Politics of Asia

Map of Asia.

The politics of Asia are extremely varied as would be expected of such a large landmass and a diverse population. Constitutional monarchies, absolute monarchies, one-party states, federal states, dependent territories, liberal democracies and military dictatorships are all factors in the region, as well as various forms of independence movements.

Civilization has a long history throughout Asia and it probably involved politics right from the start although some of the earliest discernible political structures arose in Mesopotamia with the advent of writing offering details of these politics. A large and well organized civil service the like of which arose in China is also a necessary adjunct to politics. Much of the political climate in Asia today is affected by colonialism and imperialism of the past with some states retaining close links with their former colonial governors while others involved in bitter independence struggles the consequences of which continue to be felt.

The situation today is still mixed, with hostilities in parts of Asia such as the continuing tensions over Kashmir, primarily between India and Pakistan, as well as economic competitiveness between the People's Republic of China and India. There are also moves towards greater co-operation and communication within the region with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) a notable example.

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International alliances

• Association of Southeast Asian Nations
• Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement
• Commonwealth of Independent States
• Shanghai Cooperation Organization
• South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
• South Asia Free Trade Agreement
• Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation