4
IN THIS
IMPORTANT ASPECT, THE PICTURE FOR
UNFORTUNATELY
2010 IS RATHER BLEAK.
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, APPROXIMATELY ONE POINT SIX
BILLION (1.6 BILLION) PEOPLE OR ABOUT THIRTY PERCENT OF
MANKIND LIVE IN THIS REGION TODAY. THEY ARE A HOMOGENOUS
PEOPLE WHO
2
HAVE INHERITED STRONG CULTURAL VALUES Perin
INCLUDING A PROPENSITY FOR THRIFT AND HARDWORK. THE
REGION IS ALSO BLESSED WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF NATURAL
RESOURCES, SUCH AS OIL, GAS, COAL AND OTHER VALUABLE
MINERALS AS WELL AS TIMBER AND MARINE LIFE.
he
mean that mat
1
Mun
are Chimere!
CULTURALLY, EAST ASIA HAS PRODUCED ITS OWN SAGES
AND SAINTS AND HAS ALSO WELCOMED AND EMBRACED ALL THE
MAJOR RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD. BUDDHISM CAME FROM INDIA,
SO DID HINDUISM, AND THE ISLAMIC FAITH WAS BROUGHT
OVERLAND BY THE FAMOUS SILK ROAD AND BY SEA FROM ARABIA,
SOMETIMES VIA INDIA.
THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY CHRISTIANITY
INITIALLY BROUGHT BY
THE
ABOUT
TWO THOUSAND
PORTUGESE AND SPANISH. FROM
YEARS AGO, CHINESE CULTURE AND
LANGUAGE SPREAD VERY WIDELY AND DEEPLY INTO KOREA, JAPAN
AND VIETNAM AND THE TEACHINGS OF CONFUCIUS, MENCIUS AND
OTHER SAGES WERE ABSORBED BY LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
PARTICULAR, CONFUCIUS
ADVOCATED
IN
THAT MANKIND SHOULD