Far East facts for kids

The Far East is a term used to describe the countries of East Asia. It became popular in the English language when the British Empire was very powerful. People used it to talk about lands that were east of British India.

Before World War I, people had different names for parts of Asia:

• The Near East was used for countries close by, like those in the Ottoman Empire.
• The Middle East referred to parts of northwestern South Asia and Central Asia.
• The Far East was for countries along the western Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean.

Many other languages have similar terms, like the French Extrême-Orient or the German Ferner Osten.

It's important to know that the term Far East is never used for countries like Australia and New Zealand. Even though they are geographically far east of Europe, they are considered culturally Western.

Countries of the Far East

The Far East includes many different countries and regions. These places have unique cultures, histories, and landscapes. Here are some of the main countries often included:

• Brunei
• Cambodia
• China
• Hong Kong (part of China)
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Laos
• Macau (part of China)
• Malaysia
• Mongolia
• Myanmar (also known as Burma)
• North Korea
• Philippines
• Russia (its eastern parts)
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Thailand
• Timor-Leste
• Taiwan
• Vietnam

These countries are home to billions of people and have some of the world's largest and busiest cities.

Gallery

• 

  Taipei, Taiwan

• 

  Kaohsiung, Taiwan

• 

  Shanghai,
  China

• 

  Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon),
  Vietnam

• 

  Osaka,
  Japan

• 

  Vladivostok,
  Russian Far East, Russia

• 

  P'yŏngyang,
  North Korea

• 

  Hong Kong,
  PRC

Related pages

• East Asia
• South Asia
• Southeast Asia

See also

In Spanish: Extremo Oriente para niños