ASIA

• world's largest and most populous continent • located : eastern and northern hemispheres• It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area

(or 30% of its land area)• approximately 3.879 billion people, • contains 60% of the world's current human

population. • During the 20th century Asia's population nearly

quadrupled.

• It is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean• on the south by the Indian Ocean • on the north by the Arctic Ocean • Asia is the largest and most culturally diverse of

the continents in the seven-continent system • It contains 48 countries in its region, • 2 of the countries - Russia and Turkey - have part

of their lands in Europe and part in Asia

• World’s tallest mountain – Mt. Everest (Nepal)

• World’s lowest point – Dead Sea (Israel/Jordan) – 1300 feet below sea level

• World’s most populated countries – China & India

• World’ s deepest freshwater lake – Lake Baikal (Russia)

• Important rivers – • Amu Darya (Tajikistan) • Tigris & Euphrates – Iraq• Indus – India, Pakistan, Tibet

AMU DARYA

Tigris-Euphrates Rivers

INDUS RIVER

Regions of Asia

• Since the 18th century Asia has been divided into several sub-regions independently defined from Asia as a whole.

• Central Asia includes:• Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan,

Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan• East Asia includes:• China, Hong Kong, Macao, North Korea,

South Korea, Japan, Mongolia• North Asia includes:• Siberia or the Asian portion of Russia

• Southeast Asia includes:

• Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos,

Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. • Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore,

Indonesia, and Timor-Leste

JAPAN

• an archipelago of 4 major and over 4,000 smaller islands,

• is a mostly mountainous country • only 15% of its land cultivable• largest cities are located on the

coastline• Tokyo, and the other huge cities

along the Pacific Ocean are home to most of its people.

• Population 127,417,200 • Capital: Tokyo (8.3 mil)

• Currency: Yen (JPY)• Flag of Japan – the rising sun

surrounded by a white field symbolizing purity & honesty

• National Day: December 23 • Religions: Buddhist and Shinto (85%)• Highest Point: Mt. Fujiyama (active

volcano; last erupted in 1707)• The islands of Japan are located on the Ring

of Fire • as a result suffer from frequent, violent

earthquakes and some serious volcanic activity

• Ring of Fire: series of volcanoes encircling the Pacific Ocean