Four Asian Tigers facts for kids

Four Asian Tigers
A map showing the Four Asian Tigers Hong Kong Singapore South Korea Taiwan
Quick facts for kids Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	亞洲四小龍
Simplified Chinese	亚洲四小龙
Literal meaning	Asia's Four Little Dragons
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Yǎzhōu sì xiǎo lóng Cantonese (Yue) - Jyutping aa3 zau1 sei3 siu2 long4
Korean name
Hangul	아시아의 네 마리 용
Literal meaning	Asia's four dragons
Transcriptions - Revised Romanization asia ui ne mari yong

The Four Asian Tigers or Asian Dragons are the highly developed economies of Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. These regions were the first newly industrialized countries. They are known because they had very high growth rates (they became rich very fast) and fast industrialization between the early 1960s and 1990s. Four economies are currently well rich economies (developed countries).

All four Asian Tigers have a highly educated and productive work force compared to others in the region.

The economic success of South Korea and Taiwan were known as the "Miracle on the Han River" and the "Taiwan Miracle" respectively.

The four tigers has accomplished rapid economical growth in a short period of time.

All the Asian Tigers tried to export (sell) products to rich industrialized nations. They grew rich very quickly (they had double-digit economic growth) for decades. Each nation was not a democracy, and people were not very free in the early years. All of these countries later became freer, and people now think Taiwan and Korea are liberal democracies.

Things you can read

• Ezra F. Vogel, The Four Little Dragons: The Spread of Industrialization in East Asia (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1991).

Images for kids

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  Worlds regions by total wealth (in trillions USD), 2018

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  Hong Kong

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  Seoul, South Korea

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  Singapore

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  Taipei, Taiwan