ASIAAdrias, Agaton, Aguja, Arias, Banta, Bering, Bernardo, Bernasol, Bogabel, Bustillos, Cabanban

SCOPE:

• I. Asia divided into regions

• II. Facts about Asia• III. Popular things in

Asia

I. ASIA DIVIDED INTO REGIONS:

• Southwest Asia

• East Asia• Southeast

Asia• Central Asia• South Asia

• Also known as the Middle East• Countries comprise of The Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar, and others• Countries are very rich in oil

South West Asia

Country Capital Area Currency Dominant Religion

Form of Government

Population Language

Afghanistan Islamic State of Afghanistan

Kabul 647,500 sq. km

Bahrain Dinar

Sunni, Shi’a Muslim

In Transition 26,813,057

Pashtu, Afghan, English

Bahrain  State of Bahrain

Manama 620 sq. km Bahrain Dinar

Sunni, Shi’a Muslim

Constitutional Monarchy

645,361 Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, English

Cyprus Republic of Cyprus

Nicosia 9,250 sq. km

Cypriot Pound

Muslim, Maronite, Greek, Orthodox

Republic 762,867 Greek, Turkish, English

Iran Islamic Republic of Iran

Tehran 1,648,000 sq. km

Iranian Rial

Shi’a Muslim, Jewish

Islamic Republic

66,128,965

Perian, Turkish, English

Iraq Republic of Iraq

Baghdad 437,072 sq. km

Iraqui Dinar

Muslim, Christian

Republic 23,331,985

Arabic, Kurtic

Lebanon

Republic of Lebanon

Beirut 4,036 sq mi 

Lebanese Pound

Sunni, Shiites, Christians, Druze

Republic 4,224,000 Arabic

Oman Sultanate of Oman

Muscat 119,498 sq mi 

Omani Riyal

Ibadhi, Sunni, Shiites

Unitary Islamic Absolute Monarchy

2,773,479 Swahili, French

Qatar

State of Qatar

Doha 4,416 sq mi 

Riyal Islam, Muslim, Christianity

Absolute Monarchy

1,853,563 Arabic, Gulf Arabic

United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi 32,278 sq mi

UAE Dirham

Islam Constitutional federation of absolute monarchies with an executive president elected by Emir Council amongst themselves

8,264,070 Arabic, Gulf, Shihi, Soqotri

Yemen

Republic of Yemen

Sana’a 203,796 sq mi 

Yemeni Riyal

Sunni, Shiite

Unitary Parliamentary Republic

25,130,000

Modern Standard Arabic

Israel

State of Israel

Jerusalem 8,522 sq mi 

New Shekel

Jews, Christians, Muslims and Baha'is

Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic

7,900,600 Hebrew, Arabic

Saudi Arabia

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Riyadh 870,000 sq mi

Saudi Riyal

Islam, Christianity, Hinduism

United Islamic Absolute Monarchy

28,376,355

Arabian Arabic,

Turkey

Republic of Turkey

Ankara 302,535 sq mi 

Turkish Lira

No official Religion

Parliamentary Republic

74,724,269

Turksh

Kuwait

State of Kuwait

Kuwait City

6,880 sq mi

Kuwait Dinar

Muslim, Hindu, Christianity

Unitary Hereditary and Constitutional Monarchy

3,566,437

Modern Standard Arabic

Syria

Syrian Arab Republic

Damascus

71,479 sq mi

Syrian Lira

Islam Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic

22,530,746

Arabic

Jordan

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Amman 35,637 sq mi

Jordanian Dinar

Islam Constitutional Monarchy

6,508,271

Jordanian Arabic

EAST ASIA

• A region of Asia coextensive with the Far East.• Across the endless wastes have roamed the herds

belonging to the people of the north–the Mongols, the Turks, the Tartars, the Tungus, the Huns.

EAST ASIA

Country Capital Area Currency Dominant Religion

Form of Government

Population Language

China People’s republic of China

Beijing 9,596,960 sq. km

Yuan Daoism, Buddhism

Communist Party-led State

1,273,111,290

Mandarin, Chinese, Minbel

North Korea DEM, People’s Republic of Korea

P’yongyang

120,540 sq. km

North Korea Won

Buddhism, Confucianism

Communist State

21,968,228 Korean

South Korea Republic of Korea

Seoul 98,480 sq. km

South Korean Won

Christian, Buddhism

Republic 47,904,370 Korean, English

Japan Tokyo 377,835 sq. km

Yen Buddhism, Shintoism

Constitutional Monarchy

126,771,662

Japanese

Mongolia Mongolian’s People Republic

Ulaanbaatar

1,565,000 sq. km

Togrog/Tugrik

Buddhism, Tibetan

Parliamentary

2,654,999 Khalka Mongol, Turkic

Taiwan Republic of China

Taipei 35,980 sq. km

New Taiwanese Dollar

Christian, Buddhism

Democratic State

22,370,461 Taiwanese

SOUTH-EAST ASIA

• Southeast Asia has two major geographic parts. • One is the mainland region.• The mainland has lots of mountain ranges running

North to South with river valleys between them. The mountains are heavily forested and hard to pass through so the people of the various valleys were pretty well isolated from one another.

SOUTH-EAST ASIA

Country Capital Area Currency Dominant Religion

Form of Government

Population Language

Brunei State of Brunei Darussalam

Bandar Seri Begawan

5,770 sq. km

Brunei Dollar

Islam Independent Sultanate

343,653 Malay, English, Chinese

Myanmar Union of Myanmar

Rangoon 678,500 sq. km

Kyat Buddhism, Christian, Muslim, Animism

Military 41,994,678

Burmese

Cambodia Kingdom of Cambodia

Phnom Penh

181,040 sq. km

Riel Therabada Buddhism

Constitutional Monarchy

12,491,501

Khmer, French

Indonesia Republic of Indonesia

Jakarta 1,919,440 sq. km

Indonesian Rupiah

Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Roman Catholic

Republic 228,437,870

Javanese, English, Bahasa, Dutch

Singapore Republic of Singapore

Singapore 647.5 sq. km

Singaporean Dollar

Buddhism, Muslim

Parliamentary Republic

4,300,419 Chinese, Malay

Laos Lao People’s DEM, Republic

Vientiane 236,800 sq. km

Kip Buddhism, Animism

Communist State

5,635,967 Lao, French

Thailand Republic of Thailand

Bangkok 514,000 sq. km

Baht Buddhism, Christian

Constitutional Monarchy

61,797,751 Thai, English

Malaysia Kuala Lumpur

329,750 sq. km

Ringgit Buddhism, Daoism, Islam, Christian

Constitutional Monarchy

22,229,040 Bahasa, Melayu

East Timor Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

Dili 15,007 sq. km

U.S. Dollars

Roman Catholic

Republic 1,019,252 Portugese Tetum

Philippines Republic of the Philippines

Manila 300,000 sq. km

Philippine Peso

Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Buddhism

Republic 82,841,516 Filipino, English

Vietnam Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Hanoi 329,560 sq. km

Dong Buddhism, Hoahao, Caodai, Christian

Communist State

79,939,014 Vietnamese, English

• extends from the Caspian Sea in the west to the border of western China in the east.

• It is bounded on the north by Russia and on the south by Iran, Afghanistan, and China.

• About 60 percent of the region consists of desert land, the principal deserts being the Karakum, occupying most of Turkmenistan, and the Kyzylkum, covering much of western Uzbekistan.

CENTRAL ASIA

Country Capital Area Currency Dominant Religion

Form of Governme

nt

Population Language

Armenia

Republic of Armenia

Yerevan 29,800 sq. km

Dram Armenian Orthodox

Republic 3,336,100 Armenian, Russian

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan Republic

Baku (Baki)

86,600 sq. km

Manat Russian Orthodox

Republic 7,771,092 Azerbaijani, Russian, Armenian

Georgia

Republic of Georgia

Tbilisi 69,700 sq. km

Lari Georgian Orthodox

Republic 4,989,285 Georgian

Kazakhstan

Republic of Kazakhsta

n

Astana 2,717,300 sq. km

Tenge Muslim, Protestant

Republic 16,731,303 Ukrainian, Kazakh, Russian

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyz Republic

Bishkek 198,500 sq. km

Kyrgyztani Som

Muslim, Russian

Orthodox

Republic 4,753,003 Kirghiz, Russian

Tajikistan

Republic of Tajikistan

Dusharbe 143,100 sq. km

Somoni Muslim Republic 6,578,681 Tajik, Russian

Turkmenistan

Republic of Turkmenista

n

Ashgabat 488,100 sq. km

Turkmen Manat

Sunni Muslim

Republic 4,603,244 Turkmen, Russian

Uzbekistan

Republic of Uzbekistan

Tashkent 477,400 sq. km

Uzbekistani Som

Sunni Muslim

Republic 25,155,064 Uzbek, Tajik, Russian

SOUTH ASIA

• India is the largest single nation of South Asia. Its currently twenty-four states exhibit a cultural diversity comparable to that seen among the nations of Europe.

• The Tibetan highlands also form part of the region. Stretching some 1,800 miles from north to south, and almost the same distance from west to east, the area is home to an ancient and diverse group of cultures.

SOUTH ASIA

Country Capital Area Currency

Dominant

Religion

Government

Population

Language

Bangladesh

People’s

Republic of

Bangladesh

Dhaka 144,000 sq. km

Dhaka Islam, Hinduis

m

Parliamentary Democr

acy

131,269,860

Bangla, English

Bhutan

Kingdom of

Bhutan

Thimpu 47,000 sq. km

Ngultrum,

Indian Rupee

Lamaistic,

Buddhist

Monarchy

2,049,412

Dzongkha,

Nepalese

India

Republic of

India

New Delhi

3,287,590 sq.

km

Indian Rupee

Hindu, Islam,

Buddhist

Federal Republi

c

1,029,991,145

Hindu, Bengali, English

Maldives

Republic of

Maldives

Male 300 sq, km

Rutiyaa Sunni Muslim

Republic 310,764 Divehi, English

Nepal

Kingdom of Nepal

Kathmandu

140,800 sq. km

Nepal Rupee

Buddhist, Hinduism

Parliamentary

Democracy

25,284,463

Nepali. English

Pakistan

Islamic Republic

of Pakistan

Islamabad

803,940 sq. km

Pakistani Rupee

Muslim, Christian,

Hindu

Federal Republic

144,616,639

Punjabi, Sindhi, English

Sri Lanka

Dem. Soc.

Republic of Sri Lanka

Colombo 65,610 sq. km

Sri Lankan Rupee

Buddhist, Hinduism

, Christian, Muslim

Republic 19,408,635

Sinhala, Tamil

II. Facts about Asia:

• Distinct Characteristics• Facts (highest point, lowest point,

etc.)• Physical Geography• Main physical features• Climate• Important landforms and bodies of

water• Way of Life• Economic Activities

Distinct Characteristics:

• Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area (or 30% of its land area) and with approximately 3.9 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population. During the 20th century Asia's population nearly quadrupled.

• Asia is the largest continent by landmass and covers 8.6% of the Earth's surface . The land area of Asia is actually larger than the land area of the moon. (44.6K sq km – 37k sq km respectively)

Facts:• Highest Point: Mt. Everest

(Kathmandu, Nepal)• Lowest Point: Dead Sea (Jordan)• Largest Country by Area: Russia

(17, 098, 242 sq. km)• Largest Country by Population:

(1, 336, 718, 015)• Largest Metropolitan Area:

Tokyo, Japan (37, 370, 064, 2010 Calculation)

• Lowest River: Yangtze River in China (6,300 km)

• Largest Desert: Gobi Desert (Mongolia/China) (1,500 km)

• Largest Lake: Caspian Sea (3,626,000 km)

Physical Geography of Asia

• The geography of Asia is astounding: approximately one-third of the earth’s population lives in Asia. Asia also covers one-third of the earth’s land. It is said that the total landmass of Asia is larger than the total area of the moon.

• Part of the reason Asia is so unique is due to its physical geography. Tectonic plate movements shaped its massive mountains and volcanic activity millions of years ago and it produced thousands of islands in the Pacific Ocean.

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 mountainous areas broadly sweep SW-NW across Asia, climaxing in the high Tibetan Plateau, rising to the highest peaks in the world in the Himalaya.

Climate:• Climate- Encompasses the statistics of temperature,

humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, precipitation, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods.

• Asia stretches about 5,000 miles from north of the Arctic Circle to south of the equator. From east to west Asia stretches nearly halfway around the world. This vast area has many different kinds of climate. Asia has some of the coldest and some of the hottest, some of the wettest and some of the driest places on earth.

• The climate of Asia varies according to location and physical geography.

Types of Climate:• Deciduous forest - Four distinct seasons with warm summers and

cold, wet winters. The trees shed their leaves in autumn.• Coniferous forest - Also known as Taiga, cold and dry with snowy

winters and warmer summers.• Alpine/mountain - Cold, windy and snowy. It is winter from

October to May with temperatures below freezing, while summer is from June to September where the temperature can reach 15°C.

• Rainforest - High temperatures and high rainfall throughout the year.

• Desert - Warm to high temperatures with very little rainfall.• Tundra - This area is characterized by a layer of permafrost (soil

that has remained below freezing for at least two years. Winters are very cold, summers are warm and there is little rainfall.

• Grassland - Hot summers and cold winters with above average rainfall.

• Savanna - Very high temperatures all year and rain during the summer season only.

Important landforms and bodies of water:

• Asia covers 29.9% of the land area of the earth• Asia’s boundaries extend from the Suez Canal

and Ural Mountains in the west, to the south of the Caucasus Mountains and Caspian and Black Seas. Also to the South is the Indian Ocean, to the North the Arctic Ocean and to the Far East the Pacific Ocean.

• Asia is the largest continent by landmass and covers 8.6% of the Earth's surface . The land area of Asia is actually larger than the land area of the moon. (44.6K sq km – 37k sq km respectively)

Way of Life:• Asia’s lifestyle includes their

livelihood, culture and traditions. As for livelihood, most Asian countries make a living by agriculture, meaning farming, fishing, and hunting. The products, like rice, corn, fish, and the like are also exported in other countries. Mining is also another way of Asia’s means of livelihood and so is migration. Through migration, countries in Asia get remittances.

• As towards Asia’s culture and traditions, each country in Asia has its own uniqueness. May it be tradition on how to celebrate festivities, weddings, and other rituals. For instance, Asians also value family very much. Asians has a deep sense of family and respect the many generations of the family. Religion deeply affects the daily lives of people in Asia, both through its commandments and its influence on their outlook on life.

Economic Activities

• Until the start of the 20th century, subsistence agriculture was the basic economic activity of most of Asia. Commercial agriculture, mining, and manufacturing were found in areas colonized or strongly influenced by Europeans.

• AGRICULTURE• MANUFACTURING• MINING, FISHING, AND FORESTRY• TRANSPORTATION OF TRADE

Agriculture:• by far the most important economic activity in

Asia. Almost 60 per cent of the continent's working population is engaged in farming. Farmers cultivate, either continuously or intermittently, one-sixth of Asia's total land area. The land they use for livestock grazing accounts for an additional one-fifth.

• In Communist-ruled Asia—China, Mongolia, North Korea, and Vietnam—most agricultural lands are organized into large, state-controlled and state-owned units such as cooperatives, state farms, and collectives.

• Asia is largely a continent of so-called "developing" or "third world" nations, with Japan the most notable exception. Japan is Asia's leading manufacturing nation. It is a world leader in the production of iron and steel, transportation equipment, photographic equipment, and electronic goods. Exports are usually high in value in comparison to their bulk. Examples include automobiles, cameras, and radio and television sets. Japan is the only major Asian nation to have a predominantly urban population employed mainly in manufacturing and commerce.

• Fossil fuels are Asia's most important mineral products. Southwestern Asia, especially the area around the Persian Gulf, produces about one-fourth of the world's yearly output of petroleum, nearly all of it for export. Malaysia and Indonesia are also important exporters of petroleum. In many cases, natural gas is produced along with petroleum. Large amounts of oil and gas also come from fields in Kazakhstan, Siberia, and eastern China.

• Asia is the primary source of much of the world's tin and graphite. Gold, nickel, and platinum and related metals are found in Siberia and precious gems—rubies and sapphires—in Sri Lanka and Burma. Among the many other minerals produced are tungsten, lead, manganese, copper, and bauxite, as well as phosphates and numerous other nonmetallic minerals.

• Fishing is an important activity in Asia. Most of the catch is used for human food; relatively little is processed for livestock feed, fertilizer, or industrial use. The people of southern and eastern Asia depend on fish and shellfish for a large part of the protein in their diet. The major fishing nations of Asia include Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and South Korea. Asiatic Russia's catch is also important.

III. Popular things in Asia:

• South-west

• East• South-east• Central• South

South-West: Afghanistan

United Arab Emirates

Bahrain Yemen

Cyprus Israel

Iran Saudi Arabia

Iraq Turkey

Lebanon Kuwait

Oman Syria

Qatar Jordan

LEBANON:

Aasalaamu aleikum~

Tourist Spots:• Beirut

Cuisine:• Baklava• Shawarma

Festivals:• Beiteddine festival• Baalbeck international

festival

Formal costume:• Tarboush (felt hat)• Cherwel (long dress)

Israel:Shalom~

Tourist Spot:• Hamat Gader

Cuisine:• Falafel

Festival:• Shabbat

Formal Costume:• When visiting holy sites

or religious neighborhoods, women should wear skirts and long sleeves, and men should wear long pants.

Tourist Spot:Dumat Al Jandal

Cuisine:Rice with onionSaudi KabsaTabbouleh

Festival:Jenadriyah Heritage Festival

Customs:

Tourist spot:Chabahar

Cuisine:KebabDolma

Festival: Jashan-e-Sadeh Festival

Customs:

East Asia: China

North Korea

South Korea

Japan

Mongolia

Taiwan

China:

• Ni Hao Ma!• Great Wall of China• a collection of short walls that often follow the crest of hills on the southern

edge of the Mongolian plain• designed to keep Mongol nomads out• were built of earth and stones in • wood frames

• Roast Duck• Peking Duck

• Chinese New Year• most elaborate, colorful, and important

• Hanfu (Chinese Traditional Clothing)• Festivals, coming of age, hobbyist, Confucian or Buddhist

monks.

South Korea:

• Annyeonghaseyo!• Kimchi (food)• Served at almost every meal• Spicy

• Kimbap (food)• To-go meal• Sold everywhere• Rolled in seaweed with various Fillings

• Chuseok (festival)• is by far the biggest and most • important holiday in Korea.

Japan:• Konnichiwa!• Tokyo ("Eastern Capital")• Japan's capital and the world's • most populous metropolis• was known as Edo• Shopping, entertainment, • culture and dining

• Sushi• Onigiri• rice balls, usually with tasty filling.• To-go food

• Kimono (traditional costume)• "kimono", which literally means a “thing to wear" • worn on festivals, weddings, funerals, etc.

South-East Asia: Brunei Thailand

Myanmar Malaysia

Cambodia East Timor

Indonesia Philippines

Singapore Vietnam

Laos

Malaysia:

“Golden Peninsula”

Tourist spot:Mulu caves

Cuisine:Fried Chicken

Festival:Moon cake – lantern festival

Formal costume:

Thailand:

“Land of smiles”Swasdee~

Tourist Spot: Chiang Rai (785 km)

Cuisine: Tom Yam Kung (Spicy Shrimp Soup), Phat Thai (Fried Noodles of Thai Style)

Festival: Dragon and lion dance festival

Customs:

Formal Costume:

Philippines:

Pearl of The Orient SeasTourist Spots:• Banaue Rice Terraces --

Lone District, Ifugao, CAR Luzon, Philippines

• Tubbataha Reefs -- Sulu Sea, southeast of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan Province

• Fort Santiago -- Intramuros, Manila, Philippines

Cuisine:• Adobo• Sinigang• Lechon

Festivals:• Ati-Atihan Festival

in Kalibo, Aklan - January 

• Pintados de Passi of Passi City, Iloilo – March

• Kadayawan Festival of Davao - August 

Formal Costume:• Barong Tagalog • Mestiza• Maria Clara dress

Central Asia:

Armenia  

Kyrgyzstan 

Azerbaijan 

Tajikistan 

Georgia 

Turkmenistan 

Kazakhstan 

Uzbekistan 

KAZAKHSTAN:

Tourist Spot:Tamgaly

Cuisine:kumys (fermented mare's milk), shubat (fermented camel's milk) or airan (fermented cow's milk), then to tea with milk or cream, baursaks (fried dough balls), raisins, irimshik (dried cheese balls), kurt (dried cheese and whey).

Festival:Khan Tengri Mountain Festival.

Customs:

Formal costume:

South Asia:

Bangladesh 

Nepal 

Bhutan 

Pakistan 

India 

Sri Lanka 

Maldives 

Nepal:Namaste~

Tourist Spots:• Durbar Square

(UNESCO World Heritage Site)

• Mount Everest

Famous foods:• Kinema

(fermented soybean)

• Khir and Dhakane( milk pudding)

Festival:• Gaijatra

 (procession of the cows)

Formal Costume:• Daura-Suruwal

and Dhaka Topi (cap) for men

• Sari(unstitch cloth) and Cholo for women.

India:

Mubarak ho~

Tourist Spots:Taj Mahal (One of the new seven wonders of the world; Heritage Site)Jaipur (“Pink City”)

Cuisine:BengaliGujarati

Festivals:• Diwali• Holi (festival of

colors)

Formal costume:• Women: Ghagra

Choli - the traditional clothing of women

• Men: Lungi - also known as sarong

References:• http://www.enotes.com/documents/physical-

features-asia-10209• http://www1.im.ac.cn/asia/physical.html• http://www.chinatownconnection.com/asia-

climate.htm• http://www.naturalhistoryonthenet.com/

Continents/asia.htm