sia has many different cultures with their own language and religion. Together they amount to more than a half of the entire world population. These cultures can be divided into two main categories: the cultures that are part of a huge, powerful state - like the Han-Chinese in China - and the smaller groups. These smaller communities are often situated near the edge of the larger and more powerful societies. Many of these smaller cultures refused to adapt to their bigger neighbors, but choose to remain different from them. This often resulted in conflicts between these two groups. Examples are the Kurds in West Asia and groups like the Kazachs and Uygurs in China. Even when a smaller and more traditional orientated society dominates within a small state, it's most likely to disappear when it has powerful neighbors. An example is the Mongol Republic with Russia and China as its neighbors. The cultures in Asia can be sub-divided according to the area they live in. These areas are separated by ecological borders instead of political ones. The main areas are West Asia, Central Asia, East Asia and South Asia. In West Asia some of the oldest civilizations in the world developed. The smaller communities in this region have always resisted to adaptation to these large states. The environment made it possible for them to exist next to the larger societies. In the Zagros mountain range groups of nomads, like the Bakhtiyari and the Qashqa'i, were able to avoid conflict with the farmers on the plains. Mountains have also been important to the Kurds, the people living in the borderland of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. These countries have tried to persuade the Kurds to let go of their own culture in exchange for citizenship. But the mountains provide the Kurds and excellent hiding place against the 'persuasion' attempts of their neighbors.

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