one of the four great parts of the world, and the second in order. It is bounded on the N. by the Frozen Sea, on the E. by the Eastern Ocean, which is part of the South Sea, on the S. by the Indian Sea, and on the W. by Europe and Africa. It is of larger extent than any of the three parts in our continent. Arts and sciences were early cultivated here; though they are thought to have come originally from Egypt; but all the considerable religions now known had their first beginning in Asia; and there are still a great number of people who maintain their ancient tenets, which, according to them, are a hundred thousand years old. They have one sort of religion in China, and another in India, whose priests are the Brachmins; not to mention the Jews, Christians, and Mahometans, whose beginnings are sufficiently known to all the world. This was the seat of several ancient empires or monarchies; such as that of the Assyrians, Medes, Persians, and Greeks. It is 4740 miles in length from the Dardanels on the W. to the eastern shore of Tartary; and 4380 in breadth from the most southern part of Malacca, to the most northern cape of Nova Zembla. It may be divided into ten great parts, namely, Turkey in Asia, Arabia, Persia, the Mogul's empire, with the two peninsulas of India, Thibet, China, and Corea; Great and Little Bocharia, with Carazm, Little and Great Tartary, Siberia, and the Islands. The governments of Asia are generally monarchical; and Turkey, Persia, the Mogul's Empire, Thibet, and China, are subject to single monarchs; but the rest is divided among several sovereigns; inasmuch that there are reckoned seven emperors, and 30 kings, besides petty princes, and the rajas of India, which are very numerous. With regard to the extent of their religions, the Christian is but small in respect of the Mahometan, which comprehends one third of Asia; and the Pagan is near twice as much extended as the Mahometan. Beside these, some pretend there is the natural religion, which has about as many followers as the Christian. The languages are so many and so various, that it is impossible to enumerate them; but the chief are the Turkish, the Grecian, the Arabic, the Chinese, the Persian, and the Old Indian. In short, every country and island has almost a distinct language. Besides the animals we have in Europe, there are lions, leopards, tigers, camels, elephants, rhinoceroses, and many others.

Lesser Asia, the same with Natolia. See Natolia.