Why is Asia considered the East and USA and western Europe the west?

Answer 1

Because our geograhpy is born from the European understanding of the world. From Europe's perspective, they were on the western edge of the the world (Eurasia) and China, Indonesia, and other "far east" trading partners were on the Eastern edge of the world.

However more technically, most of Europe is part of the Eastern Hemishere. The European understanding of the globe was defined by latitude and longitude. The middle latitude or 0 degrees was defined at the equator -- a seemingly logical choice. However, the middle longitude doesn't have a correspondingly logical choice. Therefore, the choice was the nautical homeland of Greenwich, England which was choosen to be 0 degrees longitude. By this definition most of Europe is part of the Eastern hemisphere which extends to the other side of the globe at 180 degrees.

For a more recent, yet similar naming convention, consider why Chicago is part of the Midwest. In fact, on a map of the U.S. it's closer to the middle of the eastern half of the U.S. However, when the U.S. consisted primarily of the Atlantic seaboard states, anything over the Appalachian mountains was considered west. Both are a matter of social understanding, awareness, and appreciation of the world around the authoring nations.

Answer 2

It depends on where you a measuring from. From the prime meridian, which is located in the UK, Asia would be east and further divided into the Middle East and Far East. Again from the prime meridian, North America would be west. Europe technically should be east but the term Western Europe reflect alliances.

Answer 3

Because Asia is on the east coat of the Pacific and USA is in the Western Hemisphere. Europe is on the western side of the land mass of Asia.

Answer 4

The "Age of Exploration" began in Europe, seen (with the aid of Europeans) the middle of the international. the recent international became into around the Atlantic, to the West. The Orient became right into a the thank you to the East (The a techniques East) So, a fairer quesion is why Europeans seen themselves the middle of the international? extra often than not as a results of fact distinctive the extra desirable Asian Empires did no longer see the would desire to locate any section ot the international they could no longer occupy. Europeans went out to locate for the objective of installation commerce and strengthen organic factors. bear in mind, Columbus's unique objective became into to discover a shortcut to Asia.

Answer 5

Back in the old days, the Silk Road is the only path between Europe and Asia. To travel to Asia, you have to head East.

Answer 6

East-west orientation most often comes from an individual's perspective, particularly in light of power and/or influence, and that comes LONG before the observatory at Greenwich. (The wise men in Matthew "saw his star in the east" and the ancient Egyptians believed their afterlife was in the west.)

This theoretical dividing line, like so much else in today's world, comes out of World War II -- with Germany conquered and occupied, the modern political definitions of "East" and "West" took shape along geographic lines as well as power politics. Even after sixty years, the cultural faultlines still affect our worldview, regardless of whether one's an actual citizen of the East or West.

Most Asians still think of themselves on the world stage as Easterners, and United Staters (?) and western Europeans think they're Westerners due to this postwar orientation. The Cold War helped reinforce it as the USA and USSR jockeyed for influence while sporting two competing belief systems. Now, in the post-Cold War, War on Terror world, it's unlikely to change from that because ideologies are so dominant in people's minds with little common ground between them.

Answer 7

Because back in the day when explorers were discovering our country, their points of reference were east for Asia and west for Europe.

Answer 8

The point of reference is the Greenwich (Prime) Meridian... 0 degrees Longitude...located in Greenwich, England... just a bit outside London... everything to the right of the prime meridian is East and everything to the left is West

Answer 9

When people were wearing silk and drinking tea in China pots in the east, the sun would die in the west where there was nothing but cavemen and monkeys. It was a disgusting place as it is now and in old Chinese text-books west means the condition that you want to vomit alot .

Answer 10

Rotation. It is daylight in the East first (Asia) and daylight in the West second (USA). When it is becoming dark in the East, it is becoming morning in the West.