Main content
Asian Art Museum
Course: Asian Art Museum > Unit 1
Lesson 1: OverviewWhat is Asia?
“Asia” is a term invented by the Greeks and Romans, and developed by Western geographers to indicate the land mass east of the Ural Mountains and Ural River, together with offshore islands such as Japan and Java. Culturally, no “Asia” exists, and the peoples who inhabit “Asia” often have little in common with each other.
Recognizing the diversity of the huge area conventionally designated “Asia,” the Asian Art Museum has arranged its collections into seven general groupings: South Asia, the Persian World and West Asia, Southeast Asia, the Himalayas and the Tibetan Buddhist World, China, Korea, and Japan.
The Asian Art Museum celebrates the artistic accomplishments—in all their variety—of the many different peoples of Asia.
Learn more on the Asian Art Museum's education website.
Want to join the conversation?
What is Asia? And Bananas are from Asia right?(1 vote)
“Asia” is a term invented by the Greeks and Romans, and developed by Western geographers to indicate the land mass east of the Ural Mountains and Ural River, together with offshore islands such as Japan and Java. Culturally, no “Asia” exists, and the peoples who inhabit “Asia” often have little in common with each other. (it tells you this in the article above)
And about banana's: Farmers in Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea first domesticated bananas. Banana's are grown in more areas that are tropical these days. So yes, some banana's are from Asia, specifically the southeast of it.(6 votes)
So would Russia be a part of Asia, or Europe?(1 vote)
Russia is in Asia. It is just big, so on the map it appears as a part of Europe. Europe only has 50 countries, but with Russia, it is 51.(2 votes)
- Is Russia a part of Asia or Europe, or both?(1 vote)
Is there anything that is more to the Geography side of Asia? Need it for exams(1 vote)
How many cities are in Asia?(1 vote)
As a convenient geographic term, I can understand why it is used. However, I still see the word Asian thrown around in places where, according to the definition here, it should not be used. How, perhaps, should we go about fixing this mistake?(0 votes)
please provide me the date when the asia is developed(0 votes)
"Culturally, no “Asia” exists, and the peoples who inhabit “Asia” often have little in common with each other." What does this mean? There are similarities that are common with each other amongst the countries themselves.(0 votes)