The economy of Asia comprises more than 4 billion people (60% of the world population), living in 46 different states. In addition to this there are six further states that lie partly in Asia, but are considered to belong to another region economically and politically.

As in all world regions, the wealth of Asia differs widely between, and within, states. This is due to its vast size, meaning a huge range of differing cultures, environments, historical ties and government systems. The largest economy in Asia in terms of GDP is Japan, the smallest East Timor, (although there is currently no reliable data for either Iraq or North Korea). This demonstrates the huge disparity in wealth in Asia, with Japan being the world's second largest economy, and North Korea being one of the poorest.

Economic development

to be completed - dates taken from European version, need to be changed to reflect major economic changes in Asia

Pre-1945

Asia was relatively rich in the ancient times. China was a major economic power and attracted many to the east, and for many the legendary wealth and prosperity of the ancient culture of India personified asia, attracting European commerce, exploration and colonialism. The accidental discovery of America by Columbus in search for India demonstrates this deep facination. The Silk Road became the main East-West trading route in the Asian hitherland while the Straits of Malacca stood as a major sea route. In the Straits of Malacca, Malacca established itself as an important port in Asia.

Prior to World War II, most of Asia was under colonial rule. Only relatively few managed to stay independent in face of constant pressure from many European powers.

Japan in particular managed to develop its economy thanks to reformation done in the 19th century. The reformation was comprehensive and is today known as the Meiji Restoration. The Japanese economy continued to grow well into the 20th century. Their ever increasing economy created various shortage of resources essential to the economic growth. As a result, the Japanese expansion began and a great part of Korea and China were annexed and thus, allowing the Japanese to secure strategic resources.

At the same time, Southeast Asia was prospering due to trade and the introduction of various new technologies of that time. The volume of trade continued to increase with the opening of the Suez Canal in the 1860s. Singapore, founded in 1819 rose to prominence as trade between the east and the west increased at an incredible rate. The British colony of Malaya, now part of Malaysia, was the world's largest producer of tin and rubber. The Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia on the other hand was known for its spices production. Both the British and the Dutch created their own trading companies to manage their trade flow in Asia. The British created the British East India Company while the Dutch formed Dutch East India Company. Both companies maintained trade monopoly of their respective colonies.

In 1908, crude oil was first discovered in Persia, modern day Iran. Afterwards, many oil fields were discovered and it was learnt later that the Mideast prosesses the world's largest oil stock. This made the rulers of the Arab nations very rich though the socioeconomic development in that region lagged behind.

In the early 1930s, the world underwent a global economic depression, today known as the Great Depression. Asia was not spared and suffered the same pain as Europe and the United States. The volume of trade decreased dramatically all around Asia and indeed the world. With falling demand, prices of various goods starting to fall and further impoverished the locals and foreigners alike. In 1941, Japan invaded Malaya and hence, begun World War II in Asia.

1945-1990

During these years, the People's Republic of China and India, which account for half of the population of Asia, adopted socialist policies. These policies limited the economic growth of this region. In contrast, the economies of Japan and the four East Asian Tigers were economic success stories and the only successful economies outside of North America and Western Europe. Wars driven by the Cold War, notably in Vietnam and Afghanistan, wrecked the economies of these respective nations.

to be completed - dates taken from European version, need to be changed to reflect major economic changes in Asia

1991-2004

After the liberalization of the Indian Economy undertaken by the then Finance Minister and current Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Indian economy coupled with the Chinese economy which was already booming with the wise economic measures undertaken by Jiang Zemin powered Asia to being one of the hotspots for world trade. Currently, as these two economies are growing at well over 6% per year, Asia has started showing its potential. One of the favorable (or unfavorable, depending upon one's point of view) is the sheer size of the population in this region.

Meanwhile, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia emerged as the new Asian tigers with their GDP grew well above 7% per year in the 80s and the 90s. The economies were mainly driven by growing exports. The Philippines began to open up its once-stagnant economy in the early 1990's.

Throughout the 1990s, the manufacturing ability and cheap labor markets in Asian developing nations allowed companies there to establish themselves in many of the industries previously dominated by developed-nation companies. Asia became one of the largest sources of automobiles, machinery, audio equipment and other electronics.

At the end of 1997, Thailand was hit by currency speculators and the value of baht along with its annual growth rate fell dramatically. Soon after, the crisis spread to Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore and many other Asian economies and inflicted great economic damage to the affected countries. In fact, some of the economies actually contracted. This later would be known as the Asian financial crisis. By 1999, most countries have already recovered from the crisis.

In 2004, parts of Sumatra and South Asia were severely damaged by an earthquake and the subsequent tsunami. The natural disaster wiped out huge amount of infrastructure throughout the affected area and displaced millions.

to be completed - dates taken from European version, need to be changed to reflect major economic changes in Asia

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Economic sectors

Primary Sector

Asia is by a considerable margin the largest in the world, and is rich in natural resources. The vast expanse of the former Soviet Union, particularly that of Russia, contains a huge varity of metals, such as gold, iron, lead, titanium, uranium, and zinc. These metals are mined, but not in an efficient manner due to continued use of poorly maintained, obsolete machinery left over from the communist era. Despite the inefficiency of the mining industry, profits are high due to a commodity price boom in 2003/2004 caused largely by increased demand in China. Oil is Southwest Asia's most important natural resource. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait are rich in oil reserves and have benefited from recent oil price escalations. Asia is home to some four billion people, and thus has a well established tradition in agriculture. High productivity in agriculture, especially of rice, allows high population density of many countries such as Bangladesh, southern China, Cambodia, India, and Vietnam. Agriculture constitutes a high portion of land usage in warm and humid areas of Asia. Many hillsides are farmed in a terrace method to boost arable land. The main agricultural products in Asia include rice, wheat, and chicken. Opium is one of major cash crops in Central and Southeast Asia, particularly in Afghanistan, though its production is prohibited everywhere. Forestry is extensive throughout Asia except Southwest and Central Asia, with many of the items of furniture sold in the developed nations made out of Asian timber. Fishing is a major source of food in Asia, particularly in Japan.

Secondary Sector

The manufacturing sector in Asia has traditionally been strongest in the South East region - particularly in China, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore. The industry varies from manufacturing cheap low value goods such as toys to high-tech added value goods such as computers, CD players, Games consoles and cars. Major Asian manufacturing companies include Sony, Samsung, LG, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. Many developed-nation firms from Europe, North America, and Japan have significant operations in the developing Asia to take avantage of the abundant supply of cheap labor. One of the major employers in manufacturing in Asia is the textile industry. Much of the world's supply of clothing and footwear now originates in Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam, China, Thailand, and Indonesia.

Tertiary Sector

Asia has three main financial centers. They are located in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo. Call centers are becoming major employers in India due to the availablity of many well educated English speakers. The rise of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry has seen the rise of India and China as the other financial centers. Experts believe that the current center of financial activity is moving toward "Chindia" - a name used for jointly referring to China and India - with Shanghai and Mumbai (Bombay) becoming major financial hubs in their own right

Global trade relations

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