Culture of Asia - Religions

Religions

Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism originated in India, a country of South Asia. In East Asia, particularly in China and Japan, Confucianism, Taoism, Zen Buddhism and Shinto took shape. Other religions of Asia include the Bahá'í Faith, Shamanism practiced in Siberia, and Animism practiced in the eastern parts of the Indian subcontinent.

Today 30% of Muslims live in the South Asian region, mainly in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and the Maldives. The world's largest single Muslim community (within the bounds of one nation) is in Indonesia. There are also significant Muslim populations in the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, China, Russia, Iran, Central Asia and West Asia.

In the Philippines and East Timor, Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion; it was introduced by the Spaniards and the Portuguese, respectively. In Armenia, Armenian Apostolic Church is the predominant religion. Various Christian sects have adherents in portions of the Middle East.

Judaism is the major religion of Israel.

A large majority of people in the world who practice a religious faith practice one founded in Asia.

Religions founded in Asia and with a majority of their contemporary adherents in Asia include:

• Bahá'í Faith: slightly more than half of all adherents are in Asia
• Buddhism: Cambodia, Nepal, China, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Burma, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, parts of northern, eastern, and western India, and parts of central and eastern Russia (Siberia).
  • Mahayana Buddhism: China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam.
  • Theravada Buddhism: Cambodia, parts of China, Laos, mainly northern parts of Malaysia, Burma, Sri Lanka, Thailand, as well as parts of Vietnam.
  • Vajrayana Buddhism: Parts of China, Mongolia, parts of northern and eastern India, parts of central and eastern Russia and Siberia.
• Hinduism: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore, Bali.
• Islam: Central, South and Southwest Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Brunei.
  • Ahmadiyya Islam: Pakistan, Bangladesh, India.
  • Shia Islam: largely to specific Iran, Azerbaijan, parts of Iraq, Bahrain, parts of Afghanistan, parts of India, parts of Pakistan.
  • Sunni Islam: dominant in the rest of the regions mentioned above.
• Jainism: India
• Shinto: Japan
• Sikhism: India and Malaysia
• Taoism (Daoism): China, Vietnam, Singapore, and Taiwan
• Zoroastrianism: Iran, India, Pakistan
• Shamanism: Japan (Itako), Korea, Siberia
• Animism: Eastern India

Religions founded in Asia that have the majority of their contemporary adherents in other regions include:

• Christianity (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Armenia, Georgia, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, East Timor, Pakistan, India. Vietnam and the Philippines)
• Judaism (slightly fewer than half of its adherents reside in Asia; Israel, Iran, India, Syria.) (see Mizrahi Jews)