China, Japan, India, the other countries of eastern Asia, and the islands nearby are often called the Far East. Before the days of easy travel these lands seemed very far away to the people of Europe. In Marco Polo's time it took a journey of many months to reach China by traveling eastward from Italy. From the United States the Far East is usually reached by traveling westward across the Pacific.
Columbus was one of the first explorers to think that he could reach the Far East by traveling west, His idea was good, but the Americas were in his way.
In the days of Columbus the Far East meant spices, silks, and jewels to the people of Europe. It meant strange people with strange customs. Today the people no longer seem strange. And their tin, oil, rubber, tea and electronics are far more important to us than their spices, silks, and jewels.
Another name for the Far East is "the Orient." The word "Orient" comes from the LatÃn word for "rising." The east is the direction of the rising sun.
