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The Russian Federation extends across Europe and Asia. Information for the entire nation is included in the European section, but a link has been provided in the Asian navigation bar to the left.
Some authorities have different opinions on which countries are in Asia, Europe or the Middle East. If you are looking for a country that you believe to be Asian and can't find it in the navigation bar, try Europe or the Middle East. We have listed Turkey in the Europe section but provided a link in the Asia navigation bar.
The page for Central Asia on the Interactive Central Asia Research Project (ICARP) web site is an excellent resource for information on a variety of topics about this region. The project covers Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Northern Illinois University has extensive collections of links and information on language and culture for Southeast Asian nations including Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Cambodia and East Timor.
Travel Advisories: Travelers should check the following web sites prior to traveling to Asia to determine if any advisories apply:
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The World Health Organization web pages for International Travel and Health and Outbreak News.
Human Rights: Human rights issues can be an important part of forming an understanding of conditions in world regions and countries in those regions. The Human Rights Watch web site is one of the most respected sources of information in this area.
Recommended Reading: Tournament of Shadows: The Great Game and the Race for Empire in Central Asia by Karl E. Meyer and Sharon Blair Brysac chronicles the history of the many forces competing to dominate this region.
Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia by Ahmed Rashid is regarded as one of the most authoritative historical accounts of the Taliban and its impact on present-day Afghanistan.
War at the Top of the World: The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir and Tibet by Eric S. Margolis provides an authoritative view of this region's political landscape based on his long experience as a journalist in this area.
An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan by Jason Elliot who gained his first experience in Afghanistan as a college student under fire with the mujaheddin. This book relates his observations after his return and the Taliban rose to power.
The Road to Oxiana by Robert Byron was written in 1933, Robert Byron's documents his journey through the Middle East to the river Amu Darya, the river that forms much of Afghanistan's northern border. The book still commands respect as one of the best books written by a Westerner about this region.
Islam: A Short History by Karen Armstrong is an excellent introduction to this religion that is a vital part of the life and culture of the Middle East and much of Asia.
Jihad vs. McWorld: How Globalism and Tribalism are Reshaping the World by Benjamin Barber, director of Rutgers University's Walt Whitman Center for the Culture and Politics of Democracy. Mr. Barber takes the position that the United States and western nations need to re-examine their policies of globalism and its consequences throughout the rest of the world.
Guides: Let's Go - Southeast Asia; Lonely Planet - South East Asia on a Shoestring | South East Asia phrasebook | Central Asia | Central Asia phrasebook; Moon Handbooks - Southeast Asia; Rough Guides - First-Time Asia | Southeast Asia