The southernmost point of foreign Asia. Population of Asia. Characteristics of the region Foreign Asia

Asia is the largest part of the world in terms of area (43.4 million km², including adjacent islands) and population (4.2 billion people or 60.5% of the total population of the Earth).

Geographical position

It is located in the eastern part of the Eurasian continent, in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, bordering Europe along the Bosporus and Dardanelles, Africa along the Suez Canal, and America along the Bering Strait. Washed by the waters of the Pacific, Arctic and Indian oceans, inland seas belonging to the pool Atlantic Ocean. Coastline slightly indented, the following large peninsulas are distinguished: Hindustan, Arabian, Kamchatka, Chukotka, Taimyr.

Main geographical characteristics

3/4 of the Asian territory is occupied by mountains and plateaus (Himalayas, Pamirs, Tien Shan, Greater Caucasus, Altai, Sayan), the rest is plains (West Siberian, North Siberian, Kolyma, Great China, etc.). On the territory of Kamchatka, the islands of East Asia and the Malaysian coast there are a large number of active, active volcanoes. Highest point Asia and the world - Chomolungma in the Himalayas (8848 m), the lowest - 400 meters below sea level (Dead Sea).

Asia can safely be called a part of the world where great waters flow. The basin of the Arctic Ocean includes the Ob, Irtysh, Yenisei, Irtysh, Lena, Indigirka, Kolyma, the Pacific Ocean - Anadyr, Amur, Yellow River, Yangtze, Mekong, the Indian Ocean - Brahmaputra, Ganges and Indus, the internal basin of the Caspian, Aral seas and lakes Balkhash - Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Kura. Largest sea-lake- Caspian and Aral, tectonic lakes - Baikal, Issyk-Kul, Van, Rezaye, Lake Teletskoye, salty lakes - Balkhash, Kukunor, Tuz.

The territory of Asia lies in almost all climatic zones, the northern regions are the Arctic zone, the southern ones are the equatorial zone, the main part is influenced by a sharply continental climate, which is characterized by Cold winter with low temperatures and hot, dry summers. Precipitation mainly falls in the summer, only in the Middle and Near East - in winter.

The distribution of natural zones is characterized by latitudinal zoning: northern regions - tundra, then taiga, zone of mixed forests and forest-steppe, zone of steppes with a fertile layer of black soil, zone of deserts and semi-deserts (Gobi, Taklamakan, Karakum, deserts of the Arabian Peninsula), which are separated by the Himalayas from the southern tropical and subtropical zone, Southeast Asia lies in the equatorial rain forest zone.

Asian countries

Asia is home to 48 sovereign states, 3 officially unrecognized republics (Waziristan, Nagorno-Karabakh, Shan State), 6 dependent territories (in the Indian and Pacific Oceans) - a total of 55 countries. Some countries are partially located in Asia (Russia, Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Yemen, Egypt and Indonesia). The largest countries in Asia are Russia, China, India, Kazakhstan, the smallest are the Comoros Islands, Singapore, Bahrain, and the Maldives.

Depending on the geographical location, cultural and regional characteristics, it is customary to divide Asia into East, West, Central, South and South-East.

List of Asian countries

Major Asian countries:

(with detailed description)

Nature

Nature, plants and animals of Asia

The diversity of natural zones and climatic zones determines the diversity and uniqueness of both the flora and fauna of Asia; a huge number of very diverse landscapes allows the most diverse people to live here. different representatives plant and animal kingdom...

Northern Asia, located in the zone of the Arctic desert and tundra, is characterized by poor vegetation: mosses, lichens, dwarf birches. Then the tundra gives way to taiga, where huge pines, spruces, larches, fir trees grow, Siberian cedars. The taiga in the Amur region is followed by a zone of mixed forests (Korean cedar, white fir, Olgin larch, Sayan spruce, Mongolian oak, Manchurian walnut, greenbark and bearded maple), which is adjacent to broadleaf forests(maple, linden, elm, ash, walnut), in the south turning into steppes with fertile black soils.

In Central Asia, the steppes, where feather grass, chamomile, tokonog, wormwood, and various herbs grow, give way to semi-deserts and deserts; the vegetation here is poor and is represented by various salt-loving and sand-loving plants: wormwood, saxaul, tamarisk, juzgun, ephedra. The subtropical zone in the west of the Mediterranean climate zone is characterized by the growth of evergreen hard-leaved forests and shrubs (maquis, pistachios, olives, juniper, myrtle, cypress, oak, maple), and the Pacific coast - monsoon mixed forests (camphor laurel, myrtle, camellia, podocarpus, cunningamia, evergreen oak species, camphor laurel, Japanese pine, cypress, cryptomeria, thuja, bamboo, gardenia, magnolia, azalea). In the equatorial forest zone there are a large number of palm trees (about 300 species), tree ferns, bamboo, and pandanus. In addition to the laws of latitudinal zonation, the vegetation of mountainous regions is subject to the principles of altitudinal zonation. At the foot of the mountains grow conifers and mixed forests, on the peaks there are lush alpine meadows.

The fauna of Asia is rich and diverse. The territory of Western Asia has favorable conditions for living antelopes, roe deer, goats, foxes, as well as huge amount rodents, inhabitants of the lowlands - wild boars, pheasants, geese, tigers and leopards. In the northern regions, located mainly in Russia, in North-Eastern Siberia and the tundra, inhabited by wolves, moose, bears, gophers, arctic foxes, deer, lynxes, and wolverines. The taiga is inhabited by ermine, arctic fox, squirrels, chipmunks, sable, ram, and white hare. In dry areas Central Asia inhabited by gophers, snakes, jerboas, birds of prey, in South Asia - elephants, buffalos, wild boars, lemurs, pangolins, wolves, leopards, snakes, peacocks, flamingos, in East Asia - moose, bears, Ussuri tigers and wolves, ibises, ducks -mandarin ducks, owls, antelopes, mountain sheep, giant salamanders living on the islands, a variety of snakes and frogs, a large number of birds.

Climatic conditions

Seasons, weather and climate of Asian countries

Peculiarities climatic conditions on the territory of Asia are formed under the influence of such factors as the large extent of the Eurasian continent, both from north to south and from west to east, big number mountain barriers and low-lying depressions that affect the amount of solar radiation and atmospheric air circulation...

Most of Asia is located in a sharply continental climate zone, the eastern part is influenced by the marine atmospheric masses of the Pacific Ocean, the north is subject to the invasion of Arctic air masses, tropical and equatorial air masses predominate in the south, their penetration into the interior of the continent is prevented by mountain ranges stretching from the west to the East. Precipitation is distributed unevenly: from 22,900 mm per year in the Indian town of Cherrapunji in 1861 (considered the wettest place on our planet), to 200-100 mm per year in the desert regions of Central and Central Asia.

Peoples of Asia: culture and traditions

In terms of population, Asia ranks first in the world, with 4.2 billion people living here, which is 60.5% of all humanity on the planet, and three times after Africa in terms of population growth. In Asian countries, the population is represented by representatives of all three races: Mongoloid, Caucasian and Negroid, ethnic composition It is distinguished by diversity and diversity; several thousand peoples live here, speaking more than five hundred languages...

Among the language groups, the most common are:

• Sino-Tibetan. Presented by the most numerous ethnic groups in the world - Han (Chinese, China's population is 1.4 billion people, every fifth person in the world is Chinese);
• Indo-European. Settled throughout the Indian subcontinent, these are Hindustanis, Biharis, Marathas (India), Bengalis (India and Bangladesh), Punjabis (Pakistan);
• Austronesian. They live in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines) - Javanese, Bisaya, Sunda;
• Dravidian. These are the Telugu, Kannar and Malayali peoples (South India, Sri Lanka, some areas of Pakistan);
• Austroasiatic. Largest representatives- Viet, Lao, Siamese (Indochina, Southern China):
• Altai. Turkic peoples, divided into two isolated groups: in the west - Turks, Iranian Azerbaijanis, Afghan Uzbeks, in the east - the peoples of Western China (Uyghurs). Also to this language group also include the Manchus and Mongols of Northern China and Mongolia;
• Semito-Hamitic. These are the Arabs of the western part of the continent (west of Iran and south of Turkey) and the Jews (Israel).

Also, nationalities such as the Japanese and Koreans are separated into a separate group called isolates, which is the name given to populations of people who, for various reasons, including geographical location, found themselves isolated from the outside world.

Detailed map of Asia in Russian. Explore a map of Asia from a satellite. Zoom in and see streets, houses and landmarks on a map of Asia.

Asia- the largest part of the world on the planet. It extends from the Mediterranean coast of the Middle East to distant shores Pacific Ocean, including China, Korea, Japan, India. The humid, hot regions of southern Asia are separated from the cooler regions by a giant mountain range - the Himalayas.

Together with Europe, Asia shapes the continent Eurasia. The dividing border between Asia and Europe passes through the Ural Mountains. Asia is washed by the waters of three oceans: the Pacific, Arctic and Indian. Also, many regions of Asia have access to the seas of the Atlantic Ocean. 54 states are located in this part of the world.

The highest mountain peak on Earth is Chomolungma (Everest). Its height above sea level is 8848 meters. This peak is part of the Himalaya system - a mountain range separating Nepal and China.

Asia is a very long part of the world, so the climate in Asian countries is different and differs depending on the landscape and relief. In Asia there are states with both subarctic and equatorial climate zones. In southern Asia, powerful winds blow from the sea - monsoons. Air masses saturated with moisture bring with them heavy rains.

Located in Central Asia Gobi Desert, which is called cold. Its lifeless, windswept expanses are covered with stone debris and sand. In wet tropical forests Sumatrans are home to orangutans, the only large apes living in Asia. This species is now endangered.

Asia– This is also the most densely populated part of the world, because more than 60% of the planet’s inhabitants live there. The most large population in three Asian countries - India, Japan and China. However, there are also regions that are completely deserted.

Asia- This is the cradle of civilization of the entire planet, since the largest number of ethnic groups and peoples live in Asia. Each Asian country is unique in its own way, having its own traditions. Most of them live along the banks of rivers and oceans and engage in fishing and agriculture. Today, many peasants are moving from rural areas to cities that are growing rapidly.

About 2/3 of the world's rice is grown in just two countries - China and India. The rice fields where the young shoots are planted are covered with water.

The Ganges River in India is the busiest place of trade with numerous "floating markets". Hindus consider this river sacred and make mass pilgrimages to its banks.

The streets of Chinese cities are filled with cyclists. Bicycles are the most popular mode of transport in China. Almost all the world's tea is grown in Asia. Tea plantations are processed by hand, only young leaves are picked and dried. Asia is the birthplace of religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. There is a giant Buddha statue in Thailand.

Asia is the largest part of the world, together with Europe it forms the continent of Eurasia. Area (including islands) is about 43.4 million km². Population - 4.117 billion people. (2009).

origin of name

During the Hittite era, the kingdom of Assuwa was located in the northwestern part of Asia Minor. The Hittite victory over him is mentioned in the annals of King Tudhalias IV. In the Greek epic, this kingdom is personified in the image of King Asiya, an ally of the Trojans. Name Asia in Greek mythology worn by the Oceanid, the wife of Prometheus, from whom, according to mythological tradition, the name of the part of the world came. By the time of Herodotus, the designation of an entire part of the world as Asia (Asia) was generally accepted among the Greeks.

Position and boundaries

Mainland Asia is located mainly in the eastern (with the exception of the Chukotka Peninsula) and northern hemispheres. Asia is connected to Africa by the Isthmus of Suez; it is separated from North America by the narrow Bering Strait.

Border between Europe and Asia

The first attempts to determine the border between these parts of the world date back to the era of Ancient Greece. Presumably, the first scientist to divide the whole world into Europe and Asia was the ancient Greek geographer Hecataeus of Miletus: in his work “Description of the Earth,” he drew the border between them along the Phasis River (Rioni River in Georgia) and the Mediterranean Sea. Subsequently, the problem of the border between Europe and Asia was addressed by such ancient Greek scientists as Herodotus, who distinguished three parts of the world (Europe, Asia and Libya), Thucydides, Isocrates, Polybius (identified the border between Europe and Asia in his work “General History” along the river Tanais (Don)), Strabo (in his work “Geography” he also drew the border along Tanais). In turn, the ancient Roman writer Pliny the Elder outlined the borders of two parts of the world as the isthmus between Pontus and the Caspian Sea (Caucasus Mountains), the Cimmerian Bosporus (Kerch Strait) and Maeotis (Sea of ​​Azov).

Until the 18th century, the border between Europe and Asia along the Sea of ​​Azov and the Don was not in doubt and was confirmed in a number of works: Kozma Indikoplov (VI century), Martin Belsky (1550), Gerard Mercator (XVII century), Mikhail Lomonosov (XVIII century ). However, even during this period there were alternative opinions. For example, medieval Arab sources considered the Itil (Volga) and Kama rivers to be the eastern border of Europe.

TO XVIII century the number of alternative opinions has increased. Thus, the French cartographer Guillaume Delisle drew the eastern border of Europe along the Ob, and the German traveler in the Russian service Johann Georg Gmelin and the French geographer Jean Jacques Elisée-Reclus along the Yenisei. In 1730, in the book “The Northern and Eastern Parts of Europe and Asia,” the Swedish scientist Philipp Johann Stralenberg first proposed the idea of ​​drawing the border between Asia and Europe along the watershed of the Ural Mountains, and after Southern Urals- along the General Syrt, the Samara and Volga rivers to Kamyshin and further along the Don. At the same time, Stralenberg's priority in the issue of drawing the border along the Urals was disputed by the Russian scientist Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev, who, according to him, put forward this idea back in 1720. In 1745, in the Russian Lexicon, he wrote:

It would be much more decent and natural to draw the border from the narrowness of Vaygach along the Great Belt and Yaik down through the Caspian Sea to the Kuma River or the Tauris Mountains.

Subsequently, the border between Asia and Europe along the Urals was reflected in scientific works F. A. Polunin (1773), S. I. Pleshcheev (1793), I. P. Falk (1824), G. E. Shchurovsky (1841). At the same time, the border between parts of the world on the southeastern segment of the eastern border was very different: P.S. Pallas (1773) drew the border from the middle reaches of the Ural River along the southern slopes of the Common Syrt, Volga, Ergeni and the valley of the Manych River, classifying the entire Caspian lowland as Asia; G. F. Miller (1750) and F. A. Polunin (1773) - along the Don, Volga, Kama, Belaya and further along the Ural ridge; S.I. Pleshcheev (1793) and I.F. Gakman (1787) - along the Emba River.

In the 20th century, the problem of borders developed further. In 1850, the German scientist A. Humboldt expressed the opinion that Europe is part of Asia, therefore there is no border between Europe and Asia. In turn, the French geographer P. Guru in the book “Asia” (1956) stated that “Europe is an Asian peninsula, and Asia is an artificial concept...”, and W. Parker in the book “Europe: How Far?” (1960) - that there are not two continents of Europe and Asia, but there is one - Eurasia.

In Soviet science, the problem of the border between Europe and Asia was developed in the 1950-1960s as part of the activities of the Moscow branch Geographical Society THE USSR. The authors of key works on this topic were Yu. K. Efremov (1958), V. I. Prokaev (1960) and E. M. Murzaev (1963).

According to Yu. K. Efremov, who made a report in 1958 at a meeting of the school and physical geography Moscow branch of the Geographical Society of the USSR, the borders between Asia and Europe are cultural and historical in nature, therefore there is no natural border between them. Based on this, neither the Urals nor the Caucasus can serve as a border between two parts of the world. As a result, a recommendation was adopted at the meeting, which was reflected in all Soviet textbooks:

It is recommended to draw the border between Europe and Asia along the eastern base of the Urals and Mugodzhar, then along the Emba River, along the northern shore of the Caspian Sea, along the Kuma-Manych depression and the Kerch Strait, leaving the Sea of ​​Azov within Europe.

This decision was criticized by V.I. Prokaev (1960), who argued that the adopted recommendation did not comply with the principle of physical and geographical integrity. In his opinion, if this principle is followed, the border should be drawn along the eastern border of the Ural country (which lies entirely in Europe) and the northwestern border of the Turanian country (associated with Asia) with the Caspian lowland. Despite this, V.I. Prokaev did not consider this description to be the border between Asia and Europe, since it contradicted existing traditions, namely: the border along the watershed of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the watershed of the Greater Caucasus and the Kerch Strait.

The problem of the border between Asia and Europe was raised in his work by the Soviet scientist E.M. Murzaev (1963). Emphasizing the impossibility of drawing a boundary between these parts of the world on the basis of anthropological, historical, linguistic and ethnographic boundaries, he put forward two main options for this boundary.

• The first option is based on political and administrative boundaries. According to it, the border between Asia and Europe runs along the state border of Georgia and Azerbaijan (the Caspian Sea belongs entirely to Asia), then along the state border of Russia and Kazakhstan to the Chelyabinsk region. Asia entirely includes the Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen regions, Khanty-Mansiysk and Yamalo-Nenets autonomous okrugs. The Kara Sea, according to this version, belongs entirely to Asia, and the archipelago New Earth- to Europe.
• The second option is based on physical and geographical boundaries. It is based on the formula “Caucasus - Caspian Sea - Ural River - Ural Range”.

On modern stage The border between Asia and Europe remains very conditional and uncertain. In Russian geographical sources, the border with Europe, as a rule, is drawn along the eastern foot of the Ural Mountains, Mugojaram, the Emba River, then along the Caspian Sea, the Araks River, the Black and Marmara Seas, the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits.

In statistical and economic calculations in Russia, the border between Asia and Europe is drawn along the eastern administrative borders of the Arkhangelsk region, the Komi Republic, the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions and further along the state border of Russia with Kazakhstan, along the northern administrative borders of Dagestan, Stavropol and Krasnodar territories.

Border between Asia and Africa

The first attempts to define the border between Asia and Africa date back to the era of Ancient Greece. Traditionally it was carried out along the Nile River, but Herodotus in the 5th century BC. e. opposed the division of the territory of Egypt into Asian and African parts, therefore he determined the border along the western border of Egypt, completely attributing it to Asia. In turn, Strabo defined the border along the isthmus between the Red Sea and the mouth of Lake Bardawil on the Sinai Peninsula, connected to Mediterranean Sea. During the period of Ancient Rome and in the Middle Ages, some scientists drew the border along the Isthmus of Suez, but the vast majority continued to consider either the Nile or the western border of Egypt as the border.

In the modern period, the border between Asia and Africa is drawn along the Isthmus of Suez or the Suez Canal. As a result, the part of Egypt located on the Sinai Peninsula belongs to Asia, and the rest of Egypt belongs to Africa.

Geography of Asia

• Area - 43,475 thousand km² (including islands)
• Area of ​​the islands - 2001 thousand km²
• Average altitude above sea level - 960 meters
• Highest altitude above sea level - 8,848 meters (Everest)
• Lowest altitude above sea level: −405 meters (Dead Sea level)
• The northernmost point is Cape Chelyuskin (77° 43′ N 104° 18′ E)
• Southernmost point - Cape Piai (1° 16′ N 103° 30′ E)
• The westernmost point is Cape Baba (39° 29′ N 26° 04′ E)
• The easternmost point is Cape Dezhnev (66° 05′ N, 169° 40′ W)
• Cities located near the geographical center of Asia: Irkutsk, Kyzyl

• East Asia (Korean Peninsula, Japanese islands, eastern China);
• Western Asia (Southern Caucasus and Western Asian Highlands);
• Northern Asia (Siberia and northeast Eurasia);
• Central Asia (Pamir, Tien Shan, Turanian Lowland);
• Southeast Asia (Indochina Peninsula and Malay Archipelago);
• Southwest Asia (Arabian Peninsula and Levant);
• South Asia (the Hindustan Peninsula and the island of Sri Lanka (the Maldives archipelago).

According to the classification adopted by the UN, the following subregions are distinguished:

• East Asia (China as part of the PRC and the Republic of China, South and North Korea, Mongolia, Japan)
• Western Asia (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Qatar, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon, UAE, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey)
• Southeast Asia (Brunei, East Timor, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines)
• South Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka)
• Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan)

At the same time, this classification is not the only correct one. There are also alternative classification, For example:

• East Asia (DPRK, PRC, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Japan)
• Central and Northern Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, the Asian part of Russia, as well as three autonomous regions of the PRC - Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Tibet)
• Southwest Asia (Afghanistan, Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Qatar, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon, UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Asian part of Turkey, Sinai Peninsula belonging to Egypt)
• South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka)
• Southeast Asia (Brunei, East Timor, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines).

Asian countries

Currently, 54 states are fully or partially located on the territory of Asia, four of them (Abkhazia, the Republic of China, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, South Ossetia) are only partially recognized. Among the unrecognized states is the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The inclusion of Russia in the list of Asian countries is based primarily on its partial location in this part of the world (with the majority of the country's population located in Europe, most of the territory in Asia). Turkey and Kazakhstan are included in the list of European countries due to the presence of a smaller part of the territory and population in Europe (according to all versions, the border between Europe and Asia). European countries also often include Azerbaijan and Georgia (when drawing the border between Europe and Asia along the Greater Caucasus, they have small territories in Europe), and Cyprus, which is part of the EU, but is geographically located entirely in Asia and has close political and cultural ties with Europe . Abkhazia (partially recognized republic)

• Azerbaijan (most of the territory)
• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• Bahrain
• Brunei
• Butane
• East Timor
• Vietnam
• Georgia (most of the territory)
• Egypt (partially)
• Israel
• India
• Indonesia (most of the territory))
• Jordan
• Yemen (most of the territory))
• Kazakhstan (most of the territory)
• Cambodia
• Qatar
• Kyrgyzstan
• Republic of China (partially recognized republic)
• Democratic People's Republic of Korea
• The Republic of Korea
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Mongolia
• Myanmar
• Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (unrecognized republic)
• Nepal
• Pakistan
• Russia (most of the territory, but less of the population)
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
• Syria
• Tajikistan
• Thailand
• Turkmenistan
• Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (partially recognized republic)
• Türkiye (most of the territory)
• Uzbekistan
• Philippines
• Sri Lanka
• South Ossetia (partially recognized republic)
• Japan

Population

Asia is characterized by very high average annual population growth rates (according to this indicator, Asia is second only to Africa); V Lately they, however, decreased slightly and amount to 1.3%. More than 60% of all humanity lives in Asia. Together, China and India account for 40% of the world's population. 7 states have more than 100 million inhabitants. (in addition to those mentioned above - Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan and the Philippines).

Representatives live in Asia three main races of humanity - Mongoloid (Chinese, etc.), Caucasoid (peoples of Western Asia) and Negroid (some peoples of South and Southeast Asia). The ethnic composition of the Asian population is very diverse.

Many ancient civilizations originated in Asia - Chinese, Indian, Tibeto-Mongolian, Central Asian, Babylonian, etc. The regions of South and Southeast Asia favorable for agriculture gave rise to many modern peoples.

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Asia is one of the six parts of the world, occupying the largest area in the world (more than 43 million square kilometers). Two parts of the world - Europe and Asia - form the continent of Eurasia. More than 4 billion people live in the territory. The borders of Asia are considered to be the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Pacific Ocean in the east, and the Indian Sea and their marginal seas in the south. There is a conventional border between Europe and Asia, running in the west along the eastern slopes of the Urals, the Emba, Manych, Kuma rivers, the Caspian, Black, Azov seas, the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits. The border with Africa is the Suez Canal, with America - the Bering Strait. The main part of mainland Asia is located in the eastern and northern hemispheres of the Earth. This part light is divided into large areas, such as Northern, Eastern, Central, Central, Western and Southern Asia.

Asia is washed by three oceans: Arctic, Pacific, Indian, in the west - the inland seas of the Atlantic Ocean. Inland waters include the main rivers Yenisei, Angara, Ob, Irtysh, Lena, Yellow River, Yangtze, Amur, Mekong, Euphrates, Tigris, Ganges, Indus, Syr Darya and Amu Darya. Characterized by the presence of large areas of internal flow - the basins of the Aral and Caspian seas, Lake Balkhash, etc. There are also drainage areas on the Arabian Peninsula, the Iranian Plateau, and Central Asia. On the territory of Asia there is the largest freshwater lake on our planet - Baikal, as well as others big lakes– Caspian Sea, Aral Sea, Van, Balkhash, Kukunor, Issyk-Kul, Poyanghu, etc.

The dismemberment of the coasts of Asia is relatively small; there are several large peninsulas: Arabian, Asia Minor, Korean, Hindustan, Chukotka, Taimyr, Kamchatka, etc. The islands belonging to Asia occupy an area of ​​more than two million square meters. km. These are Taiwan, Greater Sunda Islands, Sakhalin, Novosibirsk, Philippines, Japan, Sri Lanka, North Land.

The territory of Asia is located on four platforms: Indian, Arabian, Siberian, Chinese. Approximately 75% of the area of ​​this part of the world is occupied by mountain ranges and plateaus. The most high mountains are located in Central and Central Asia, in particular the highest peak in the world, Chomolungma, in the Himalayas. Large mountain systems - the Himalayas, Karakorum, Altai, Hindu Kush, Kunlun, Greater Caucasus, Sayan Mountains, Tien Shan. Asia is a contrasting region in terms of absolute heights. Thus, some of the deepest depressions in the world are the Dead Sea and Baikal, located in Asia. The most extensive plains in this part of the world are Turanian, West Siberian, Great Chinese, Mesopotamian, and Indo-Gangetic. Various minerals are mined in Asia, and there are large deposits of fuel and energy raw materials.

All types of climate are represented in Asia - from arctic in northern latitudes to equatorial in southern latitudes. Most of the territory is located in the continental climate zone, which is characterized by a strong decrease in temperature in winter and hot weather in summer. North of 40°N Snow cover is forming everywhere. In most of the territory, precipitation occurs in the warm season, only in the Middle and Near East - in winter. Natural areas arranged by latitude. To the north lie tundra and forest-tundra, further to the south - taiga, mixed and deciduous forests, steppes and forest-steppes. Most of the Arabian Peninsula, the Iranian Plateau, and Central Asia are occupied by semi-deserts and deserts.

Currently, the territory of Asia is distributed among 54 states. Asian countries - Iraq, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Thailand, Japan, etc.

Asia is the largest part of the world on our planet. Asia's population is characterized by ethnic diversity, extremely high growth rates and the largest population in the world. Find out more about the residents of the region later in the article.

Geography

Asia is most of the continent of Eurasia. Among all parts of the world, it covers the largest territory, with an area of ​​44.5 million square kilometers. It is the largest developing region in the entire world, occupying about 30% of the earth's land area.

The main territory is located in the northern and eastern hemispheres, some Asian islands are located in the southern hemisphere. Due to its significant size, the region has almost all types of climate - from equatorial in the south to arctic in the north.

From the north, east and south, Asia is washed by the Arctic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The waters of the Atlantic Ocean touch this part of the world through the seas (Black, Aegean, Marmara, Azov) in the southwest. In the west there is a conditional land border with Europe (along the Ural Mountains, the Manych and Kuma rivers). Numerous islands are located in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Based on physical and geographical features, the region is divided into North, East, South, West, Central, South-East and South-West Asia. According to the UN - to East, Central, West, Southeast and South Asia. However, there are other classifications.

Asia's population is extremely diverse and has record numbers. More than one thousand live within its borders various peoples and nationalities.

Political map of Overseas Asia

In many sources you can find the concept of “Foreign Asia”. It arose back in Soviet time and firmly established itself in Russian geography. Now the term is used to refer to countries that are not part of the CIS. There are four subregions in Overseas Asia: South, East, South-West and South-East Asia.

The political map of the region has changed many times, mainly due to wars and colonial conquests. For a long time, Jordan, India, Pakistan, Israel, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and other countries were controlled by Great Britain. The territories of Indochina were Indonesia belonged to the Netherlands, the Philippines to the USA, etc. After the end of World War II, the process of decolonization began in this part of the world. In 1984, Brunei became the last country, freed from its colonizer - Great Britain.

The region currently consists of 39 sovereign states. Most of them are republics (China, Syria, Israel, Pakistan, etc.). 13 countries have a monarchical system. Moreover, five of them (Brunei, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE) are absolute, the other nine are constitutional monarchies. In Brunei and Saudi Arabia the ruler of the state is also the head of the church.

Population of Asia: general information

There are approximately 7 billion people living on Earth, and 60% of them are from the Asian region. Asia's population is 4.2 billion. In terms of quantity, India and China lead. Their inhabitants alone make up 40% of all humanity. Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Japan have high numbers.

The total of Asia is 87 people. per one sq. km. Of course, in different countries numbers may vary significantly. For example, in Mongolia there are only 2 people per square kilometer, and in Singapore - 7,607. In terms of density, Singapore ranks second in the world and first among Asian countries.

Many countries, such as Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Myanmar, are home to several tens of millions of people. The population of Asian countries is growing extremely quickly; in some countries there is even a population explosion. The highest growth rate is observed in South-West Asia (Palestine, Oman, Afghanistan, Jordan). The lowest indicators are in East Asia, especially China and Japan (due to an active demographic policy).

Ethnic composition

The population of overseas Asia is characterized by extreme diversity. More than a thousand ethnic groups speak five hundred various languages. About 107 nations number several million people. The most numerous peoples are Chinese, Bengalis, Japanese and Hindustani. After them come Telugus, Vietnamese, Punjabis, Koreans, Javanese.

The most diverse ethnic composition is observed in India. The country is home to more than 500 nations and tribal groups, making it the most diverse not only in Asia but also in the world. Ethnic diversity is also represented in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Bangladesh and Japan have the most homogeneous composition.

The peoples that make up the population of Asia are not limited to the boundaries of one state. Bengalis, for example, live in India and Bangladesh. Approximately 40 million ethnic Chinese inhabit Southeast Asia. Kurds do not have own country, they live in Syria, Turkey, Iraq.

Religion

Three world religions arose in Asia: Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. The population of Overseas Asia that adheres to Islam is 20%. These are mainly residents of Western and Southwestern Asia. In many countries Islam is state religion. A large number of Muslims are also found in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.

Buddhism and its branches are widespread in the southern, eastern and southeastern parts of the region. There are approximately 550 million adherents of this religion in Asia. There are quite a few supporters of Christianity in this part of the world. It is practiced in Cyprus, the Philippines, Lebanon and Indonesia.

Among others, Confucianism is widespread in China, and Shintoism is widespread in Japan. Adherents of Hinduism live mainly in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Main religion Israel is Judaism.

Conclusion

There are 39 independent states in Asia. In terms of population and color, Foreign Asia is not inferior to any region modern world. The population of Asian countries is striking in its ethnic diversity. Hundreds of peoples live here, each of which has its own culture, language and religion.