That Europe and the eastern part of Asia have been separate regions since ancient times with hardly any communication between them may be inferred from the customs embodied in the cultures of their races. Customs are the fundamental elements which distinguish one country from another, and it is customs which have given rise to differences in systems of government. In the West, the chief concern of government is the protection of people and their property; in the East, it is the inculcation of morality. When we observe Western nations in the light of our own system of government, therefore, we see that even when circumstances appear to be the same, distinct basic ideas shape peoples' temperaments differently.

There are two reasons for the division of the earth's surface into countries: the fact that geographical regions are determined by mountains and seas, and the fact that peoples differ from one another. The role played by mountains and seas is evident if one looks at the topography of countries: a strait forms the boundary between Britain and France, for example, and France and Spain are divided by a mountain range.

Europeans offer the following explanation for the fact that China has remained one country. The mountain ranges in China are scattered and discontinuous so the natural tendency of people to intermingle has meant that although China has at times been divided into separate states, these have in time always come together again.