the Mughal Empire, under which
India once again achieved a large measure of political unity.

It was in the 17th century that the Europeans came to India. This coincided with the disintegration of the
Mughal Empire, paving the way for regional states. The Rebellion of 1857-58, which sought to restore
Indian supremacy, was crushed; and with the subsequent crowning of Victoria as Empress of India, the
incorporation of India into the empire was complete. It was followed by India's struggle for independence,
which we got in the year 1947.

Figure 3. Gandhi
Source: vectomart (s.f)

Muslim parties had fought to secede so India was divided to form the independent nation of Pakistan.
When the dividing line was announced took place the largest in the history of humankind exodus. Muslims
crossed into Pakistan while Hindus and Sikhs relocated to India. More than ten million people changed
their place of residence and even the most conservative estimates that 250,000 were killed.

CULTURE AND REGIONAL ECONOMY OF ASIA 11

 2.3. Japan
Japan has a long history with the first humans arriving around 35,000 B.C.., The first inhabitants of Japan
were fishermen, hunters and gatherers. 11,000 years B.C. these people already developed a type of
pottery called "Jōmon" which is considered the oldest in the world. Later, culture 'Yayoi' began using wood
and metal tools and cultivated rice. China's earliest influences came in the third century. Perhaps the
highlight was the writing that is still used along with other Japanese characters themselves that centuries
later would be created

Japanese myth holds that Emperor Jimmu was the first emperor of an imperial line. However,
archaeological evidence gathered by a number of researchers place the imperial rule starting later around
the third to seventh centuries AD, during the Kofun period. The following Asuka regime during the mid-
8th century in which Chinese culture significantly influenced Japanese traditions.

Japanese imperialist policy aimed to dominate China to acquire its vast material reserves and natural
resources. In the early 1930's there were many small-scale military engagements in so-called "incidents"
between the two sides. This culminated into a full-scale war in 1937. Western powers were reluctant to
provide support to the Chinese who they thought would eventually lose the war. The United States
entered the war in December 1941 after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces. In 1945,
atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Japan surrendered
soon afterward. After surrendering Japan was occupied by the Allied Forces marking the first time in the
nation's history it had been occupied by a foreign power. After the occupation ended in 1951, Japan's
government shifted from imperial and military rule to a parliamentary democracy. (Brief History of Japan,
2016)

Figure 4. Japan
Source: Yulia Drozdova (s.f)

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 2.4. Singapore
While the earliest known historical records of Singapore are shrouded in time, a third century Chinese
account describes it as "Pu-luo-chung", or the "island at the end of a peninsula". Later, the city was known
as Temasek ("Sea Town"), when the first settlements were established from AD 1298-1299.

During the 14th century, this small but strategically-located island earned a new name. According to
legend, Sang Nila Utama, a Prince from Palembang (the capital of Srivijaya), was out on a hunting trip when
he caught sight of an animal he had never seen before. Taking it to be a good sign, he founded a city where
the animal had been spotted, naming it “The Lion City” or Singapura, from the Sanskrit words “simha”
(lion) and “pura” (city).

The city was then ruled by the five kings of ancient Singapura. Located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula,
the natural meeting point of sea routes, the city flourished as a trading post for vessels such as Chinese
junks, Arab dhows, Portuguese battleships, and Buginese schooners.

The British, who were extending their dominion in India, and whose trade with China in the second half of
the 18th century was expanding, saw the need for a port of call in this region to refit, revitalise and protect
their merchant fleet, as well as to forestall any advance by the Dutch in the East Indies. As a result, they
established trading posts in Penang (1786) and Singapore (1819), and captured Malacca from the Dutch
(1795).

In late l818, Lord Hastings, Governor-General of India, gave tacit approval to Sir Stamford Raffles,
Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen, to establish a trading station at the southern tip of the Malay
Peninsula.

Singapore was part of several local empires, being the last the Sultanate of Johor. With the increasing
Dutch influence in the region (Netherlands took control of much of the local ports), the British government
designated Sir Stamford Raffles to respond and ensure trade routes between China and India of the East
India Company. Sir Raffles realized that Singapore met the ideal conditions for the creation of a commercial
enclave that could receive merchant vessels, making maintenance while reducing the Dutch presence.

1819. Sultanate of Johor allows British commercial enclave on the island. With the opening of the Suez
Canal in 1869, facilitating the connection between Europe and Asia, the city underwent a new boom of
trade and wealth, the history of Singapore growth was interrupted by World War II, after the Japanese
surrender the British retook control of the region, 1958. Born the state of Singapore. 1963. Singapore is
integrated in Malaysia; in 1965, Singapore leaves Malaysia, born of the Republic of Singapore.

CULTURE AND REGIONAL ECONOMY OF ASIA 13

 Figure 5. Singapore
Source: kchung (s.f)

Recognized as one of the leading international financial centers, a major oil refiner in the world, one of the
five busiest ports in the world and the second largest casino market in the world, Singapore continues
growing economically.

2.5. South Korea

South Korea came into being after World War II, the result of a 1945 agreement reached by the Allies at
the Potsdam Conference, making the 38th parallel the boundary between a northern zone of the Korean
peninsula to be occupied by the USSR and southern zone to be controlled by U.S. forces.

Elections were held in the U.S. zone in 1948 for a national assembly, which adopted a republican
constitution and elected Syngman Rhee as the nation's president.

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 Figure 6. South Korea
Source: Sean Pavone (s.f)

Known as one of the four tigers of Asia, has risen from the rubble of the Korean War into one of the world's
foremost economies and vibrant democracies. That in the face of a foe bent on invading, at the first
chance, just thirty miles from the capital city of Seoul. Emerging from a suffocating colonial rule by Japan
for forty years, followed by a life and death war with North Korea, South Korea has shrugged off the collar
of authoritarian rule to become a mature democracy during the past fifteen years. Surviving an economic
collapse, in the 1990s, that required bailing out by the IMF, South Korea has diversified its economy and
moved toward self-reliance. (New World, 2016)

CULTURE AND REGIONAL ECONOMY OF ASIA 15

 2.6. Taiwan

Figure 7. Taiwan
Source: Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee (s.f)

Originally, Taiwan was settled by people of Malay Polynesian, who initially inhabited the low-lying coastal
plains. They called their island Pakan. The beauty of the island stand out for Portuguese who called it "Isla
Formosa" that means beautiful island. It began a period of struggle for the control of Taiwan between the
Portuguese, the Dutch and the Spanish. Finally, the Dutch established a colony in 1624. In 1662, after
having fled to Taiwan earlier from the establishment of the Manchurian dynasty in 1644, Cheng Cheng-
kung (Koxinga) expelled the Dutch from Taiwan and vowing to recapture the mainland. China gave Taiwan
provincial status in 1887. Only eight years later, in 1895, because of its defeat in the Sino-Japanese War.
The island was returned to China in 1945, after Japan's surrender at the end of World War II. At first, the
people of Taiwan lived with joy the end of Japanese colonialism, but soon discovered that life under the
authoritarian regime of the Kuomintang (KMT), led by Chiang Kai-Shek, was not too different of
colonialism.

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On February 28, 1947, presented a large demonstration against the authorities of the KMT. The first
reaction of this was to lift martial law and invite the opposition to form a committee of politicians, trade
unionists and students to discuss possible changes. Meanwhile, the government rushed to incorporate the
army 13 000 soldiers and when opposition presented, the KMT killed en masse many of its leaders. Others
ended up in jail.

For 40 years the KMT ruled Taiwan as if they were travelers, just passing through." The mentality of seeking
to recapture the mainland led to the exploitation of Taiwan's resources and people without any return
investment in the domestic infrastructure of Taiwan. The cost of Taiwan's "economic miracle" is evidenced
by the environmental pollution of today. At times it is difficult to see Taiwan as the Portuguese did over
300 years ago when giving Taiwan the name beautiful island.

Throughout the 1980s, protests against the KMT erupted, in spite of martial law. In 1986, despite a ban on
opposition parties, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was formed. In 1987, President Chiang Ching-
kuo (son of Chiang Kai-shek) lifted martial law. It was replaced by an equally restrictive National Security
Law. Speaking out on Taiwan Independence was illegal and there were numerous arrests of non-violent
advocates of independence. Upon Chiang Ching-kuo's death in 1988, Lee Teng-hui (a native Taiwanese)
was nominated by the KMT as the new president. (Fapa, 2016)

2.7. Hong Kong

Historically, the region of Hong Kong has been occupied by the Chinese since the Neolithic era. Initially
these were a small fishing community, being the refuge for pirates and smugglers of opium area. In the
seventeenth century, the region witnessed fighting between the Dynasties, participating in the history of
China.

CULTURE AND REGIONAL ECONOMY OF ASIA 17

 Figure 8. Hong Kong
Source: kchung (s.f)
After the First Opium War is when the island of Hong Kong began to occupy a place in history to be
transferred, indefinitely, for China to Britain by the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. After the Second Opium
War and by the Convention of Peking of 1860, gave new concessions to Britain: part of the Kowloon
peninsula and Stonecutters Island.

In 1912 with the establishment of the Republic of China, Hong Kong became the Chinese political refuge
for exiles. In 1937, during China's war with Japan over Manchuria, it became again a place of asylum for
hundreds of thousands of Chinese displaced by the Japanese invasion. During World War II it fell into the
hands of the Japanese who transformed it into military center of the campaign in Asia. The British
recovered Hong Kong in 1945 after the unconditional surrender of Japan. The civil war between
nationalists and communists in China brought new waves of Chinese who took refuge in the territory
before and after the Communist victory in 1949. In the 1950s, during the Korean War, the United States
banned trade with China communist, which hurt the business of Hong Kong and slowed economic
progress.

The continuous influx of Chinese from the mainland provided cheap labor that made possible the rapid
growth, especially in manufacturing. The resulting economic development transformed Hong Kong into

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one of the richest and most productive regions of Asia and, as a result, during the 1970s, increased the
influx of refugees from the continent.

In the Joint Declaration signed by China and the UK on December 19, 1984 in Beijing, China promised that
under the "one country, two systems", the socialist economic system of China would not apply in Hong
Kong, pledging to respect the existing legal system in Hong Kong, China would take charge of foreign policy
and defense of the territory.

2.8. Indonesia
The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the seventeenth century; Japan occupied the islands from 1942
to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence after Japan's surrender, but it took four years of intermittent
negotiations, recurring hostilities and mediation of the United Nations, before the Netherlands formalize
the transfer of sovereignty in 1949. After decades of repressive rule, the first free and fair legislative
elections took place in 1999. Indonesia is now the fourth most populous country in the world and the state
of the world's largest archipelagos.

Figure 9. Indonesia
Source: saiko3p (s.f)

CULTURE AND REGIONAL ECONOMY OF ASIA 19

 2.9. Malaysia
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area
where today is Malaysia. These territories were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the
territories ruled by the British in Malaya, except Singapore, formed the Federation of Malaysia, which
finally became independent in 1957. The country is a territory divided into two regions by the South China
sea.

Malaysia was officially formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore and Sabah and
Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation; the early years of the country's
independence were marred by several facts including: the communist insurgency of Indonesia, Philippines
looking for taking ownership of Sabah and Singapore outlet of the Federation in 1965. From that time and
for two decades Malaysia achieved diversify its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials,
to the development of manufacturing, services and tourism

Figure 10. Malaysia

Source: Wasin Pummarin (s.f)

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 2.10. Philippines

The Philippines Islands became a Spanish colony since the sixteenth century; these were ceded to the
United States in 1898 after the Spanish-American war. In 1935, the Philippines became an autonomous
community and the elected president of that time prepared the country for independence after a 10-year
transition. In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese occupation until the end of the Second World War, on
July 4, 1946, the Philippines became independent. From that time, various governments were in charge
until 1986 a movement of "people power" in Manila, forced into exile; during those years were presented
several coups that crippled a return to full political stability and economic development.

Figure 11. Philippines

Source: MARIUSZ PRUSACZYK (s.f)

CULTURE AND REGIONAL ECONOMY OF ASIA 21

 2.11. Thailand

The unified Thai kingdom was established in the fourteenth century. Known as Siam until 1939,
Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country that never was colonized by a European power. A peaceful
revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy; Thailand was in alliance with Japan during World
War II; however, this country became an ally of the United States in 1954, after sending troops to
Korea and fight alongside the United States in Vietnam.

Figure 12. Thailand

Source: Sasin Tipchai.(s.f)

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22 POLITÉCNICO GRANCOLOMBIANO
REFERENCES

Texts

• ALVAREZ GONZALEZ, C. 'Viento del Este': la historia de los países ex-comunistas de Europa y
Asia en la UCM (curso 2009-2010). Cuadernos De Historia Contemporánea, (32), 234.
disponible en Fuente Académica Premier.
• BUSTELO, Pablo y otros: Estructura económica de Asia Oriental, Editorial Akal, Economía
actual. 2012. disponible en OAIster.
• Nationalgeographic. (2016, October 03). Retrieved from Asia: Physical Geograpphy:
http://nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/asia/
• Brief History of Japan. (2016, October 03). Brief History of Japan. Retrieved from http://facts-
about-japan.com/brief-history.html
• New World. (2016, October 06). New World. Retrieved from History of South Korea:
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/History_of_South_Korea
• Fapa. (2016, October 06). Fapa. Retrieved from Taiwan's history: an overview.:
http://www.fapa.org/generalinfo/Taiwan's_history.htm

List of figures

• èµµ 建康 (26. Sept 2015) Xi 'an, China - el 26 de septiembre de 2015: los famosos guerreros
de terracota de Qin Shihuang, es la octava maravilla del mundo, Qin Shihuang ejército de
terracota es uno del patrimonio cultural mundial. [Foto de archivo] Recuperado de
• http://es.123rf.com/search.php?word=guerreros+terracota&imgtype=0&t_word=terracotta+
warriors&t_lang=es&oriSearch=china&srch_lang=es&sti=mm5jfe5ei3ukpg7gko|&mediapopup
=47698138
• kchung (s.f) Singapur diseño de concepto de viaje con la escena de la bahía de diseño plano
[Vectores] Recuperado de
• http://es.123rf.com/search.php?word=singapore&imgtype=0&t_word=singapore&t_lang=es&
oriSearch=japan&srch_lang=es&sti=o5c5ld6v3ujj6f2y0b|&mediapopup=48057931
• kchung (s.f) atractiva Hong Kong concepto de viaje cartel en el estilo de diseño plano [Vectores]
Recuperado de
• http://es.123rf.com/search.php?word=Hong+Kong&imgtype=0&t_word=Hong+Kong&t_lang=
es&oriSearch=taiwan&srch_lang=es&sti=oe3ck1y9vjitwzzxil|&mediapopup=47449592

• MARIUSZ PRUSACZYK (s.f) Pagoda y la escultura del dragón del templo taoísta en Cebu,
Filipinas.[Foto de archivo] Recuperado de

CULTURE AND REGIONAL ECONOMY OF ASIA 23

 • http://es.123rf.com/search.php?word=Philippines&imgtype=0&t_word=philippines&t_lang=e
s&oriSearch=Malaysia&srch_lang=es&sti=nkj8wbeo3ekp6bqobf|&mediapopup=47954966
• MichaÅ‚ BaraÅ„ski (s.f) aislados en blanco territorios de los países asiáticos con banderas en el
mapa del mundo [Foto de archivo] Recuperado de
• http://es.123rf.com/search.php?word=asia+mapa&imgtype=0&t_word=asia+map&t_lang=es
&oriSearch=mapa+asia&srch_lang=es&sti=o8l1l60ywk91w2zr2w|&mediapopup=19734294
• saiko3p (s.f) El estilo de Bali Indonesia Museum, Jakarta [Foto de archivo] Recuperado de
• http://es.123rf.com/search.php?word=indonesia&imgtype=0&t_word=Indonesia&t_lang=es&
oriSearch=Hong+Kong&srch_lang=es&sti=octpchxvwrfgpog5m3|&mediapopup=44782469
• Sasin Tipchai. (s.f) Puesta de sol en el campo de Tailandia [Foto de archivo] Recuperado de
• http://es.123rf.com/search.php?word=Thailand&imgtype=0&t_word=thailand&t_lang=es&ori
Search=Philippines&srch_lang=es&sti=noj0c2fta5xlzkdpdn|&mediapopup=39564119
• Sean Pavone (s.f) Motivos Gyeongbokgung Palace en Seúl, Corea del Sur. [Foto de archivo]
Recuperado de
• http://es.123rf.com/search.php?word=south+korea&srch_lang=es&imgtype=&Submit=+&t_w
ord=&t_lang=es&orderby=0&sti=mcgn1xivqr9hdn8fuj|&mediapopup=24480455
• vectomart (s.f) ejemplo de Mahatma Gandhi en la India de fondo [Vectores] Recuperado de
• http://es.123rf.com/search.php?word=gandhi&imgtype=0&t_word=gandhi&t_lang=es&oriSea
rch=guerreros+terracota&srch_lang=es&sti=mabiu4ih9yidysazo8|&mediapopup=14489717
• Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee (s.f) Gugong Museo Nacional del Palacio en Taipei, Taiwán [Foto de
archivo] Recuperado de
• http://es.123rf.com/search.php?word=taiwan&imgtype=0&t_word=taiwan&t_lang=es&oriSea
rch=hong+kong&srch_lang=es&sti=lno9z0fswqjdsipnlk|&mediapopup=46893386
• Wasin Pummarin (s.f) Merdeka Square en el centro de Kuala Lumpur Malasia [Foto de archivo]
Recuperado de
• http://es.123rf.com/search.php?word=Malaysia&imgtype=0&t_word=malaysia&t_lang=es&or
iSearch=malasia&srch_lang=es&sti=lzmufl8y20invs7h1s|&mediapopup=45903480
• Yulia Drozdova (s.f) Iconos y símbolos de Japón estableció.[Vectores]Recuperado de
• http://es.123rf.com/search.php?word=japan&imgtype=0&t_word=japan&t_lang=es&oriSearc
h=gandhi&srch_lang=es&sti=nj4zu2iem5qmupscwl|&mediapopup=36610819

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24 POLITÉCNICO GRANCOLOMBIANO