ABSTRACT
No other region of the world matches East Asia in terms of size, population, and cultural diversity. Culturally, East Asia incorporates not just the immense nation of China but also North and South Korea, Japan, Tibet, and Mongolia. Geographically it also encompasses the eastern half of Russia, including Siberia, which constitutes Northeast Asia. East Asia is home to roughly one quarter of the earth’s population: China has 1.31 billion people, the Koreas 70.5 million, and Japan 128 million, for a total of 1.5 billion. The other areas, including Mongolia and eastern Russia, have very slight populations spread over a vast territory. Tibet, an autonomous region of China, is often viewed by outsiders as a distinct nation under Chinese occupation while the Chinese government views it as an integral part of China.
