Geography of Asia 1318227 226089984 2008-07-16T19:54:37Z 121.97.101.67 /* Islands */ '''Asia''' is the central and eastern part of [[Eurasia]], comprising approximately fifty countries. It has an area, including islands, of roughly 49,694,700 km². Asia is joined to Africa by the Isthmus of [[Suez]] and to [[Europe]] by a long border generally following the [[Ural Mountains]]. == Definition and boundaries == [[Image:Asia-map.png|right|thumb|280px|Political map of Asia.]] Medieval 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]] with the [[etymology]] of the word rooted in the ancient [[Near East|Near]] and [[Middle East]]. The demarcation between Asia and [[Africa]] is the [[Isthmus]] of [[Suez Canal|Suez]] and the [[Red Sea]]. The boundary between Asia and [[Europe]] is commonly believed 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]]. However, modern discovery of the extent of Africa and Asia made this definition rather anachronistic, especially in the case of Asia, which would have several regions that would be considered distinct landmasses if these criteria were used (for example, South Asia and East Asia). Geologists and physical geographers no longer consider Europe and Asia to be separate continents. It is either defined in terms of geological landmasses (physical geography) or tectonic plates (geology). In the former case, Europe is a western peninsula of [[Eurasia]] or the Africa-Eurasia landmass. In the latter, Europe and Asia are parts of the Eurasian plate, which excludes the Arabian and Indian tectonic plates. In human geography, there are two schools of thought. One school follows historical convention and treats Europe and Asia as different continents, categorizing Europe, East Asia (The Orient), South Asia (British India), and the Middle East (Arabia and Persia) as specific regions for more detailed analysis. The other schools equate the word "continent" in terms of geographical region when referring to Europe, and use the term "region" to describe Asia in terms of physical geography. Because 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. There is much confusion in European languages with the term "Asian". Because a category implies homogeneity, the term "Asian" almost always refers to a subcategory of people from Asia rather than referring to "Asian" defined in term of "Asia". The fact that in American English, Asian refers to East Asian (Orientals), while in British English, Asian refers to South Asian reflects this confusion. Sometimes, it is not even clear exactly what "Asia" consists of. Some definitions exclude [[Turkey]], the Middle East, or Russia. The term is sometimes used more strictly in reference to [[Asia Pacific]], which does not include the Middle East or Russia, but does include islands in the [[Pacific Ocean]] &mdash; a number of which may also be considered part of [[Australasia]] or [[Oceania]]. Asia contains the [[Indian subcontinent]], Arabian subcontinent, as well as a piece of the North American plate in Siberia. {{further|[[Transcontinental nation#Countries in both Asia and Europe]]}} {{seealso|Copenhagen criteria#Geographic_criteria for the definition of Europe}} {{seealso|Orientalism}} == Main geographical features == The mean elevation of the continent is 950 m (3,117 ft.), the highest of any in the world. The [[plateau]] and [[mountain]]ous areas broadly sweep SW-NW across Asia, climaxing in the high [[Tibetan Plateau]], rising to the highest peaks in the world in the [[Himalaya]]. To the north west lie plains, while to the south lie the geologically distinct areas of the [[Arabian peninsula]], Indian subcontinent and [[Malay peninsula]]. Large numbers of islands lie south east of the continent. == Islands == Besides its mainland, Asia includes a large number of [[islands]], including some of the world's largest islands, such as [[Borneo]] and [[Sumatra]], and some of the world's most populated islands, such as [[Java (island)|Java]] and [[Honshū]]. Other famous islands include [[Bali]], [[Madura]] and [[Sulawesi]] of [[Indonesia]]; [[Hokkaidō]], [[Shikoku]], [[Kyūshū]] and [[Okinawa]] of [[Japan]]; the [[Andaman]] and [[Nicobar]] of [[India]]; [[Luzon]] and [[Mindanao]] of the [[Philippines]]; [[Ko Pha Ngan]] and [[Ko Samui]] of [[Thailand]]; as well as [[Sri Lanka]], [[Maldives]], [[Singapore]], [[Hong Kong island]] and [[Sakhalin]]. The Asian nations of Indonesia, [[Brunei]], [[East Timor]], Singapore, Japan, [[Philippines]], [[Taiwan]], Sri Lanka, [[Maldives]] and [[Cyprus]] are solely made up of [[island nation|one or more islands]], and have no territory on the mainland. For a comprehensive list of Asian islands, see [[List of islands of Asia]]. == Extreme points == * Northernmost Point &mdash; [[Arctic Cape]], [[Komsomolets Island]], [[Severnaya Zemlya]], [[Russia]] (81°13' N) * Southernmost Point &mdash; [[Pamana Island]], [[Indonesia]]<ref name="MONK_7">{{cite book |last=Monk, |first=K.A. |coauthors=Fretes, Y., Reksodiharjo-Lilley, G. |title=The Ecology of Nusa Tenggara and Maluku |publisher=Periplus Editions Ltd. |date=1996 |page=page 7|location=Hong Kong |id=ISBN 962-593-076-0}}</ref>¹ * Westernmost Point &mdash; [[Cape Baba]], [[Turkey]] (26°4'E) ² * Easternmost Point &mdash; [[Big Diomede]], [[Russia]] (169°0'W) ³ '''''Asia (Mainland)''''' * Northernmost Point &mdash; [[Cape Chelyuskin]], [[Russia]] (77°43'N) * Southernmost Point &mdash; [[Tanjung Piai|Cape Piai]], [[Malaysia]] (1°16'N) * Westernmost Point &mdash; [[Cape Baba]], [[Turkey]] (26°4'E) * Easternmost Point &mdash; [[Cape Dezhnev]] (East Cape), [[Russia]] (169°40'W) ³ ¹ If the [[Cocos (Keeling) Islands]] are included as part of Asia, then [[South Island (Cocos Islands)|South Island]] (12°04'S) is the southernmost point. ² The [[Turkey|Turkish]] islands in the [[Aegean Sea|Aegean]] and [[Mediterranean Sea]]s are considered part of Europe. ³ According to the [[International Date Line]]. == Geographical regions == [[Image:Asia satellite orthographic.jpg|thumb|280px|Satellite view of Asia.]] Asia is a subregion of [[Eurasia]]. For further subdivisions based on that term, see [[North Eurasia]] and [[Central Eurasia]]. *[[Central Asia]] *[[Iranian Plateau]] *[[East Asia]] *[[Far East]] *[[North Asia]] *[[South Asia]] (or Indian subcontinent) *[[Southeast Asia]] *[[Southwest Asia]] (or Middle Asia or West Asia) ===Central Asia=== There is no absolute consensus in the usage of this term. Usually, Central Asia includes: * the [[Central Asian Republics]] of [[Kazakhstan]] (excluding its small [[Bicontinental country#Countries in both Asia and Europe|European]] territory), [[Uzbekistan]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Turkmenistan]] and [[Kyrgyzstan]]. * [[Afghanistan]], [[Mongolia]], [[Iran]] and the western regions of [[China]] are also sometimes included. * Former [[Soviet]] states in the [[Caucasus]] region. Central Asia is currently geopolitically important because international disputes and conflicts over [[oil pipeline]]s, [[Nagorno-Karabakh]], and [[Chechnya]], as well as the presence of [[U.S. military]] and [[Military of the UK|U.K. military]] forces in [[Afghanistan]]. ===East Asia=== This area includes: * [[Japan]]. * [[North Korea|North]] and [[South Korea]] on the [[Korean Peninsula]]. * [[China]], but sometimes only the eastern regions Sometimes the nations of [[Mongolia]] and [[Vietnam]] are also included in East Asia. More informally, [[Southeast Asia]] is included in East Asia on some occasions. ===North Asia=== This term is rarely used by geographers, but usually it refers to the bigger Asian part of Russia, also known as [[Siberia]]. Sometimes the northern parts of other Asian nations, such as [[Kazakhstan]] or [[Mongolia]], are also included in Northern Asia. The term "Northern Eurasia" is sometimes used as an apolitical term that includes all the former nations of the U.S.S.R. ===South Asia (or Indian subcontinent)=== South Asia is also referred to as the Indian subcontinent. It includes: * The mountains of [[Afghanistan]] and [[Pakistan]] * The [[Himalayan States]] of [[Nepal]], [[Bhutan]] and [[Tibet]]. * The river plains of [[Bangladesh]] and Northern [[India]] * The [[Indian Ocean]] nations of [[Sri Lanka]] and the [[Maldives]]. India's [[Andaman]], [[Nicobar]] and [[Lakshadweep]] islands also lie in the Indian Ocean. * The [[peninsula India]] (also known as the [[Deccan Plateau]]) * The UN further includes [[Iran]]. ===Southeast Asia=== This region contains the [[Malay Peninsula]], [[Indochina]] and islands in the [[Indian Ocean]] and [[Pacific Ocean]]. The countries it contains are: * In [[Indochina|mainland Southeast Asia]], the countries [[Myanmar]], [[Thailand]], [[Laos]], [[Cambodia]] and [[Vietnam]]. * In [[Maritime Southeast Asia]], the countries of [[Malaysia]], [[Brunei]], the [[Philippines]], [[Singapore]] and [[Indonesia]] ([[Bicontinental country#Countries in both Asia and Oceania|some]] of the Indonesian islands also lie in the [[Melanesia]] region of [[Oceania]]). [[East Timor]] (also [[Melanesia]]n) is sometimes included too. The country of [[Malaysia]] is divided in two by the [[South China Sea]], and thus has both a mainland and island part. ===Southwest Asia (or Middle East, Near East or West Asia)=== This can also be called by the Western term ''[[Middle East]]'', which is commonly used by Europeans and Americans. ''Middle East'' (to some interpretations) is often used to also refer to some countries in [[North Africa]]. Southwest Asia can be further divided into: * [[Anatolia]] (i.e. [[Asia Minor]]), constituting the [[Asia]]n [[Bicontinental country#Countries in both Asia and Europe|part of]] Turkey. * The [[island nation]] of [[Cyprus]] in the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. * The [[Levant]] or [[Near East]], which includes [[Syria]], [[Israel]], [[Jordan]], [[Lebanon]], [[Iraq]] and the Asian [[Bicontinental country#Countries in both Asia and Africa|portion]] of [[Egypt]]. * The [[Arabian peninsula]], including [[Saudi Arabia]], [[United Arab Emirates]], [[Bahrain]], [[Qatar]], [[Oman]], [[Yemen]] and [[Kuwait]]. * The [[Caucasus]] region (which straddles both Asia and [[Europe]]), namely [[Transcaucasia]], including a small portion of Russia and, arguably, most if not all of [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Armenia]], and [[Azerbaijan]]. * The [[Iranian Plateau]], including [[Iran]], [[Afghanistan]], and [[Pakistan]]. {{seealso|Regions of the Middle East|Gulf States}} ===Table of territories and regions=== <!--{{editnote |NOTE: The countries in this table are categorised 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!}}--> {| border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse" |- bgcolor="#ECECEC" ! Name of territory,<br>with [[flag]] ! [[List of countries by area|Area]]<br>(km²) ! [[List of countries by population|Population]]<br>([[1 July]] [[2002]] est.) ! [[List of countries by population density|Population density]]<br>(per km²) ! [[Capital]] |- | '''[[Eastern Asia]]:''' |- | {{flagicon|China}} [[People's Republic of China|China]]<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;The current [[state]] is formally known as the [[People's Republic of China]] (PRC), which is subsumed by the [[China|titular entity and civilisation]].<br></ref> | align="right" | 9,584,492 | align="right" | 1,284,303,705 | align="right" | 134.0 | [[Beijing]] |- | {{flagicon|Hong Kong}} [[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" | 7,303,334 | align="right" | 6,688.0 | — |- | {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Japan]] | align="right" | 377,835 | align="right" | 126,974,628 | align="right" | 336.1 | [[Tokyo]] |- | {{flagicon|Macau}} [[Macau]] (China)<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Macau]] is a [[Special Administrative Region]] (SAR) of the PRC.<br></ref> | align="right" | 25 | align="right" | 461,833 | align="right" | 18,473.3 | — |- | {{flagicon|Mongolia}} [[Mongolia]] | align="right" | 1,565,000 | align="right" | 2,694,432 | align="right" | 1.7 | [[Ulaanbaatar]] |- | {{flagicon|North Korea}} [[North Korea]] | align="right" | 120,540 | align="right" | 22,224,195 | align="right" | 184.4 | [[Pyongyang]] |- | {{flagicon|South Korea}} [[South Korea]] | align="right" | 98,480 | align="right" | 48,324,000 | align="right" | 490.7 | [[Seoul]] |- | {{flagicon|Taiwan}} [[Republic of China]]<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Taiwan]] is a [[Political status of Taiwan|contested territory]] of the PRC ([[Taiwan, Province of China]]) and the [[Republic of China]] (ROC): the two are not co-terminous and the ROC is [[United Nations member states|not recognised by the UN as a sovereign state]].<br></ref> | align="right" | 35,980 | align="right" | 22,548,009 | align="right" | 626.7 | [[Taipei]] |- | colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Southeastern Asia]]:''' |- | {{flagicon|Brunei}} [[Brunei]] | align="right" | 5,770 | align="right" | 350,898 | align="right" | 60.8 | [[Bandar Seri Begawan]] |- | {{flagicon|Cambodia}} [[Cambodia]] | align="right" | 181,040 | align="right" | 12,775,324 | align="right" | 70.6 | [[Phnom Penh]] |- | {{flagicon|Indonesia}} [[Indonesia]]<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Indonesia]] and [[East Timor|Timor-Leste]] are often considered transcontinental countries in Southeastern Asia (UN region) and [[Oceania]].<br></ref> | align="right" | 1,919,440 | align="right" | 231,328,092 | align="right" | 120.5 | [[Jakarta]] |- | {{flagicon|Laos}} [[Laos]] | align="right" | 236,800 | align="right" | 5,777,180 | align="right" | 24.4 | [[Vientiane]] |- | {{flagicon|Malaysia}} [[Malaysia]] | align="right" | 329,750 | align="right" | 22,662,365 | align="right" | 68.7 | [[Kuala Lumpur]] |- | {{flagicon|Myanmar}} [[Myanmar|Myanmar (Burma)]] | align="right" | 678,500 | align="right" | 42,238,224 | align="right" | 62.3 | [[Naypyidaw]] |- | {{flagicon|Philippines}} [[Philippines]] | align="right" | 300,000 | align="right" | 84,525,639 | align="right" | 281.8 | [[Manila]] |- | {{flagicon|Singapore}} [[Singapore]] | align="right" | 693 | align="right" | 4,452,732 | align="right" | 6,425.3 | [[Singapore]] |- | {{flagicon|Thailand}} [[Thailand]] | align="right" | 514,000 | align="right" | 62,354,402 | align="right" | 121.3 | [[Bangkok]] |- | {{flagicon|Timor-Leste}} [[Timor-Leste|Timor-Leste (East Timor)]]<ref>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Indonesia]] and [[East Timor|Timor-Leste]] are often considered transcontinental countries in Southeastern Asia (UN region) and [[Oceania]].<br></ref> | align="right" | 15,007 | align="right" | 952,618 | align="right" | 63.5 | [[Dili]] |- | {{flagicon|Vietnam}} [[Vietnam]] | align="right" | 329,560 | align="right" | 81,098,416 | align="right" | 246.1 | [[Hanoi]] |- | colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Southern Asia]]:''' |- | {{flagicon|Afghanistan}} [[Afghanistan]] | align="right" | 647,500 | align="right" | 27,755,775 | align="right" | 42.9 | [[Kabul]] |- | {{flagicon|Bangladesh}} [[Bangladesh]] | align="right" | 144,000 | align="right" | 133,376,684 | align="right" | 926.2 | [[Dhaka]] |- | {{flagicon|India}} [[India]] | align="right" | 3,064,898 | align="right" | 1,045,845,226 | align="right" | 341.2 | [[New Delhi]] |- | {{flagicon|Maldives}} [[Maldives]] | align="right" | 300 | align="right" | 320,165 | align="right" | 1,067.2 | [[Malé]] |- | {{flagicon|Nepal}} [[Nepal]] | align="right" | 140,800 | align="right" | 25,873,917 | align="right" | 183.8 | [[Kathmandu]] |- | {{flagicon|Pakistan}} [[Pakistan]] | align="right" | 803,940 | align="right" | 147,663,429 | align="right" | 183.7 | [[Islamabad]] |- | {{flagicon|Sri Lanka}} [[Sri Lanka]] | align="right" | 65,610 | align="right" | 19,576,783 | align="right" | 298.4 | [[Colombo]] |- | {{flagicon|Iran}} [[Iran]] | align="right" | 1,648,195 km | align="right" | 70,472,846 | align="right" | 42 | [[Tehran]] |} ''Notes:''<br> {{reflist}} == See also == * [[Cartography of Asia]] * [[Fauna of Asia]] == External links == * Soil Maps of Asia [http://eusoils.jrc.it/esdb_archive/EuDASM/asia/indexes/map.htm European Digital Archive on the Soil Maps of the world] *http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/asia.html {{Template group |list = {{Asia topics}} {{Geography of Asia}} }} [[Category:Geography of Asia| ]] [[Category:Asia]] {{Link FA|vi}} [[bn:এশিয়ার ভূগোল]] [[eu:Asiako geografia]] [[fr:Géographie de l'Asie]] [[he:גאוגרפיה של אסיה]] [[ja:アジアの地理]] [[vi:Địa lý châu Á]]