Cultural differences between North and South Asian Nations

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North & South Asian Nations

When we say Asia, we are talking about a very vast and very diverse continent, the biggest in the world, stretching from the Caucasus to the Arctic and the Bering Strait down the Asia Pacific Coast encompassing the Volcanic islands of Japan and Formosa as well as the Chinese Coast down to Vietnam and the South China Sea where the massive archipelagos of the Philippines and Indonesia, the biggest in the world reside to the Indian ocean that laps up the coasts of Indochina, Sri Lanka, India, the Middle East from the Gulf through the Coast of Yemen parallel to Africa up the Sinai & the cutting through the Red Sea encompassing Israel, through Turkey, the Black sea all the way back to the Caucasus Mt. Ranges encompassing all of Russia. The topography range from sub-zero temperatures of the Arctic to the dry deserts of China, the Middle East, Russia and India, the arid landscapes of Central Asia & the Indian subcontinent and the rich and fertile territories of the subtropical and tropical nations along the Indian and Pacific coastlines. The demography changes from the overly populated metropolises of Tokyo, India, China and the South East Asian nations (i.e. Bangkok, Singapore, Hongkong, Manila, Saigon, Mumbai) to the sparsely populated countries (i.e. Bhutan) and regions (i.e. Tibetan and Himalayan highlands). Asian peoples are diverse - the Middle Eastern peoples of Persian and Aryan ancestries, the Russian peoples (Caucasians, Mongol-Chinese & Turanids), the Indian peoples related to the Persians but encompassing Pakistanis, Bangladeshis And Sri Lankans, the Central Asians like the Uzbeks and the Tajiks, the people of the Turanid Race and the Orientals - Indones, Malays, Koreans, Sino-Japanese, Mongolians, etc. (Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Koreans, Indonesians, Filipinos). The topography and locales of Asia ensure that Northern regions have the same climate and season patterns as much of North America and Europe and the South which are close to the equator and are/or sitting along coastal lines enjoy very Tropical and subtropical climates.

Asian nations are either completely independent without Colonial influence (i.e. China, Japan, Korea & Thailand) or are countries whose nationhood came under colonial rule (The Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Burma, India, Pakistan, Cambodia, The Palestine & Israel, etc.). Hence, the political and social situations of each unique nation is different from each other although have encompassing similarities. South Korea and Japan are highly industrial and are considered as first world nations. Since the 2nd WW2, under the Marshall Plan and American influence, both nations flourished under democracy and a capitalism that fuelled growth and industry especially in technology.

A North Asian Nation: Japan

Japan has grown to be one of the biggest economies in the world and of late South Korea has come to challenge Japan as well. Of course, compared to the growth of the China juggernaut, it would seem that Japan & South Korea's growth prospects are much more modest in the current state of world economy, but the standards of living in both countries (we can include Taiwan in this as well) are comparable to that in the West with certain cities in said countries (Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei) having established standards of living as the most expensive in the world. For example, in Japan seat of power is the city of Tokyo, one of the busiest metropolises in the world. There are 47 prefectures or provinces and is governed by a Civil Law system with European & American influence. The head of State is the Emperor while governance of the nation is administered by the office of the Prime Minister. The Japanese revere their emperor and are a hardworking, creative and driven people. They claim to have been a nation since the 6th century. By nominal GDP Japan is the 2nd biggest world economy at $4.5 trillion and because of advancements in science and medicine, Japan has the highest life expectancy in the world. What is amazing is that Japan's population is dwarfed by that of the US but especially by China. Many attribute this to the fact that the workforce in Japan is highly educated, efficient and competitive. It also helps that Japan as a society looks into the future, so savings are high as well as investments. As a result, Japan is ranked 19th in terms of ...