ABSTRACT
Asia is the highest and largest of the continents, being nearly five times as large as Europe, half as large again as Africa, and larger than North and South America put together. Its main geographical feature is the large amount of table land, centred on the Pamirs, which forms a letter ‘y’ laid on its back: to the west, the bottom of the ‘y’ extends to Turkey. To the east, the mountain systems diverge: the Himalayas to the south and the Tian Shan, Altai, and Yablonoi mountains to the north. The centre of the continent is very dry, causing extremes of climate, and many of the rivers do not find the sea, but empty into lakes. Asia’s coastline forms a number of peninsulas which bear an odd similarity with the corresponding smaller peninsulas of Europe (the theory of chaos may have some explanation): Arabia, like Spain, is high and relatively dry; India, like Italy, comprises a low rectangular plain surrounded by mountains in the north and a triangular plateau surrounded by sea in the south; the Himalayas correspond to the Alps; while the peninsulas and mountains of South-East Asia breaking up into an archipelago resemble the Balkans, Greece, and the Ionian islands. In South-East Asia the populace has depended on the rivers and adjacent swamps for wealth and subsistence, while Vietnam (Annam) is largely mountainous. This suggests some interesting comparisons: Iran (Persia) occupies much the same place as France; Mongolia and Central Asia take the place of Germany; Afghanistan that of Switzerland; while Japan is a 180-degree reflection of Britain. The last four analogies certainly bear superficial examination where their military past is concerned. The geogra phical factors have all influenced military operations profoundly and must continue to do so.
