Asia: A Diverse Region Although collectively called “Asia,” countries in the region d

Asia: A Diverse Region

Although collectively called “Asia,” countries in the region differ vastly in their cultures and in their ethnic diversity. For example, the vast majority (about 92 percent) of the Chinese population is Han, with the remaining 8 percent composed of 55 ethnic minority groups. Meanwhile, in Malaysia, about 25 percent of the population is ethnic Chinese, 7 percent is Indian, and the remainder is native Malay. In contrast, Japan and Korea are very homogenous countries, with very small minority populations.

Customs also may vary among countries. Cultural practices in India bear little resemblance to those of Indonesia or China. Moreover, the religious makeup of each country can differ. Many religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism are practiced throughout theregion. For example, about half of the population in South Korea either is Christian or Buddhist. In contrast, the two major religions in China are Taoism and Buddhism. Indonesia predominantly is Muslim at 86 percent of the population, and the remaining proportion is a mix of Buddhist, Christian and Hindu.

An additional factor is the vast diversity that frequently exists within a country. For example, China and India cover such large geographical areas that one overall strategy for the entire country does not alwaysmake sense. In both China and India,language or dialect, culture, and income levels vary in nearly every region of the country. As such, regional as well as citydifferences for these larger countries in Asia also are very important components ofcultural consideration and understanding.