Eastern world

The term "Eastern world"—also called the East or, historically, the Orient—is a broad label for various cultures, social structures, nations, and philosophical systems, and its meaning shifts depending on context. In pre-modern historical settings, it typically refers to Asia, the Mediterranean region, and the Arab world; in modern times, it is often discussed through the lens of Orientalism. Originally, the term had a straightforward geographic sense, denoting the eastern portion of the Old World and setting the civilizations of Asia apart from those of Western Europe.

The regions grouped under "Eastern world" are diverse, difficult to generalize, and lack a single shared heritage. While they often share traits—most notably being part of the "Global South"—they have never historically defined themselves as a collective. The boundary between East and West is more cultural and historical than geographic. For instance, Australia and New Zealand, founded as British settler colonies, are typically considered Western despite being geographically closer to the East, whereas Central Asian nations from the former Soviet Union are placed in the East. Through settler colonialism, Western Europe has absorbed nearly all societies of the Americas and Oceania into the Western world. Some countries geographically in the East, like the Philippines, may be seen as Western in certain social, cultural, or political aspects due to immigration and historical influences from the United States and Western Europe.

Asia itself contains many extremely diverse countries, ethnic groups, and cultures. The term "Asian" is debated: in some English-speaking countries, it commonly refers to people of East or Southeast Asian origin; elsewhere, it points to South Asian origin; and in other contexts, regions like the Indian subcontinent are grouped with East Asia. West Asia—including Israel, parts of the Arab world, and Iran—may or may not identify with the Eastern world and is sometimes treated as "Middle Eastern" and separate from Asia.

The division between East and West, once called Orient and Occident, stems from European cultural history and the distinction between Christian Europe and the cultures to its east. European colonization of the Americas made this dichotomy global. Ideas of racial, religious, and cultural differences reinforced the concept of an Eastern, "Indian" (Indies), or "Oriental" sphere. These distinctions were articulated by Westerners in the scholarly tradition of Orientalism, which presents a unified Eastern world not limited to any specific region but encompassing all of Asia.

Eastern culture—also known as Eastern civilization, Asian civilization, Oriental culture, or simply the East—refers to the internally diverse culture of the Eastern world. It includes social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, belief systems, political systems, artifacts, and technologies rooted primarily in Asian history. Subgroups exist within Eastern culture, such as those in East Asia, Southeast Asia, or South Asia, along with syncretism across these regions. Examples include the spread of Eastern religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, the use of Chinese characters or Brahmic scripts, language families, blended cuisines, and various traditions.