Asia-Pacific
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2008-07-14T06:49:01Z
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[[Image:Asia-Pacific map.png|thumb|right|300px|Map showing general definition of Asia-Pacific]]
'''Asia-Pacific''' or '''APAC''' is the area generally regarded as encompassing [[littoral]] [[East Asia]], [[Southeast Asia]] and [[Australasia]] near the [[Pacific Ocean]], plus the states in the ocean itself ([[Oceania]]).
Although an imprecise geographical descriptor, the term ''Asia-Pacific'' became popular from the late 1980s as the economies within the heterogeneous region flourished due to increased regional [[capital markets|capital flow]], [[trade]] and other forms of economic and political interaction. The inclusion of Oceanian countries such as [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] is largely based upon the economic relationships between those countries and their East Asian trading partners to the north.
In some contexts, the region may extend further to include major Asian countries, as well as those around the [[Pacific Rim]], stretching from Oceania, up to [[Russia]], and down the western coast of the [[Americas]]. The [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]], for example, includes [[Canada]], [[Chile]], Russia, [[Mexico]], [[Peru]], and the [[United States]], and is currently considering the admission of [[India]].<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/APEC-to-decide-whether-to-let-India-join/2007/01/11/1168105110986.html India's membership issue]</ref>
== Component areas ==
The Asia-Pacific region generally includes:
* {{flag|Australia}}
* {{flag|Brunei}}
* {{flag|Cambodia}}
* {{flag|Fiji}}
* {{flag|Indonesia}}
* {{flag|Japan}}
* {{flag|Kiribati}}
* {{flag|North Korea}}
* {{flag|South Korea}}
* {{flag|Laos}}
* {{flag|Malaysia}}
* {{flag|Marshall Islands}}
* {{flag|Federated States of Micronesia}}
* {{flag|Nauru}}
* {{flag|New Zealand}}
* {{flag|Palau}}
* {{flag|Papua New Guinea}}
* {{flag|Philippines}}
* {{flag|Samoa}}
* {{flag|Singapore}}
* {{flag|Solomon Islands}}
* {{flag|Sri Lanka}}
* {{flag|Taiwan}}
* {{flag|Thailand}}
* {{flag|Timor-Leste}}
* {{flag|Tonga}}
* {{flag|Tuvalu}}
* {{flag|Vanuatu}}
* {{flag|Vietnam}}
* '''Chinese Territories - '''
** {{flag|People's Republic of China}}
*** {{flag|Hong Kong}}
*** {{flag|Macau}}
* '''United States Territories - '''
** {{flag|American Samoa}}
** {{flag|Guam}}
** {{flag|Northern Mariana Islands}}
* '''Sometimes included - '''
** {{flag|India}} (member of the [[East Asia Summit]])
** {{flag|Mongolia}} (landlocked country in [[East Asia]])
** {{flag|Myanmar}} (member of the [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations|ASEAN]])
** {{flag|Russia}} ([[Russian Far East]] is bordering the [[Pacific Ocean]])
==See also==
* [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]] (APEC)
* [[Geography of Asia]]
* [[Geography of Oceania]]
* [[East Asian Summit]]
* [[Miss Asia-Pacific]]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.apec.org/ APEC]
* [http://www.apiyn.org/ Asia Pacific Indigenous Youth Network (APIYN)]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/default.stm BBC Asia-Pacific]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/ra/asiapac/default.htm ABC Radio Australia Asia Pacific]
* [http://australianetwork.com/ Australia Network] (formally "ABC Asia Pacific")
{{Regions of the world}}
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[[Category:Geography of Asia]]
[[fr:Asie-Pacifique]]
[[id:Asia-Pasifik]]