Across the immense quilt of terrains and cultures that is Asia, people struggle to adjust and adapt to a changing world. Former Soviet republics strive to create new identities as independent nations. People in other countries see efforts to build democracy crushed by authoritarian rule. The continent's sheer numbers magnifies Asia's problems: Three of five persons on the planet are found here. Still overwhelmingly rural and poor, the challenges to Asia are as big as the continent itself. Yet with thousands of years of history behind it, its natural resilience endures.
