Asia 689 224397031 2008-07-08T17:51:48Z VolkovBot 3035831 robot Adding: [[na:Eija]] {{pp-semi|small=yes}} {{otheruses}} <div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 2em; width: 20em; text-align: right; font-size: 0.86em; line-height: normal;"><!-- start of floated right section --> <div style="border: 1px solid #ccd2d9; background: #f0f6fa; text-align: left; padding: 0.5em 1em; text-align: center;"><!-- start of slate grey box --> <big>'''Asia'''</big> <div align=center> [[Image:LocationAsia.svg|190px|World map showing the location of Asia.]] </div> {| style="background: transparent; text-align: left; table-layout: auto; border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0; font-size: 100%;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Area | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | {{km2 to sq mi|43810582|abbr=yes}} |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Population | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 4,050,404,193 ([[List of continents by population|1st]])<ref>List of continents by population [http://www.worldatlas.com/geoquiz/thelist.htm]</ref> |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Density | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 89.07/km² (230.7)/sq mi) |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | [[Demonym]] | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | [[Asian]] |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | No. of countries | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 37 |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Countries | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | {{Collapsible list |title=[[Asian countries]] |[[Afghanistan]] |[[Armenia]] |[[Azerbaijan]] |[[Bahrain]] |[[Bangladesh]] |[[Bhutan]] |[[Brunei]] |[[Cambodia]] |[[People's Republic of China|China]] |[[Cyprus]] |[[East Timor]]|[[India]] |[[Indonesia]] |[[Iran]] |[[Iraq]] |[[Israel]] |[[Japan]] |[[Jordan]] |[[Kazakhstan]] |[[Kuwait]] |[[Kyrgyzstan]] |[[Laos]] |[[Lebanon]] |[[Malaysia]] |[[Maldives]] |[[Mongolia]] |[[Burma|Myanmar(formerly Burma)]] |[[Nepal]] |[[North Korea]] |[[Oman]] |[[Pakistan]] |[[Philippines]] |[[Qatar]] |[[Russia]] |[[Saudi Arabia]] |[[Singapore]] |[[Sri Lanka]] |[[South Korea]] |[[Syria]] |[[Tajikistan]] |[[Thailand]] |[[Turkey]] |[[Turkmenistan]] |[[United Arab Emirates]] |[[Uzbekistan]] |[[Vietnam]] |[[Yemen]]}} |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Dependencies | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | {{Collapsible list |title=[[List of Asian countries|Asian dependencies]] |[[Akrotiri and Dhekelia]] |[[British Indian Ocean Territory]] |[[Christmas Island]] |[[Cocos (Keeling) Islands]]}} |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Unrecognized Republics & Regions | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | {{Collapsible list |title=[[List of Asian countries|Unrecognized Asian countries & regions]] |[[Abkhazia]] |[[Gaza Strip|Gaza Strip (Palestine)]] |[[Nagorno-Karabakh]] |[[South Ossetia]] |[[Republic of China|Taiwan]] |[[Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus]] |[[West Bank|West Bank (Palestine)]] }} |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Languages | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | {{Collapsible list |title=[[Asian languages]] | more than 50 million native speakers: |[[Arabic language|Arabic]] |[[Armenian language|Armenian]] |[[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]] |[[Bengali language|Bengali]] |[[Burmese language|Burmese]] | |[[Cantonese (linguistics)|Cantonese (Chinese)]] |[[Dhivehi language|Divehi]] |[[Dzongkha language|Dzongkha]] |[[English language|English]] |[[Filipino language|Filipino]]|[[Greek language|Greek]] |[[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] |[[Standard Hindi|Hindi]] |[[Indonesian language|Indonesian]] |[[Japanese language|Japanese]] |[[Javanese language|Javanese]] |[[Kazakh language|Kazakh]] |[[Khmer language|Khmer]] |[[Korean language|Korean]] |[[Kurdish language|Kurdish]] |[[Kyrgyz language|Kyrgyz]] | |[[Lao language|Lao]] |[[Malay language|Malay]] |[[Mandarin (linguistics)|Mandarin (Chinese)]] |[[Marathi language|Marathi]] |[[Nepali language|Nepali]] |[[Min (linguistics)|Min (Taiwanese/Chinese)]] |[[Mongolian language|Mongolian]] |[[Persian language|Persian]] |[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] |[[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] |[[Russian language|Russian]] |[[Sinhalese language|Sinhalese]] |[[Tajik language|Tajik]] |[[Tamil language|Tamil]] |[[Telugu language|Telugu]] |[[Tetum]] |[[Thai language|Thai]] | |[[Turkish language|Turkish]] |[[Turkmen language|Turkmen]] |[[Urdu]] |[[Uzbek language|Uzbek]] |[[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]] |[[Wu (linguistics)|Wu (Chinese)]]}} |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Time Zones | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | {{Collapsible list |title=[[UTC+2|+2]] to [[UTC+12|+12]] | [[UTC+2|+2]] |[[UTC+3|+3]] |[[UTC+3:30|+3:30]] |[[UTC+4|+4]] |[[UTC+4:30|+4:30]] |[[UTC+4:51|+4:51]] |[[UTC+5|+5]] |[[UTC+5:30|+5:30]] |[[UTC+5:40|+5:40]] |[[UTC+5:45|+5:45]] |[[UTC+6|+6]] |[[UTC+6:30|+6:30]] |[[UTC+7|+7]] |[[UTC+7:20|+7:20]] |[[UTC+7:30|+7:30]] |[[UTC+8|+8]] |[[UTC+8:30|+8:30]] |[[UTC+8:45|+8:45]] |[[UTC+9|+9]] |[[UTC+9:30|+9:30]] |[[UTC+10|+10]] |[[UTC+10:30|+10:30]] |[[UTC+11|+11]] |[[UTC+11:30|+11:30]] |[[UTC+12|+12]]}} |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Internet [[Top-level domain|TLD]] | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | [[.asia]], [[List of Internet top-level domains|many others]] |- ! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Largest Cities | style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | {{Collapsible list |title=[[List of metropolitan areas by population|Largest Cities in Asia]] |[[Tokyo]] |[[Seoul]] |[[Mumbai]] |[[Jakarta]] |[[Osaka]] |[[Shanghai]] |[[Manila]] |[[Hong Kong]] |[[Tehran]] |[[Kolkata]] |[[Beijing]] }} |- |} </div><!-- --> </div> '''Asia''' is the world's largest and most populous [[continent]]. It covers 8.6% of the [[Earth]]'s total surface area (or 29.4% of its land area) and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current [[human population]]. Chiefly in the [[Eastern Hemisphere|eastern]] and [[northern hemisphere]]s, Asia is traditionally defined as part of the [[landmass]] of [[Eurasia]]&mdash;with the western portion of the latter occupied by [[Europe]]&mdash;lying east of the [[Suez Canal]], [[east]] of the [[Ural Mountains]], and south of the [[Caucasus Mountains]] and the [[Caspian Sea|Caspian]] and [[Black Sea]]s. It is bounded on the east by the [[Pacific Ocean]], on the south by the [[Indian Ocean]], and on the north by the [[Arctic Ocean]]. Given its size and diversity, Asia&mdash;a [[toponymy|toponym]] dating back to [[classical antiquity]]&mdash;is more a [[human geography|cultural concept]] incorporating a number of [[region]]s and peoples than a [[physical geography|homogeneous physical entity]]<ref>"[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9110518/Asia Asia]". ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''. 2006. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</ref><ref name=McG-H>"[http://www.answers.com/topic/asia-2010#Science_and_Technology_Encyclopedia Asia]". ''[[McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology]].'' 2006. New York: McGraw-Hill Inc.</ref> (see ''[[Subregions of Asia]]'', ''[[Asian people]]''). ==Etymology== {{wiktionary|Asia}} The word ''Asia'' originated from the Ancient Greek word "Ασία", first attributed to [[Herodotus]] (about 440 BC) in reference to [[Anatolia]] or, for the purposes of describing the Persian Wars, to the Persian Empire, in contrast to [[Greece]] and [[Egypt]]. Herodotus comments that he is puzzled as to why three women's names are used to describe one enormous and substantial land mass ([[Europa (mythology)|Europa]], [[Asia (mythology)|Asia]], and [[Libya (mythology)|Libya]], referring to [[Africa]]), stating that most Greeks assumed that Asia was named after the wife of [[Prometheus]] but that the Lydians say it was named after [[Asias]], son of Cotys who passed the name on to a tribe in Sardis. Even before Herodotus, [[Homer]] knew of a Trojan ally named [[Asios Hyrtakides|Asios]] and elsewhere he describes a marsh as ασιος (Iliad 2, 461). The [[Greek language]] term may be derived from [[Assuwa]], a 14th century BC confederation of states in Western [[Anatolia]]. Hittite ''assu-''&mdash;"good" is probably an element in that name. Alternatively, the [[etymology]] of the term may be from the [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] word ''{{Unicode|(w)aṣû(m)}}'', which means "to go outside" or "to ascend", referring to the direction of the [[sun]] at sunrise in the [[Middle East]], and also likely connected with the Phoenician word ''asa'' meaning east. This may be contrasted to a similar etymology proposed for ''Europe'', as being from Akkadian ''erēbu(m)'' "to enter" or "set" (of the sun). However, this etymology is considered doubtful, because it does not explain how the term "Asia" first came to be associated with Anatolia, which is ''west'' of the Semitic-speaking areas, unless they refer to the viewpoint of a [[Phoenicia]]n sailor sailing through the straits between the [[Mediterranean Sea]] and the Black Sea. It is interesting to note, in Icelandic Saga, ancient [[Teutons]] separated Asia from Europe by the river Tanakvisl (or Vanakvisl), which flows into the Black Sea. Eastward across the River (in Asia), so legend tells, was a land known as Asaheim or Asaland, where dwelt [[Odin]], chief god, in his citadel named Asgard.<ref>Rydberg, Viktor. ''Teutonic Mythology: Gods and Goddesses of the Northland'', London: Norroena Society, 1907. pp.33-34</ref> However, ''[[Aesir]]'' and all its forms are related to Sanskrit ''[[asura]]'' and Avestan ''[[ahura]]'', the [[Aesir-Asura correspondence|local reflexes of the name of a class of divine beings]]. ==Definition and boundaries== ===Physical geography=== :''See also: [[Geography of Asia]], [[transcontinental nation#Countries in both Asia and Europe|Countries in both Asia and Europe]], [[Copenhagen criteria#Geographic criteria for the definition of Europe|Geographic criteria for the definition of Europe]] [[Image:Asia-map.png|right|thumb|225px|[[Physical map]] of Asia (excluding [[Southwest Asia]]).]] [[Image:two-point-equidistant-asia.jpg|thumb|280px|[[Two-point equidistant projection]] of Asia.]] Medieval [[Europe| Europeans]] considered Asia as a continent – a distinct landmass. The European concept of the three continents in the [[Old World]] goes back to [[Classical Antiquity]], but during the Middle Ages was notably due to [[Isidore of Sevilla]] (see [[T and O map]]). The demarcation between Asia and Africa (to the southwest) is the [[Isthmus]] of Suez and the [[Red Sea]]. The boundary between Asia and [[Europe]] is conventionally considered to run through the [[Dardanelles]], the [[Sea of Marmara]], the [[Bosporus]], the Black Sea, the Caucasus Mountains, the Caspian Sea, the [[Ural River]] to its source, and the Ural Mountains to the [[Kara Sea]] near Kara, [[Russia]]. While this interpretation of tripartite continents (i.e., of Asia, Europe, and Africa) remains common in modernity, discovery of the extent of Africa and Asia have made this definition somewhat anachronistic. This is especially true in the case of Asia, which would have several [[subregions of Asia|regions]] that would be considered distinct landmasses if these criteria were used (for example, [[South Asia|Southern Asia]] and [[East Asia|Eastern Asia]]). In the far northeast of Asia, [[Siberia]] is separated from [[North America]] by the [[Bering Strait]]. Asia is bounded on the south by the [[Indian Ocean]] (specifically, from west to east, the [[Gulf of Aden]], [[Arabian Sea]], and [[Bay of Bengal]]); on the east by the waters of the [[Pacific Ocean]] (including, counterclockwise, the [[South China Sea]], [[East China Sea]], [[Yellow Sea]], [[Sea of Japan]], [[Sea of Okhotsk]], and [[Bering Sea]]); and on the north by the [[Arctic Ocean]]. [[Australia]] (or [[Oceania]]) is to the southeast. Some geographers do not consider Asia and Europe to be separate continents,<ref>"[http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761574726/Asia.html Asia]." ''[[Encarta|MSN Encarta Encyclopedia]]''. 2007.</ref> as there is no logical physical separation between them.<ref name=McG-H /> Geographically, Asia is the major eastern constituent of the continent of Eurasia – with Europe being a northwestern [[peninsula]] of the landmass – or of [[Afro-Eurasia]]: geologically, Asia, Europe, and Africa comprise a single continuous landmass (save the Suez Canal) and share a common [[continental shelf]]. Almost all of Europe and most of Asia sit atop the [[Eurasian Plate]], adjoined on the south by the [[Arabian Plate|Arabian]] and [[Indian Plate]]s, and with the easternmost part of Siberia (east of the [[Cherskiy Range]]) on the [[North American Plate]]. In geography, there are two schools of thought. One school follows historical convention and treats Europe and Asia as different continents, categorizing [[subregion]]s within them for more detailed analysis. The other school equates the word "continent" with a geographical region when referring to Europe, and use the term "region" to describe Asia in terms of physiography. Since, in linguistic terms, "continent" implies a distinct landmass, it is becoming increasingly common to substitute the term "region" for "continent" to avoid the problem of disambiguation altogether. Given the scope and diversity of the landmass, it is sometimes not even clear exactly what "Asia" consists of. Some definitions exclude [[Turkey]], the Middle East, [[Central Asia]], and Russia while only considering the Far East, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent to compose Asia,<ref>Welty, Paul Thomas. ''The Asians Their Evolving Heritage,'' 6th ed., p. 21. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1984. ISBN 0-06-047001-1.</ref><ref>World University Service of Canada. Asia-WUSC WorldWide. 2006. [[October 7]], [[2006]]. <http://www.wusc.ca/expertise/worldwide/asia/>.</ref> especially in the United States after World War II.<ref>Menon, Sridevi. Duke University. "Where is West Asia in Asian America?Asia and the Politics of Space in Asian America." 2004. April 26, 2007. page 71 [http://socialtext.dukejournals.org/cgi/reprint/24/1_86/55.pdf]</ref> The term is sometimes used more strictly in reference to the [[Asia-Pacific]] region, which does not include the Middle East or Russia,<ref>BBC News 2006. [[September 9]], [[2006]]. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/>.</ref> but does include islands in the Pacific Ocean&mdash;a number of which may also be considered part of [[Australasia]] or [[Oceania]], although Pacific Islanders are commonly not considered Asian.<ref>American Heritage Book of English Usage. Asian. 1996. [[September 29]], [[2006]]. <http://www.bartleby.com/64/C006/007.html>.</ref> ===Political geography=== {{Asia.png|float=left}} {{-}} ==="Asian" as a demonym=== :''See also: [[Orientalism]].'' The [[demonym]] "[[Asian people|Asian]]" is often used colloquially to refer to people from a subregion of Asia instead of for anyone from Asia. Thus, in [[British English]], "Asian" can mean [[South Asian]], but may also refer to other Asian groups.<ref>Color Q World. Clarifying the Definition of Asian. 2005. October 1, 2006. <http://www.colorq.org/PetSins/article.asp?y=2005&m=5&x=5_7>.</ref> In the [[American English|United States]], "[[Asian American]]" can mean [[East Asian American]]s, due to the historical and cultural influences of [[China]] and [[Japan]] on the U.S. up to the 1960s and in preference to the terms "[[Oriental]]" and "Asiatic". However, the term is increasingly taken to include [[Southeast Asian American]]s and [[South Asian American]]s, due to the increasing numbers of them.<ref>[http://www.prb.org/Template.cfm?Section=Data_by_Country&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=9862#search=%22Middle%20East%20%22is%20not%20asian%22%22 Lee, Sharon M. Population Reference Bureau. Asian Americans Diverse and Growing.] Accessed [[2006]]-[[11-10]].</ref> ==Territories and regions== <!--{{editnote | NOTE: The countries in this table are categorized according to the scheme for geographic subregions used by the United Nations etc., and data included are per sources in cross-referenced articles. Where they differ, provisos are clearly indicated. If you have arguments or evidence to the contrary, please provide them on the talk page and await until the consensus supports making proposed edits. Thank you!}}--> [[Image:Asia - UN.png|left|thumb|225px|[[UN geoscheme]] subregions of Asia: {{legend|#FA8072|Eastern Asia}} {{legend|#9370DB|Central Asia}} {{legend|#FFA500|Southern Asia}} {{legend|#90EE90|Southeastern Asia}} {{legend|#F0E68C|Western Asia}} {{legend|#6495ED|Russia (Asia)}}]] <div style="clear:both"/> {| border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse" |- bgcolor="#ECECEC" ! Name of [[subregion|region]]<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;Continental regions as per [[Media:United Nations geographical subregions.png|UN categorisations (map)]], except 12. Depending on definitions, various territories cited below (notes 6, 11-13, 15, 17-19, 21-23) may be in [[Transcontinental nation|one or both of]] Asia and [[Europe]], Africa, or [[Oceania]].<br/></ref> and<br/>territory, with [[flag]] ! [[List of countries by area|Area]]<br/>(km²) ! [[List of countries by population|Population]]<br/>([[1 July]] [[2008]] est.) ! [[List of countries by population density|Population density]]<br/>(per km²) ! [[Capital]] |- | colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Central Asia]]:''' |- | {{flag|Kazakhstan}}<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Kazakhstan]] is sometimes considered a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe; population and area figures are for Asian portion only.<br/></ref> | align="right" | 2,346,927 | align="right" | 15,340,533 | align="right" | 5.7 | [[Astana]] |- | {{flag|Kyrgyzstan}} | align="right" | 198,500 | align="right" | 5,356,869 | align="right" | 24.3 | [[Bishkek]] |- | {{flag|Tajikistan}} | align="right" | 143,100 | align="right" | 7,211,884 | align="right" | 47.0 | [[Dushanbe]] |- | {{flag|Turkmenistan}} | align="right" | 488,100 | align="right" | 5,179,573 | align="right" | 9.6 | [[Ashgabat]] |- | {{flag|Uzbekistan}} | align="right" | 447,400 | align="right" | 28,268,441 | align="right" | 57.1 | [[Tashkent]] |- | colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[East Asia|Eastern Asia]]:''' |- | {{flag|China}}<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;The current [[state]] is formally known as the [[People's Republic of China]] (PRC), which is subsumed by the [[China|eponymous entity and civilization (China)]]. Figures given are for [[mainland China]] only, and do not include [[Hong Kong]], [[Macau]], and [[Taiwan]].<br/></ref> | align="right" | 9,584,492 | align="right" | 1,322,044,605 | align="right" | 134.0 | [[Beijing]] |- | {{flag|Hong Kong}}, China <ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Hong Kong]] is a [[Special Administrative Region]] (SAR) of the PRC.<br/></ref> | align="right" | 1,092 | align="right" | 7,903,334 | align="right" | 6,688.0 | — |- | {{flag|Japan}} | align="right" | 377,835 | align="right" | 127,288,628 | align="right" | 336.1 | [[Tokyo]] |- | {{flag|Macau}}, China <ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Macau]] is a [[Special Administrative Region]] (SAR) of the PRC.<br/></ref> | align="right" | 25 | align="right" | 460,823 | align="right" | 18,473.3 | — |- | {{flag|Mongolia}} | align="right" | 1,565,000 | align="right" | 2,996,082 | align="right" | 1.7 | [[Ulaanbaatar]] |- | {{flag|North Korea}} | align="right" | 120,540 | align="right" | 23,479,095 | align="right" | 184.4 | [[Pyongyang]] |- | {{flag|South Korea}} | align="right" | 98,480 | align="right" | 49,232,844 | align="right" | 490.7 | [[Seoul]] |- | {{flag|ROC|name=Republic of China (Taiwan)}}<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;Figures are for [[Taiwan Area|the area]] under the ''de facto'' control of the [[Republic of China]] (ROC) government, frequently referred to as [[Taiwan]]. Claimed in whole by the PRC; see [[political status of Taiwan]].<br/></ref> | align="right" | 35,980 | align="right" | 22,920,946 | align="right" | 626.7 | [[Taipei]] |- | colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Northern Africa]]:''' |- | {{flag|Egypt}}<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Egypt]] is generally considered a transcontinental country in Northern Africa and Western Asia; population and area figures are for Asian portion only, east of the [[Suez Canal]] ([[Sinai Peninsula]]).<br/></ref> | align="right" | 980,869 | align="right" | 81,713,517 | align="right" | 21.7 | [[Cairo]] |- | colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[North Asia|Northern Asia]]:''' |- | {{flag|Russia}}<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Russia]] is a [[transcontinental country]]; population and area figures are for Asian portion only.<br/></ref> | align="right" | 13,115,200 | align="right" | 140,702,092 | align="right" | 3.0 | [[Moscow]] |- | colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Southeast Asia|Southeastern Asia]]:'''<ref name="ccau">Excludes [[Christmas Island]] and [[Cocos (Keeling) Islands]] ([[States and territories of Australia|Australian external territories]] in the [[Indian Ocean]] southwest of [[Indonesia]]).<br/></ref> |- | {{flag|Brunei}} | align="right" | 5,770 | align="right" | 381,371 | align="right" | 60.8 | [[Bandar Seri Begawan]] |- | {{flag|Cambodia}} | align="right" | 181,040 | align="right" | 14,241,640 | align="right" | 70.6 | [[Phnom Penh]] |- | {{flag|East Timor|name=East Timor (Timor-Leste)}}<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[East Timor]] is often considered a transcontinental country in Southeastern Asia and [[Oceania]].<br/></ref> | align="right" | 15,007 | align="right" | 1,108,777 | align="right" | 63.5 | [[Dili]] |- | {{flag|Indonesia}}<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Indonesia]] is often considered a transcontinental country in Southeastern Asia and [[Oceania]]; figures do not include [[Irian Jaya]] and [[Maluku Islands]], frequently reckoned in Oceania ([[Melanesia]]/[[Australasia]]).<br/></ref> | align="right" | 1,419,588 | align="right" | 237,512,355 | align="right" | 159.9 | [[Jakarta]] |- | {{flag|Laos}} | align="right" | 236,800 | align="right" | 6,677,534 | align="right" | 24.4 | [[Vientiane]] |- | {{flag|Malaysia}} | align="right" | 329,750 | align="right" | 25,274,135 | align="right" | 68.7 | [[Kuala Lumpur]] |- | {{flag|Myanmar|name=Myanmar (Burma)}} | align="right" | 678,500 | align="right" | 47,758,224 | align="right" | 62.3 | [[Naypyidaw]]<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;The administrative capital of [[Myanmar]] was officially moved from [[Yangon|Yangon (Rangoon)]] to a militarised greenfield just west of [[Pyinmana]] on 6 November 2005.</ref> |- | {{flag|Philippines}} | align="right" | 300,000 | align="right" | 92,681,453 | align="right" | 281.8 | [[Manila]] |- | {{flag|Singapore}} | align="right" | 704 | align="right" | 4,608,167 | align="right" | 6,369.0 | [[Singapore]] |- | {{flag|Thailand}} | align="right" | 514,000 | align="right" | 65,493,298 | align="right" | 121.3 | [[Bangkok]] |- | {{flag|Vietnam}} | align="right" | 331,690 | align="right" | 86,116,559 | align="right" | 246.1 | [[Hanoi]] |- | colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[South Asia|Southern Asia]]:''' |- | {{flag|Afghanistan}} | align="right" | 647,500 | align="right" | 32,738,775 | align="right" | 42.9 | [[Kabul]] |- | {{flag|Bangladesh}} | align="right" | 144,000 | align="right" | 153,546,901 | align="right" | 926.2 | [[Dhaka]] |- | {{flag|Bhutan}} | align="right" | 47,000 | align="right" | 682,321 | align="right" | 14.3 | [[Thimphu]] |- | {{flag|India}}<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;Includes [[Jammu and Kashmir]], a contested territory among India, [[Pakistan]], and the [[People's Republic of China|PRC]].<br/></ref> | align="right" | 3,167,590 | align="right" | 1,147,995,226 | align="right" | 318.2 | [[New Delhi]] |- | {{flag|Iran}}<!--{{editnote | NOTE: Do not alter or move this entry without discussion -- in the UN scheme for countries/regions (used in the table), Iran is in Southern Asia, not Western Asia.}}--> | align="right" | 1,648,195 | align="right" | 65,875,223 | align="right" | 42 | [[Tehran]] |- | {{flag|Maldives}} | align="right" | 300 | align="right" | 379,174 | align="right" | 1,067.2 | [[Malé]] |- | {{flag|Nepal}} | align="right" | 140,800 | align="right" | 29,519,114 | align="right" | 183.8 | [[Kathmandu]] |- | {{flag|Pakistan}} | align="right" | 803,940 | align="right" | 167,762,049 | align="right" | 183.7 | [[Islamabad]] |- | {{flag|Sri Lanka}} | align="right" | 65,610 | align="right" | 21,128,773 | align="right" | 298.4 | [[Colombo]] |- | colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Southwest Asia|Western Asia]]:''' |- | {{flag|Armenia}}<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Armenia]] is sometimes considered a transcontinental country: physiographically in [[Western Asia]], it has historical and sociopolitical connections with Europe.<br/></ref> | align="right" | 29,800 | align="right" | 2,968,586 | align="right" | 111.7 | [[Yerevan]] |- | {{flag|Azerbaijan}}<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Azerbaijan]] is often considered a transcontinental country in Western Asia and Eastern Europe; population and area figures are for Asian portion only. Figures include [[Nakhchivan]], an autonomous [[exclave]] of Azerbaijan bordered by [[Armenia]], [[Iran]], and [[Turkey]].<br/></ref> | align="right" | 46,870 | align="right" | 3,845,127 | align="right" | 82.0 | [[Baku]] |- | {{flag|Bahrain}} | align="right" | 665 | align="right" | 718,306 | align="right" | 987.1 | [[Manama]] |- | {{flag|Cyprus}}<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;The island of [[Cyprus]] is sometimes considered a transcontinental territory: in the Eastern Basin of the [[Mediterranean Sea]] south of [[Turkey]], it has historical and socio-political connections with Europe. The [[Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus]] (TRNC), distinct from the ''de jure'' Republic of Cyprus in the south (with a predominantly Greek population), is recognized only by Turkey.<br/></ref> | align="right" | 9,250 | align="right" | 792,604 | align="right" | 83.9 | [[Nicosia]] |- | {{flagicon|Palestine}} [[Gaza Strip|Gaza]]<ref name = "Palestine">&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Gaza Strip|Gaza]] and [[West Bank]], collectively referred to as the "Occupied Palestinian Territory" by the UN, are [[Palestinian territories|territories]] partially occupied by [[Israel]] but under ''de facto'' administration of the [[Palestinian National Authority]].<br/></ref> | align="right" | 363 | align="right" | 1,537,269 | align="right" | 3,315.7 | [[Gaza]] |- | {{flag|Georgia}}<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] is often considered a transcontinental country in Western Asia and Eastern Europe; population and area figures are for Asian portion only.<br/></ref> | align="right" | 20,460 | align="right" | 4,630,841 | align="right" | 99.3 | [[Tbilisi]] |- | {{flag|Iraq}} | align="right" | 437,072 | align="right" | 28,221,181 | align="right" | 54.9 | [[Baghdad]] |- | {{flag|Israel}} | align="right" | 20,770 | align="right" | 7,112,359 | align="right" | 290.3 | [[Jerusalem]]<ref>In 1980, [[Jerusalem]] was proclaimed Israel's united capital, following its annexation of Arab-dominant [[East Jerusalem]] during the [[Six-Day War|1967 Six-Day War]]. The [[United Nations]] and many countries do not recognize this claim, with most countries maintaining embassies in [[Tel Aviv]] instead.</ref> |- | {{flag|Jordan}} | align="right" | 92,300 | align="right" | 6,198,677 | align="right" | 57.5 | [[Amman]] |- | {{flag|Kuwait}} | align="right" | 17,820 | align="right" | 2,596,561 | align="right" | 118.5 | [[Kuwait City]] |- | {{flag|Lebanon}} | align="right" | 10,452 | align="right" | 3,971,941 | align="right" | 353.6 | [[Beirut]] |- | {{flag|Oman}} | align="right" | 212,460 | align="right" | 3,311,640 | align="right" | 12.8 | [[Muscat, Oman|Muscat]] |- | {{flag|Qatar}} | align="right" | 11,437 | align="right" | 928,635 | align="right" | 69.4 | [[Doha]] |- | {{flag|Saudi Arabia}} | align="right" | 1,960,582 | align="right" | 23,513,330 | align="right" | 12.0 | [[Riyadh]] |- | {{flag|Syria}} | align="right" | 185,180 | align="right" | 19,747,586 | align="right" | 92.6 | [[Damascus]] |- | {{flag|Turkey}}<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Turkey]] is generally considered a transcontinental country in Western Asia and Southern Europe; population and area figures are for Asian portion only, excluding all of [[Istanbul Province|Istanbul]].</small><br/></ref> | align="right" | 756,768 | align="right" | 71,892,807 | align="right" | 76.5 | [[Ankara]] |- | {{flag|United Arab Emirates}} | align="right" | 82,880 | align="right" | 4,621,399 | align="right" | 29.5 | [[Abu Dhabi]] |- | {{flagicon|Palestine}} [[West Bank]]<ref name = "Palestine"/> | align="right" | 5,860 | align="right" | 2,611,904 | align="right" | 393.1 | — |- | {{flag|Yemen}} | align="right" | 527,970 | align="right" | 23,013,376 | align="right" | 35.4 | [[Sanaá]] |- |- style=" font-weight:bold; " | Total | align="right" | 43,810,582 | align="right" | 4,050,404,193 | align="right" | 89.07 |} See Also: [[List of Asian countries by population]] ===Country name changes=== The names of quite a few Asian countries have changed during the last century. {|class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 90%" ! Previous Name !! Year !! Current Name |- | [[East Pakistan]] | 1971 | [[Bangladesh]], People's Republic of |- | [[Kampuchea]], Democratic | 1975 | [[Cambodia]], Kingdom of |- | [[Portuguese Timor]] | 1975 | [[East Timor]], Democratic Republic of |- | [[Dutch East Indies]] | 1949 | [[Indonesia]], Republic of |- | [[Persian Empire]] | 1935 | [[Iran]], Republic of |- | [[Transjordan]] | 1946 | [[Jordan]], Kingdom of |- | [[Kirghizia]] (USSR) | 1991 | [[Kyrgyzstan]], Republic |- | [[Federation of Malaya|Malaya]], [[Sabah]], [[Sarawak]] and [[Singapore]] | 1963 | [[Malaysia]] |- | [[Burma]] | 1989 | [[Myanmar]], Union of |- | [[Muscat, Oman|Muscat]] | 1971 | [[Oman]], Sultanate of |- | [[West Pakistan]] | 1971 | [[Pakistan]], Republic of |- | [[Hejaz]]-[[Nejd]], The Kingdom of | 1932 | [[Saudi Arabia]], Kingdom of |- | [[Aden]] | 1970 | [[South Yemen]], People's Republic of |- | [[Ceylon]] | 1972 | [[Sri Lanka]], Democratic Socialist Republic of |- | [[Formosa]], Republic | 1945 | [[Taiwan]] |- | [[Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic|Tajik S.S.R]] | 1991 | [[Tajikistan]], Republic of |- | [[Siam]] | 1939 | [[Thailand]], Kingdom of |- | [[Ottoman Empire]] | 1923 | [[Turkey]], Republic of |- | [[Turkmen SSR]] (USSR) | 1991 | [[Turkmenistan]] |- | [[Trucial Oman]] & [[Trucial States]] | 1971 | [[United Arab Emirates]] |- | [[French Indo-China]] | 1949 | [[Vietnam]], Socialist Republic of |- | [[Yemen]], People's Democratic & [[Southern Yemen]] | 1970 | [[Yemen]], Republic of |} ==Economy== {{update}} {| class="wikitable" style="width:300px;margin-left:1.5em;" align="right" |+ <big>'''Economy of Asia'''</big><br/><small>During 2003 unless otherwise stated</small> |- |Population: | 3,958,768,100 (2006 Estimate) |- |[[Gross domestic product|GDP]] ([[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|PPP]]): |[[US$]]18.077 trillion |- |[[Gross domestic product|GDP]] ([[List of countries by GDP|Currency]]): | $8.782 trillion |- |GDP/capita ([[List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita|PPP]]): | $4,518 |- |GDP/capita ([[List of countries by GDP (Nominal) per capita|Currency]]): | $2,143 |- | [[Millionaire]]s: | 2.0 million (0.05%) |- | align="center" colspan="2" | <small>Most numbers are from the [[UNDP]] from 2002, some numbers exclude certain countries for lack of information.</small> |- | align="center" colspan="2" | {{World economy infobox footer}} |} {{main|Economy of Asia}} Asia has the third largest [[nominal]] GDP of all continents, after North America and Europe, but the largest when measured in [[Purchasing power parity|PPP]]. As of 2007, the largest national economy within Asia, in terms of [[gross domestic product]] (GDP), is that of [[People's Republic of China|China]] followed by that of [[India]], [[Japan]] and [[South Korea]]. However, in nominal (exchange value) terms, they rank as follows: Japan, China, India, South Korea, [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Republic of China|Taiwan]], [[Indonesia]]. Since the 1960s, South Korea had maintained the highest economic growth rate in Asia, nicknamed as an [[Four Asian Tigers|Asian tiger]], becoming a [[newly industrialized country]] in the 1980s and a [[developed country]] by the 21st century. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the economies of the PRC<ref>[http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=916768 Five Years of China's WTO Membership. EU and US Perspectives on China's Compliance with Transparency Commitments and the Transitional Review Mechanism], Legal Issues of Economic Integration, Kluwer Law International, Volume 33, Number 3, pp. 263-304, 2006. by [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=629289 Paolo Farah]</ref> and India have been growing rapidly, both with an average annual growth rate of more than 8%. Other recent very high growth nations in Asia include the [[Philippines]], [[Pakistan]], [[Vietnam]], [[Mongolia]], [[Uzbekistan]] and mineral-rich nations such as [[Kazakhstan]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Iran]], [[Brunei]], [[United Arab Emirates]], [[Qatar]], [[Kuwait]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Bahrain]], and [[Oman]]. Historically, Japan has had the largest economy in Asia and second-largest of any single nation in the world, after surpassing the [[Soviet Union]] (measured in net material product) in 1986 and [[Germany]] in 1968. (NB: A number of supernational economies are larger, such as the [[European Union|EU]], [[NAFTA]] or [[APEC]]). In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Japan's GDP was almost as large (current exchange rate method) as that of the rest of Asia combined. In 1995, Japan's economy nearly equalled that of the USA to tie as the largest economy in the world for a day, after the Japanese currency reached a record high of 79 [[Japanese yen|yen]]. Economic growth in Asia since [[World War II]] to the 1990s had been concentrated in the four countries of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore located in the [[pacific rim]], known as the [[Four Asian Tigers|Asian tigers]], which have now all received developed country status, having the highest [[GDP per capita]] in Asia. It is forecast that the People's Republic of China will surpass Japan to have the largest nominal and PPP-adjusted GDP in Asia within a decade. India is also forecast to overtake Japan in terms of Nominal GDP by 2020.<ref>[http://www.cbcglobal.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=84&Itemid=507 Commonwealth Business Council-Asia]. Retrieved on [[April 12]] [[2007]].</ref> In terms of GDP per capita, both nominal and PPP-adjusted, South Korea will become the second wealthiest country in Asia by 2025, overtaking [[Germany]], [[UK]] and [[France]] and 25 years later, surpass Japan, becoming the wealthiest country in Asia. ===Trade blocs=== * [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]] * [[Asia-Europe Meeting|Asia-Europe Economic Meeting]] * [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations]] * [[Gulf Cooperation Council]] * [[Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement]] * [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] * [[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation]] ===Natural resources=== Asia is the largest continent in the [[world]] by a considerable margin, and it is rich in natural resources, such as [[petroleum]] [[forest]]s, fish, water, and metal. ===Manufacturing=== Manufacturing in Asia has traditionally been strongest in East and Southeast Asia, particularly in mainland China, [[Taiwan]], Japan, South Korea and [[Singapore]]. Japan and South Korea continue to dominate in the area of [[multinational corporations]], but increasingly mainland China, Taiwan, and India are making significant inroads. Many companies from [[Europe]], North America, South Korea and Japan have operations in Asia's developing countries to take advantage of its abundant supply of cheap labour and relatively developed infrastructure. ===Financial and other services=== Asia has four main financial centres: [[India]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Singapore]], and [[Tokyo]]. [[Call centre]]s and [[business process outsourcing]] (BPOs) are becoming major employers in India and the Philippines due to the availability of a large pool of highly-skilled, [[Anglophone|English-speaking]] workers. The increased use of [[outsourcing]] has assisted the rise of India and the People's Republic of China as financial centres. Due to its large and extremely competitive [[information technology]] industry, India has become a major hub for '''outsourcing'''. ==Early history== {{main|History of Asia}} [[Image:Asia 1892 amer ency brit.jpg|thumb|250px|Map of Asia, 1892]] The history of Asia can be seen as the distinct histories of several peripheral coastal regions: East Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East, linked by the interior mass of the [[Central Asian]] [[steppes]]. The coastal periphery was home to some of the world's earliest known civilizations, each of them developing around fertile river valleys. The civilizations in [[Mesopotamia]], the [[Indus Valley]], and the [[Huanghe River|Huanghe]] shared many similarities. These civilizations may well have exchanged technologies and ideas such as [[mathematics]] and the wheel. Other innovations, such as writing, seem to have been developed individually in each area. Cities, states, and empires developed in these lowlands. The central steppe region had long been inhabited by horse-mounted nomads who could reach all areas of Asia from the steppes. The earliest postulated expansion out of the steppe is that of the [[Indo-Europeans]], who spread their languages into the Middle East, South Asia, and the borders of China, where the [[Tocharians]] resided. The northernmost part of Asia, including much of Siberia, was largely inaccessible to the steppe nomads, owing to the dense forests, climate, and [[tundra]]. These areas remained very sparsely populated. The center and the peripheries were mostly kept separated by mountains and deserts. The [[Caucasus]] and [[Himalaya]] mountains and the [[Karakum Desert|Karakum]] and [[Gobi Desert|Gobi]] deserts formed barriers that the steppe horsemen could cross only with difficulty. While the urban city dwellers were more advanced technologically and socially, in many cases they could do little in a military aspect to defend against the mounted hordes of the steppe. However, the lowlands did not have enough open grasslands to support a large horsebound force; for this and other reasons, the nomads who conquered states in China, India, and the Middle East often found themselves adapting to the local, more affluent societies. [[Image:Tagore3.jpg|thumb|200px|Rabindranath Tagore|Rabindranath Tagore, the first Asian [[Nobel Prize|Nobel laureate]].]] ==Languages and literature== {{main|Languages of Asia}} Asia is home to several [[language family|language families]] and many [[language isolate]]s. Most Asian countries have more than one language that is natively spoken. For instance, according to [[Ethnologue]], more than 600 languages are spoken in Indonesia, more than 415 languages spoken in India, and more than 100 are spoken in the Philippines. The People's Republic of China has many languages and dialects in different provinces. ===Nobel prizes=== The [[polymath]] [[Rabindranath Tagore]], a [[Bengali literature|Bengali]] [[poet]], [[drama]]tist, and [[writer]] from [[Santiniketan]], now in [[West Bengal]], India, became in 1913 the first Asian [[Nobel Prize|Nobel laureate]]. He won his [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] for notable impact his prose works and poetic thought had on [[English literature|English]], [[French literature|French]], and other national literatures of [[Europe]] and the [[Americas]]. He is also the writer of the national anthems of Bangladesh and India. Tagore is said to have named another Bengali Indian Nobel prize winner, the 1998 laureate in Economics, [[Amartya Sen]]. Sen's work has centered around global issues including famine, welfare, and third-world development. Amartya Sen was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge University, UK, from 1998-2004, becoming the first Asian to head an 'Oxbridge' College. Other Asian writers who won Nobel Prizes include [[Yasunari Kawabata]] (Japan, 1966), [[Kenzaburo Oe]] (Japan, 1994), [[Gao Xingjian]] (People's Republic of China, 2000) and [[Orhan Pamuk]] (Turkey, 2006). Also, [[Mother Teresa]] of India and [[Shirin Ebadi]] of Iran were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially for the rights of women and children. Ebadi is the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to receive the prize. Another Nobel Peace Prize winner is [[Aung San Suu Kyi]] from [[Myanmar]] for her peaceful and non-violent struggle under a military dictatorship in Myanmar. She is a nonviolent pro-democracy activist and leader of the National League for Democracy in Myanmar (Burma), and a noted prisoner of conscience. She is a [[Buddhist]] and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. Other Asian Nobel Prize winners include [[Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar]], [[Venkata Raman]], [[Abdus Salam]], [[Shmuel Yosef Agnon]], [[Robert Aumann]], [[Menachem Begin]], [[Aaron Ciechanover]],[[Avram Hershko]], [[Daniel Kahneman]], [[Shimon Peres]], [[Yitzhak Rabin]], Yaser Arafat, and [[Kim Daejung]], all of whom are [[Israel]]is except Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and Venkata Raman (who are both Indian), Abdus Salam (who is Pakistani), Yaser Arafat (who is Palestinian), and Kim Daejung (who is from South Korea). In 2006 Dr. [[Mohammad Yunus]] from Bangladesh and the [[Grameen Bank]] he established to lend money to poor people especially women in Bangladesh was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. Yunus received his Ph.D. in economics from Vanderbilt University, United States. He is internationally known for the concept of micro credit which allows poor and destitutes with little or no collateral to borrow money. The borrowers typically pay back money within specified period of time and the incidence of default is very low. ==Beliefs== ===Mythology=== {{See Also|List of Asian mythology}} Asian mythology is diverse. The story is first found in [[Mesopotamian mythology]], in the ''[[Epic of Gilgamesh]]''. [[Hindu mythology]] tells about an [[avatar]] of [[Vishnu|God Vishnu]] in the form of a [[Matsya|fish]] who warned [[Manu (Hinduism)|Manu]] of a terrible flood. In ancient [[Chinese mythology]], [[Shan Hai Jing]], the Chinese ruler [[King Yu of Xia of China|Da Yu]], had to spend 10 years to control a deluge which swept out most of ancient China and was aided by the goddess [[Nüwa]] who literally fixed the broken sky through which huge rains were pouring. ===Religions=== {{see also|Eastern philosophy}} Asian philosophical traditions originated in India and China and cover a large spectrum of philosophical thoughts and writings. [[Indian philosophy]] includes [[Hindu philosophy]] and [[Buddhist philosophy]]. They include elements of nonmaterial pursuits, whereas another school of thought from India, [[Cārvāka]], preached the enjoyment of material world. Also Methidistism and protestism is popular among Koreans ====Abrahamic==== [[Abrahamic religion]]s of [[Judaism]], [[Christianity]] and [[Islam]] originated in [[West Asia]]. The world's largest Muslim community (within the bounds of one nation) is in Indonesia. [[South Asia]] (mainly [[Pakistan]], [[India]] and [[Bangladesh]]) holds 30% of Muslims. There are also significant Muslim populations in China, [[Iran]], [[Malaysia]], the Philippines, Russia and most of West Asia and [[Central Asia]]. In the Philippines and [[East Timor]], [[Roman Catholicism]] is the predominant religion; it was introduced by the [[Spain|Spaniard]]s and the [[Portugal|Portuguese]], respectively. In [[Armenia]], [[Eastern Orthodoxy]] is the predominant religion. Various [[Christian]] [[denomination]]s have adherents in portions of the Middle East, as well as China and India. Judaism, one of the smaller yet oldest of the Abrahamic faiths, is practiced primarily in Israel (which has either the largest or second largest [[Jewish]] population in the world), though small communities exist in other countries, such as the [[Bene Israel]] in India. ====Indian==== The [[Indian religions]] of [[Sikhism]], [[Hinduism]], [[Buddhism]] and [[Jainism]] originated in South Asia. In East Asia, particularly in China and Japan, [[Confucianism]], [[Taoism]] and [[Zen|Zen Buddhism]] took shape. During the 20th century, in the two most populous countries of Asia, two dramatically different political philosophies took shape. [[Gandhi]] gave a new meaning to [[Ahinsa]], and redefined the concepts of [[nonviolence]] and [[nonresistance]]. ====Other==== Other religions of Asia include the [[Zoroastrianism]], [[Shamanism]] practiced in Iran and Siberia respectively, [[Shintoism]] practiced in [[Japan]] (usually with [[Buddhism]]) and [[Animism]] practiced in the eastern parts of the [[Indian subcontinent]] and in [[Southeast Asia]]. ==See also== {{portal}} {{commons|Asia}} {{columns-list|2 | * [[Asian Century]] * [[Asian Currency Unit]] * [[Asian cuisine]] * [[Asian people]] * Asian [[dance]] * [[Asian furniture]] * [[Assuwa]] * [[Eastern world]] * [[Far East]] * [[Flags of Asia]] * [[Geography of Asia]] * [[Fauna of Asia]] * [[List of Asian countries]] * [[Pan-Asianism]] * [[The Orient]] }} ==References== {{reflist|2}} * "Asia". ''[http://www.columbiagazetteer.org/ The Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online]''. 2005. New York: Columbia University Press. * World Conflicts: Asia and the Middle East ''[https://salempress.com/store/samples/world_conflicts_asia/world_conflicts_asia.htm]''. Edited by Carl L. Bankston III. New York: Salem Press. ==Further reading== '''Reference works''' * Higham, Charles. ''Encyclopedia of Ancient Asian Civilizations''. Facts on File library of world history. New York: Facts On File, 2004. * Kapadia, Feroz, and Mandira Mukherjee. ''Encyclopaedia of Asian Culture and Society.'' New Delhi: Anmol Publications, 1999. * Levinson, David, and Karen Christensen. ''Encyclopedia of Modern Asia''. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2002. ==External links== * [http://eusoils.jrc.it/esdb_archive/EuDASM/EUDASM.htm (European Digital Archive on the Soil Maps of the World - EuDASM)] * [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/asia.html Map Asia] * [http://maps.bpl.org/tag/location:Asia/ Maps of Asia from the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library] * [http://www.asiatraveling.net Tips for Traveling in Asia] {{Template group |list = {{Asia topics}} {{Countries of Asia}} {{Continents of the world}} {{Regions of the world}} }} <!--Categories--> [[Category:Asia| ]] [[Category:Continents]] <!--Interwikis--> [[af:Asië]] [[als:Asien]] [[am:እስያ]] [[ang:Asia]] [[ar:آسيا]] [[an:Asia]] [[arc:ܐܣܝܐ]] [[frp:Asia]] [[as:এছিয়া]] [[ast:Asia]] [[gn:Asia]] [[az:Asiya]] [[bn:এশিয়া]] [[zh-min-nan:A-chiu]] [[be:Азія]] [[be-x-old:Азія]] [[bcl:Asya]] [[bar:Asien]] [[bo:ཡ་ཀྲོའུ་གླིང་]] [[bs:Azija]] [[br:Azia]] [[bg:Азия]] [[ca:Àsia]] [[cv:Ази]] [[ceb:Asya]] [[cs:Asie]] [[ny:Asia]] [[cy:Asia]] [[da:Asien]] [[pdc:Asie]] [[de:Asien]] [[dsb:Azija]] [[et:Aasia]] [[el:Ασία]] [[es:Asia]] [[eo:Azio]] [[ext:Ásia]] [[eu:Asia]] [[fa:آسیا]] [[fo:Asia]] [[fr:Asie]] [[fy:Aazje]] [[fur:Asie]] [[ga:An Áise]] [[gan:亞洲]] [[gv:Yn Aishey]] [[gd:Àisia]] [[gl:Asia]] [[gu:એશિયા]] [[got:𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌰]] [[zh-classical:亞細亞洲]] [[hak:Â-chû]] [[ko:아시아]] [[hy:Ասիա]] [[hi:एशिया महाद्वीप]] [[hsb:Azija]] [[hr:Azija]] [[io:Azia]] [[ig:Asia]] [[ilo:Asia]] [[bpy:এশিয়া]] [[id:Asia]] [[ia:Asia]] [[ie:Asia]] [[iu:ᐊᓰᐊ/asiia]] [[os:Ази]] [[is:Asía]] [[it:Asia]] [[he:אסיה]] [[jv:Asia]] [[pam:Asia]] [[kn:ಏಷ್ಯಾ]] [[ka:აზია]] [[csb:Azëjô]] [[kk:Азия]] [[kw:Asi]] [[rw:Azia]] [[ky:Азия]] [[sw:Asia]] [[ht:Azi]] [[ku:Asya]] [[lad:Asia]] [[lo:ອາຊີ]] [[la:Asia]] [[lv:Āzija]] [[lb:Asien]] [[lt:Azija]] [[lij:Asia]] [[li:Azië]] [[ln:Azía]] [[jbo:zdotu'a]] [[hu:Ázsia]] [[mk:Азија]] [[mg:Azia]] [[ml:ഏഷ്യ]] [[mt:Asja]] [[mr:आशिया]] [[mzn:آسیا]] [[ms:Asia]] [[cdo:Ā-ciŭ]] [[mn:Ази]] [[my:အာရှတိုက်]] [[nah:Axia]] [[na:Eija]] [[nl:Azië]] [[nds-nl:Azie]] [[ne:एशिया]] [[new:एसिया]] [[ja:アジア]] [[nap:Asia]] [[no:Asia]] [[nn:Asia]] [[nrm:Âsie]] [[nov:Asia]] [[oc:Asia]] [[or:ଏସିଯା]] [[om:Asia]] [[uz:Osiyo]] [[pag:Asia]] [[ps:آسيا]] [[km:អាស៊ី]] [[pms:Asia]] [[nds:Asien]] [[pl:Azja]] [[pt:Ásia]] [[kaa:Aziya]] [[crh:Asiya]] [[ksh:Aasije]] [[ro:Asia]] [[qu:Asya]] [[ru:Азия]] [[se:Ásia]] [[sm:Asia]] [[sa:एशिया]] [[sco:Asie]] [[sq:Azia]] [[scn:Asia]] [[si:ආසියාව]] [[simple:Asia]] [[sd:ايشيا]] [[sk:Ázia]] [[cu:Асїꙗ]] [[sl:Azija]] [[szl:Azyjo]] [[so:Aasiya]] [[sr:Азија]] [[sh:Azija]] [[su:Asia]] [[fi:Aasia]] [[sv:Asien]] [[tl:Asya]] [[ta:ஆசியா]] [[kab:Asya]] [[te:ఆసియా]] [[tet:Ázia]] [[th:ทวีปเอเชีย]] [[vi:Châu Á]] [[tg:Осиё]] [[tpi:Esia]] [[chr:ᎠᏏᎠ]] [[tr:Asya]] [[tk:Aziýa]] [[udm:Азия]] [[uk:Азія]] [[ur:ایشیاء]] [[vec:Axia]] [[vo:Siyop]] [[fiu-vro:Aasia]] [[war:Asya]] [[wo:Asi]] [[wuu:亚洲]] [[ts:Asia]] [[yi:אזיע]] [[zh-yue:亞洲]] [[cbk-zam:Asia]] [[diq:Asya]] [[bat-smg:Azėjė]] [[zh:亚洲]]