Asia

World map showing where Asia is

Asia is the largest continent on Earth. It is in the northern hemisphere. Asia is connected to Europe in the west. Together, Asia and Europe are called Eurasia. Some of the oldest human civilizations began in Asia, such as Sumer, China, and India.

Area[change | change source]

Geographic area of Asia

The Asian continent is the largest of all continents. Covering about 30% of the world's land area, it has more people than any other continent with about 60% of the world's total population. Stretching from the icy Arctic in the north to the hot and steamy equatorial lands in the south, Asia contains huge, empty deserts, as well as some of the world's highest mountains and longest rivers.

Asia is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. It is separated from Europe by the Pontic Mountains and the Turkish Straits. A long, mainly land border in the west separates Europe and Asia. This line runs North-South down the Ural Mountains in Russia, along the Ural River to the Caspian Sea, and through the Caucasus Mountains to the Black Sea.

Eurasian countries[change | change source]

Some European countries are also partly in Asia. About three-quarters of Russia is in Asia, while the rest is in Europe. Small parts of four other Asian countries are in Europe; Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.