Traders by land had to contend with the hardships and dangers inherent in crossing the Central Asian macro-region on foot; not least, those of political instability.

The Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries gave trade along Central Asian routes a new impetus. Changing political contexts altered the nature of goods produced and marketed, and western culture began to influence the eastern trading countries.  Yet craftsmen and artisans have continued to produce goods that reflect their cultural traditions and heritage. 

The goods that were carried along the trading routes of Central Asia shaped fashions in food and clothing all over Asia and Europe.  Metal and clay were two important materials to be traded, as were textiles and all kinds and carpets, which were highly valued in both east and west. Exotic foods and flavours were particularly precious commodities, bringing new tastes such as pepper to the west. 

The routes that stretched between the Far East and Europe transported more than simply merchandise to trade. The tax from merchants funded the development of civilizations all along the length of the routes, and the intellectual and cultural exchanges that took place were vital to the emergence of vibrant, independent, yet interconnected cultures across modern Central Asia. 

Religions moved along the Silk Roads with the passage of goods, spreading beliefs and traditions throughout Asia and beyond. Religions varied from tribe to tribe among the nomads of the steppes, although there were many features in common. In the countries of southern and western Asia, Manichaeism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism and Christianity were widely followed until the advent of Islam, in the early seventh century, resulting in the conquest of the region by Islamic armies and the resulting dissemination of the religion.

Kanneliya-Dediyagala-Nakiyadeniya (KDN) Biosphere Reserve, which covers lowland and mountain tropical forests, occupies the interlude between two rivers. It consists of a series of parallel strikes - ridges and valleys. The area is covered by a natural high forest ecosystem consisting of several forest types, mainly lowland tropical forest, wet semi-evergreen forest, submontane tropical wet semi-evergreen forest and montane tropical wet-evergreen forest.

Dong Nai, is the new name of the former Cat Tien Biosphere Reserve, which was designated in 2001. Two new core zones have been added to the site, bringing its total area to 966,563 ha. The rationale for the extension of the site is based on the challenges posed by socio-economic development.

This biosphere reserve is situated 650 km south of Bangkok and covers about 30,000 hectares, of which 40% is a marine area. It consists of a narrow coastal plain characterized by many waterways and mangrove forests, reaching out to the sea towards seagrass beds at a depth of 10 meters. The Njao and Laem Son National Park are contiguous to Ranong and hence there is a continuum of protected habitats going from the mountain ecosystem down to the coast and sea.

The Palawan Biosphere Reserve is a cluster of islands composed of one long main island and smaller groups of islands around it. The 1,150,800 hectares of the biosphere reserve include the entire Province of Palawan Island, which is the westernmost province of the Philippines.

The total population in 2000 is 755,412 with an annual population growth rate of 3.6%. The Palawan BR is also home to approximately 57 ethnolinguistic groups with 3 indigenous peoples: the Tagbanua, Palaw’an, and the Bataks.

This biosphere reserve is situated in the depression of the East African Rift Valley in the Lake Manyara Basin in northern Tanzania. Below the rift wall, perennial springs in the north support a ground water forest (characterized by Trichilia roka and Croton macrostachyus or the yellow fever tree (Acacia xanthophloea) but also riverine habitats, swamps, woodland and alkaline grasslands characterize the area.