Illustrated Gazetteer of the Maritime Kingdoms, Scroll Five

Southeast Oceans, Part One The Coastal Kingdoms

Compiled by Wei Yuan of Shaoyang

General Overview of Asia Originally absent; now supplemented and compiled

According to the Ming Dynasty work Notes on Lands Beyond the Royal Domain Zhifang Waiji A world geography published in 1623 by the Italian Jesuit missionary Giulio Aleni (1582–1649), known by his Chinese name Ai Rulue., Asia is one of the world's great continents. It is the land where humanity first began and the homeland from which the sages first emerged.

This land begins in the west at Anatolia original: "那多理亞" (Naduoliya). Likely referring to Natolia/Anatolia in modern-day Turkey., sixty-two degrees from the Fortunate Isles original: "福島" (Fudao). Historically referring to the Canary Islands, which were used as the Prime Meridian in early European-influenced Chinese maps.. To the east, it reaches the Strait of Anián original: "亞尼俺峽" (Ani'an Xia). A semi-mythical strait between Asia and North America, later identified as the Bering Strait., one hundred and eighty degrees from the Fortunate Isles. To the south, it begins at Java pronounced Zhua-wa, located twelve degrees south of the Equator. To the north, it reaches the Icy Sea The Arctic Ocean., seventy-two degrees north of the Equator.

The continent contains no fewer than one hundred kingdoms and territories. The greatest among these is China. Beyond China, there is Tartary referring to all nomadic tribes, the Muslim lands original: "回回" (Huihui)., India referring to the Five Indias, and the Mughal Empire the kingdom of the small white-turbaned Muslims...