Publisher's Synopsis
East Asia, particularly China, underwent political, social, and economic transformations in the 20th century that lead many to believe the region will become the world's economic superpower in the 21st century. The information in this A-Z encyclopedia enables students and laymen to understand those economies from the agricultural revolution and the traders who traveled the Silk Road to the downfall of the Asian tigers. China-for centuries the region's major power- receives the greatest coverage. Japan, the first industrialized Asian nation and a model for economic development elsewhere in Asia, also receives extensive coverage. To a lesser extent the book covers Korea, Taiwan, the British Free Ports of Hong Kong and Singapore, and Vietnam as well.
East Asia, particularly China, underwent political, social, and economic transformations in the 20th century that lead many to believe the region will become the world's economic superpower in the 21st century. The information in this A-Z encyclopedia enables students and laymen to understand those economies from the agricultural revolution and the traders who traveled the Silk Road to the downfall of the Asian tigers. China-for centuries the region's major power- receives the greatest coverage. Japan, the first industrialized Asian nation and a model for economic development elsewhere in Asia, also receives extensive coverage. To a lesser extent the book covers Korea, Taiwan, the British Free Ports of Hong Kong and Singapore, and Vietnam as well.
The book's entries range from general entries on banks, agriculture, and slavery to major events like the Cultural Revolution in China and the significant figures in those events, organizations such as the United East India Company, and treaties like the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The book also provides background information on the Asian religions shaping attitudes toward merchants and trade, East Asian governments, governmental policies on agriculture and trade, and diplomatic relations. The volume provides a useful guide to the trade and economy of an increasingly important area of the world.
