ABSTRACT

This is a comprehensive survey of the politics of Asia, with a focus on contemporary times. With a population of 4.5 billion, Asia constitutes 59.69 percent of the world’s population. 1 Geographically, it is divided into East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia, according to the United Nations’ designation. 2 This classification is more for convenience than it is set in stone. For instance, conceptually, West Asia coincides with the Middle East, a region that has distinct features of its own. Therefore, this handbook deals with East, Southeast, South, and Central Asia, not West Asia.