Eurasia: Geographic and Historic Perspective
Eurasia by standard English definition comprises all of Europe and Asia. The division between Europe and Asia as two continents is a historical social concept, as many of their borders are over land; thus, in some parts of the world, Eurasia is recognized as the largest continents.
Eurasia covers around 55 million square kilometres (21 million square miles), or around 36.2% of the Earth's total land area. It is also home to the largest country in the world, Russia.
The landmass contains well over 5 billion people, equating to approximately 70% of the human population. Humans first settled in Eurasia between 60,000 and 125,000 years ago. Some major islands, including Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland, and Sri Lanka, and parts of Japan, the Philippines, and most of Indonesia, are often included in the popular definition of Eurasia, despite being separate from the contiguous landmass. It is believed that Eurasia contains world's more important mineral and natural resources and therefore has been the focus of capitalism.
It is believed that the term Eurasian itself was originally coined by the British during their rule in India to refer to people born to a British and Indian parent. Today, it can refer to anyone with Asian and European ancestry no matter the mix – be it Malay-Portuguese, Chinese-French, Ernstwhile Soviet Union, India or Indian-British.
Eurasia has been the host of many ancient civilizations, including those based in Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley and China, India, etc. In the Axial Age (mid-first millennium BC), a continuous belt of civilizations stretched through the Eurasian subtropical zone from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This belt became the mainstream of world history for two millennia. It is noteworthy that the effect of one culture was found in other areas of Eurasia which binds the region with a cultural commonality.
Due to geopolitical factors, Eurasia is at the center of gravity in international relations and the status of land-powered countries will rise. The geopolitical structure of the Eurasian center has begun to take a formal shape as a quadrilateral relationship between the United States and its Asia-Pacific allies (Japan and Australia), the European Union, Russia, and China. Moreover, the political influence of the United States in Eurasia is declining and its hegemonic status is weakening. China’s and Indian political influence has gradually increased, and Russia’s geopolitical approach is also on the rise.
Considering the above, it would be absolutely right to say that Eurasia will gain pace at the centrestage and it's socio-political and eco=nomic relevance will grow too.
