Asian Countries List, Capitals, Regions, Currency and Population

Asia is the largest continent, covering about 44.6 million square kilometers, or 8.7% of the Earth’s surface. It has a population of nearly 7.87 billion, making up 59.76% of the world’s total. In 2023, India surpassed China to become the most populous country, with over 1.43 billion people. Asia features the planet’s highest and lowest points, longest coastlines, and largest continental shelves. Its vast size has shaped human history through its mountain ranges, diverse coasts, and plains. The continent is also rich in minerals like tin and fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and petroleum. Asia is geologically active, with over half still experiencing seismic activity. Its major mountain ranges include the Himalayas, Hindu Kush, Pamirs, Kunlun, Tien Shan, and the Tibetan Plateau.

How Many Countries Are in Asia?

According to the United Nations which covered around 49.7 million km² (19,189,277 square miles) i.e., about 30% of the total land area of the Earth. In the below table, there are 6 Physiographic divisions in India.

With more than 17 million km2, Russia is by far the largest nation in terms of area, with 13 million km2 (or 77% of its total area) located in Asia. With a total size of 9.6 million km2, China is the second-largest Asian country. The island country of Maldives, at 298 km2, is the smallest autonomous state in Asia. Check the important facts about the Asian Continent below in the table:

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Asian Countries List and Capitals

Here are the complete 48 countries in Asia and their Capitals and Currencies:

Asian Countries Map

Here is the location of Asian countries in the Map below.

The Northern Lowlands

The Northern Lowlands consist of vast plains found across Asia. Key lowland areas include:

• Great Siberian Plain: The largest lowland in the world, stretching about 1,200,000 square miles from the Lena River in the east to the Ural Mountains in the west.
• Manchurian Plain: Located in northern China, this plain borders the Amur River and spans roughly 135,000 square miles.
• Great Plain of China: Enriched by the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, this plain covers over 158,000 square miles.
• Tigris-Euphrates Plains: This region, about 13,700 square miles, includes parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran.
• Ganga Plains: Known as the Indo-Gangetic plain, it stretches about 700,000 square kilometers in northern India, encompassing much of eastern and northern India, along with parts of Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
• Irrawaddy Plains: An important part of the Great Asian Plains, located in Myanmar.

The Central Mountains

The Central Mountains are significant mountain ranges in Central Asia, including the Pamir and Tian Shan mountains. These ranges cover parts of China, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan and are classified as biodiversity hotspots. They feature various ecosystems like alpine tundra and temperate forests.

Asia has notable mountain knots where ranges intersect:

• Pamir Knot: Formed by the Himalayan, Hindu Kush, Kunlun, Karakoram, and Sulaiman ranges, it includes Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.
• Armenian Knot: Connects to the Pamir Knot through the Elburz and Zagros ranges, with additional ranges like the Tien Shan and Altai.

Peaks of Asia

Some of Asia’s highest peaks include:

• Mount Everest (8,848 m) – Nepal-Tibet, China border
• K2 (8,611 m) – India-China
• Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) – Nepal-Sikkim, India
• Lhotse (8,516 m) – Nepal-Tibet, China
• Makalu (8,462 m) – Nepal-Tibet, China
• Cho Oyu (8,201 m) – Nepal

The Central and Southern Plateaus

Plateaus are elevated areas of land, often surrounded by deep canyons. They are significant geographic features in Asia.

Peninsula

A peninsula is a landmass connected to the mainland but surrounded by water. Southern Asia features major peninsulas, including Arabia, India, and Malay, while the Kamchatka Peninsula is located in northeastern Asia. The Deccan Plateau is also considered a peninsula.

Desert

Asia is home to several large deserts, such as the Gobi, Taklamakan, Thar, Kara-Kum, and Rub’ al-Khali. The Rub’ al-Khali, spanning Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, and Yemen, is the largest sand desert in the world, covering an area larger than France.

Islands of Asia

Asia has many archipelagos, which are groups of islands located close together. Notable archipelagos include the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, Andaman Islands, and Nicobar Islands.

Drainage of Asia

Asia is drained by vast seas, rivers, and lakes. Three major oceans surround the continent:

• Pacific Ocean: Includes rivers like the Mekong, Xi Jiang, and Huang Ho.
• Indian Ocean: Contains the Tigris, Euphrates, Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra rivers.
• Arctic Ocean: Features rivers like the Ob, Yenisey, and Lena.

Sea

Asia is bordered by many seas, including the Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bering Sea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Japan, and South China Sea, contributing to its drainage.

Lakes

Major lakes in Asia include:

• China: Qinghai Lake, Lake Khanka
• India: Dal Lake, Chilika, Vembanada
• Indonesia: Lake Matano, Lake Toba
• Russia: Lake Baikal (the world’s deepest lake), Onega, Ladoga
• Japan: Lake Akan, Lake Biwa

Resources

In the north and central regions, especially Siberia, cold Arctic winds influence the climate. In the middle and southern areas, crops like barley, millet, and oats thrive despite frosts. Animal husbandry is significant in Mongolia, where cattle, sheep, and goats are raised on 75% of the agricultural land.

Asian Countries and Regions

In Asia, there are conventionally 6 main geographical regions or subregions:

• Northern Asia
• Western Asia
• Central Asia
• Eastern Asia
• Southern Asia
• Southeast Asia

Northern Asian Countries

The enormous east region of the Ural Mountains, commonly known as Siberia, is referred to as North Asia or Northern Asia. The area is separated among the Ural, Siberian, and Russian Far Eastern federal districts of Russia. The 13 million km2 (5.1 million sq mi) area is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by European Russia, and to the east by the Bering Sea. Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China border Siberia internationally from the south. In Northern Asia, 36 million people are estimated to reside (in 2020).

Western Asian Countries/ Middle East Countries

Western Asia is the term used to describe the western region of Asia, which encompasses the Arabian Peninsula and the majority of the Middle Eastern countries. Western Asia consists of 19 countries. All of these nations, except Armenia, Georgia, Israel, and the Republic of Cyprus, have a majority Muslim population. There are 279 million people in the area (in 2020). Here is the complete list of Western Asian Countries:

Central Asian Countries

The area of Asia between the Caspian Sea and Western China is referred to as Central Asia. All of the countries that constitute Central Asia — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are mostly Muslim nations. Central Asia is home to 74 million people, on average (in 2020). Here is the complete list of Central Asian Countries:

Eastern Asian Countries

East Asia, often known as Eastern Asia, is the term used to describe the eastern portion of the Asian continent as well as the island nation of Japan. The Republic of China (Taiwan), with a disputed political status, the Chinese Special Administrative Regions (SAR) of Hong Kong and Macao, and five sovereign nations are constituted in the Eastern Asian region. In Eastern Asia, 1.68 billion people are estimated in the region (in 2020). Here is the complete list of Eastern Asian Countries:

Southern Asian Countries

The southern region of central Asia is referred to as South Asia or Southern Asia. The Himalayas are located in the north, while the Indian Ocean forms its northern and southern borders. In the Southern Asia subregion, eight independent countries exist. South Asia is home to an estimated 1.94 billion people (in 2020). Here is the complete list of Southern Asian Countries:

Southeast Asian Countries

Southeast Asia is the part of Asia that includes the Indo-Chinese Peninsula and the islands of Maritime Southeast Asia. It is located southeast of the continent, south of China, east of India, and north of Australia. As of 2020, about 668 million people live in Southeast Asia. Here’s the full list of countries in Southeast Asia:

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