an Entity references as follows:
The History of East Asia generally encompasses the histories of China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Mongolia from prehistoric times to the present. East Asia is not a uniform term and each of its countries has a different national history, but scholars maintain that the region is also characterized by a distinct pattern of historical development. This is evident in the interrelationship among East Asian countries, which not only involve the sum total of historical patterns but also a specific set of patterns that has affected all or most of East Asia in successive layers. It is also argued that East Asia and Southeast Asia form a single ethno-cultural unit, sharing history and common ethnic roots.