OVERVIEW OF ASIA

Canadians can speak more than 100 of the world's 5,000 living languages. In Singapore you can find English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil being spoken everyday. While in Indonesia, there is Bahasa, Indonesian and approximately 250 regional languages and dialects.

Like Canadians, many Chinese have never visited the different regions of their country. Given the vast geography, it is difficult for many Canadians from different parts to get to know each other, to understand the needs of those in different areas, and to feel part of a greater whole. China faces the same concern.

Asian countries are not the only ones facing a clash between their rural areas and cities. Canada continually deals with this problem not only within its provinces but between them. For example, Newfoundland's economy was weakened by over-fishing which led to a larger gap between that province and larger metropolitan ones like Ontario. Japan too is experiencing a similar problem with their whaling situation.

Canada, according to the 1991 Census, has 29% of its people reporting to be British, 24% reporting French, 4 % reporting Aboriginal, and 27% reporting other origins (not British, French or Aboriginal). The Chinese language is third behind English and French in Canada as a mother tongue. Many of these people or their parents and ancestors originally come from Asia. Like Canada, Malaysia also prides itself on its cultural and racial diversity: Malays (58.4%), Chinese (26.5%), Indian (7.4%), other Malaysian ethnic groups (3.3%). China has 56 different minority nationalities.