Characteristics of the Asian Continent – What are the characteristics of the Asian Continent? Before finding out the answer, first understand what a continent is, come on!
Quoted from the Big Indonesian Language Dictionary (KBBI), continents are parts of the earth in the form of land or land that are very broad so that the central part of the continent does not get the direct influence of sea breezes (such as Europe, Australia, America, Africa and Asia).
There are seven types of continents in the world, namely Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Antarctica.
So, now let’s find out the characteristics of the Asian Continent, come on!
Characteristics of the Asian Continent
1. The World’s Largest Continent
The Asian continent is the largest continent in the world. Nearly 1/3 of the land in the world is on the continent of Asia.
The continent of Australia has an area of around 43,998,920 square kilometers. Its area reaches up to 4.5 times the area of the European Continent which has an area of 10.18 million square kilometers. The continent of Asia has an area of approximately 44,000,000 km².
The Asian continent is divided into six regions, namely Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia and North Asia.
2. Has 5 Climate Divisions
The following are some of the climates of the Asian continent, consisting of:
1. Cold Climate
Cold climates can be found in northern Asia, especially on the Siberian continent which has a polar continental climate (subartic climate). Regions with this climate have short summers.
2. Continental Climate
Continental climates or terrestrial climates can be found in the Central Asian region as well as Northwest China. Regions with this climate are mainly in the dry Gobi Desert in China.
3. Wet Subtropical Climate
Wet subtropical climate predominates in the East China region with a latitude range of 250 LU – 350 LU. Regions that have a type of wet subtropical climate experience a lot of rain due to the influence of the southeast monsoons and the Pacific Ocean.
4. Wet Tropical Climate
Wet tropical climates can mostly be found in Southeast Asia and South Asia. Regions with this climate have a fairly high rainfall, which is between 1,000 and 2,000 mm per year. The tropical climate is strongly influenced by the monsoon winds which cause the rainy season and dry season.
5. Desert Climate
The desert climate has a dry nature so that the rainfall is very low (250 mm – 220 mm/year). Desert climate can occur due to the influence of winds originating from dry desert areas. This climate can be found in West Asia, especially in the Arabian Peninsula and Central Asia around the Robi Desert
3. Has a Wide Desert and Sea
Did you know, You , that the continent of Asia is also known to have a vast desert.
Some of the deserts in the Asian Continent are the Gobi Desert, the Taklamakan Desert, and the Ordos and continents with the largest seas in the world, namely the South China Sea.
4. Continent with the Most Population in the World
The population of the Asian Continent reaches up to 4 billion people. This makes the continent of Asia the continent with the largest population in the world. The countries with the highest populations are China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan.
5. A continent that often experiences earthquakes
The Asian continent often experiences earthquakes that are scattered in various points. One of the countries in Asia that experiences earthquakes quite often is Japan.
6. Has the highest mountain or peak in the world
Did you know, You, that the highest peak in the world is on the continent of Asia, you know . The highest peak is Mount Everest.
Quoted from National Geographic, the height of Mount Everest reaches up to 29,035 feet or 8,850 meters above sea level (masl). This mountain is located on the Nepal-China border.
7. Has the highest plateau in the world
Besides having the highest mountain in the world, the continent of Asia also has the highest plains in the world, you know . The highest plateau in the world can be found in Tibet. Because of this, Tibet is called the “roof of the world”.
Most of Tibet has an altitude ranging from 4,000 – 5,000 meters above sea level.
This region of Tibet is on the border of East Asia and South Asia, You . Tibet is located in the southern part of China and is bordered by India, Nepal, Burma and Bhutan.
8. As the Birthplace of Major Religions
The Asian continent is the birthplace of major religions, such as Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and also Confucianism.
Asian continent profile
Asia is the largest continent and has the most populous population in the world with an area covering up to 8.7% of the Earth’s surface covering 50 countries spread from the vast mainland of Asia Minor, the Middle East, to the Pacific Ocean. Approximately 60% of the world’s population lives on the continent of Asia.
The continent of Asia and the continent of Europe are continents that are connected by land and both form a giant continent called Eurasia. The boundary between the Asian Continent and the European Continent is so blurred that some countries such as Turkey can sometimes be categorized as the Asian Continent or the European Continent.
Some of the natural landscapes that are often used to separate the two continents are the Dardanelles, the Marmara Sea, the Bosphorus Strait, the Black Sea, the Caucasus Mountains, the Caspian Sea, the Ural River (or Emba River), and the Ural Mountains to Novaya Zemlya. Besides that, the continent of Asia and the continent of Africa also have land borders that meet in the area around the Suez Canal.
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the Asian Continent can be considered as a part of the Eurasian Continent, but with a larger size. In this spherical world, there are five inhabited continents. These continents are the continent of Asia, the continent of Europe, the Americas, the continent of Africa, and the continent of Australia. However, the discussion this time will be focused on the Asian continent. The Asian continent is the largest continent in the world, compared to the other four continents. The Asian continent is divided into five regions, namely:
- Southeast Asia
- South Asia
- West Asia
- Central Asia
- East Asia
Each region has its own state section. The parts of the countries in the Asian region will be explained in the final section, in the discussion regarding the division of regional zones and the countries in the Asian continent and will also be given additional explanations so that you know more deeply about the five Asian regions. The first discussion will be provides an explanation of the process of formation of the continents in the world, especially the continent of Asia.
The Process of Formation of the Asian Continent
The process of forming the continent of Asia since thousands of years ago. This continent has an area of up to 51,053,817 km2. The Asian continent is dubbed as the largest continent, because the area of the Asian continent is almost a third of the land in the whole world. Even though its land area is only 30% of the earth’s surface area and one third of that 30% is owned by the Asian continent. So it can be concluded that the Asian continent covers almost all the land in the world. As the continent with the largest size, the position of the continent of Asia on earth can be explained in the following discussion.
Astronomical, Geographical Locations, and the Boundaries of the Asian Continent
The Asian continent has an astronomical position between 11° South Latitude – 77° North Latitude and 26° East Longitude – 169° West Longitude.
The geographical location of the Asian Continent is very strategic because it is located between two continents and two oceans, in the north there is a direct border with the European Continent and the Pacific Ocean while in the south there is a border with the Australian Continent and the Indian Ocean.
- To the west: Continental Europe which is bounded by the Ural Mountains, Ural Sea, Caspian Sea, Red Sea, Zues Canal, Mediterranean Sea and Sea of Marm
- East: Pacific Ocean and Bering Strait
- To the south: the Indian Ocean and the Australian continent.
- North: Arctic Ocean.
Countries in Asia Continent and Their Capitals
The number of countries in the continent of Asia is 48 and the list of countries stretches from west to east, from north to south. Therefore, the sub-regions in Asia include West Asia, East Asia, North Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. Quoting data from Worldometers, the largest number of countries on the Asian continent are located in West Asia, namely 17 countries.
Meanwhile, the least number of countries in the Asian continent are located in the north (Russia), then the central and eastern parts with five countries each. As for Southeast Asia, it consists of 11 countries, while in South Asia it is inhabited by 9 countries. The country with the most population on the Asian Continent in 2020 is China with a total of 1.43 billion people, followed by India (1.38 billion) and Indonesia (273 million). Then for the countries with the least population on the Asian Continent are Brunei (437,479), Maldives (540,544), and Bhutan (771,608).
Specifically for China, the country has two regions with special autonomy, namely Hong Kong and Macau. The debate is still going on for Taiwan, which is only recognized as a sovereign country by 15 countries.
1. Southeast Asia
Country – Name of Capital
- Brunei Darussalam – Bandar Seri Begawan
- Cambodia – Phnom Penh
- Philippines – Manila
- Indonesia – Jakarta
- Singapore – Singapore
- Thailand – Bangkok
- Timor Leste – Dili
- Laos – Vientiane
- Vietnamese – Hanoi
- Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur
- Myanmar – Naypyidaw
2. East Asia
Country – Name of Capital
- China – Beijing
- Hong Kong – Hong Kong
- Macau – Macau
- Taiwan – Taipei
- Japan – Tokyo
- South Korea – Seoul
- North Korea – Pyongyang
- Mongolia – Ulan Bator
3. South Asia
Country – Name of Capital
- Bangladesh–Dhaka
- Bhutan – Thimphu
- India–New Delhi
- Maldives – Male
- Nepal – Kathmandu
- Pakistan–Islamabad
- Sri Lanka – Sri Jayawerdanepura Kotte
- Afghanistan – Kabul
4. West Asia
Country – Name of Capital
- Saudi Arabia – Riyad
- Bahrain – Manama
- Kuwait – Kuwait City
- Oman–Muscat
- Qatar–Doha
- United Arab Emirates – Abu Dhabi
- Yemen – Sanaa
- Palestine – Jerusalem
- Iraq – Baghdad
- Israel–Tel Aviv
- Lebanese – Beirut
- Turkey – Ankara
- Syria – Damascus
- Jordan – Amman
- Iran – Tehran
- Cyprus – Nicosia
5. Central Asia
Country – Name of Capital
- Kazakhstan – Astana
- Kyrgyzstan – Bishkek
- Tajikistan – Dushanbe
- Turkmenistan – Ashgabat
- Uzbekistan – Taskent
Developed Countries and Developing Countries in the Asian Continent
Developed and developing countries are scattered in various parts of the world, including the Asian continent. Launching from National Geographic, the continent of Asia is the largest continent in the world and covers 30 percent of the land area on earth. The Asian continent has an area of up to about 44.58 million square kilometers or about 4.38 times larger than the European continent.
Developed Countries List
List of developed countries in the Asian continent, namely:
- Japan
- Hong Kong
- Israel
- South Korea
- Macau
- Taiwan
- Singapore
List of Developing Countries
List of developing countries in the Asian Continent, namely:
- Kazakhstan
- Bhutan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Bangladesh
- Tajikistan
- India
- Turkmenistan
- Iran
- Uzbekistan
- Iraq
- China
- Kiribati
- Mongolia
- Kuwait
- Brunei Darussalam
- Lebanese
- Philippines
- Maldives
- Malaysia
- Micronesia
- Indonesia
- Nepal
- Cambodia
- Oman
- Laos
- Papua New Guinea
- Myanmar
- Pakistan
- Thailand
- Qatar
- Timor Leste
- Sri Lanka
- Vietnamese
- Syria
- Afghanistan
- Saudi Arabian Union
- Yemen
- Armenian
- Jordan
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain