Asia

the largest continent with 60% of the earth's population; it is joined to Europe on the west to form Eurasia; it is the site of some of the world's earliest civilizations

• East, orient — the countries of Asia

• continent — one of the large landmasses of the earth

• Asian country, Asian nation — countries occupying the Asian continent
• Asia Minor, Anatolia — a peninsula in southwestern Asia that forms the Asian part of Turkey
• Afghanistan, Islamic State of Afghanistan — a mountainous landlocked country in central Asia; bordered by Iran to the west and Russia to the north and Pakistan to the east and south
• Southeast Asia — a geographical division of Asia that includes Indochina plus Indonesia and the Philippines and Singapore
• China, People's Republic of China, mainland China, Communist China, Red China, PRC — a communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia; the most populous country in the world
• Turkistan, Turkestan — a historical region of central Asia that was a center for trade between the East and the West
• Palestine, Canaan, Holy Land, Promised Land — an ancient country is southwestern Asia on the east coast of the Mediterranean; a place of pilgrimage for Christianity and Islam and Judaism
• Roman Empire — an empire including the lands in Europe and Africa and Asia that were ruled by ancient Rome
• Arabian Peninsula, Arabia — a peninsula between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf; strategically important for its oil resources
• Bahrain, State of Bahrain, Bahrein — an island country in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Saudi Arabia; oil revenues funded progressive programs until reserves were exhausted in 1970s
• Bangladesh, People's Republic of Bangladesh, Bangla Desh, East Pakistan — a Moslem Republic in southern Asia bordered by India to the north and west and east and the Bay of Bengal to the south; formerly part of India and then part of Pakistan; it achieved independence in 1971
• Bhutan, Kingdom of Bhutan — a landlocked principality in the Himalayas northeast of India
• India, Republic of India, Bharat — a republic in the Asian subcontinent in southern Asia; second most populous country in the world; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947
• Nepal, Kingdom of Nepal — a small Asian country high in the Himalayas between India and Tibet
• Tibet, Thibet, Xizang, Sitsang — an Asian country under the control of China; located in the Himalayas
• Iran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Persia — a theocratic republic in the Middle East in western Asia; Iran was the core of the ancient Persian Empire and was known as Persia until 1935; rich in oil
• Persia, Persian Empire — an empire in South Asia created by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC and destroyed by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC
• Iraq, Republic of Iraq, Al-Iraq, Irak — a republic in the Middle East in western Asia; the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia was in the area now known as Iraq
• Japan, Nippon, Nihon — a constitutional monarchy occupying the Japanese Archipelago; a world leader in electronics and automobile manufacture and ship building
• Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan — an Arab kingdom in southwestern Asia on the Red Sea
• Kuwait, State of Kuwait, Koweit — an Arab kingdom in Asia on the northwestern coast of the Persian Gulf; a major source of petroleum
• Korea, Korean Peninsula, Choson — an Asian peninsula (off Manchuria) separating the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan; the Korean name is Choson
• North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea — a communist country in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula; established in 1948
• South Korea, Republic of Korea — a republic in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula; established in 1948
• Lebanon, Lebanese Republic — an Asian republic at east end of Mediterranean
• Malay Peninsula — a peninsula in southeastern Asia occupied by parts of Malaysia and Thailand and Myanmar
• Mongolia — a vast region in Asia including the Mongolian People's Republic and China's Inner Mongolia
• Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic, Outer Mongolia — a landlocked socialist republic in central Asia
• Oman, Sultanate of Oman, Muscat and Oman — a strategically located monarchy on the southern and eastern coasts of the Arabian Peninsula; the economy is dominated by oil
• Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, West Pakistan — a Moslem republic in southern Asia; formerly part of India; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947
• Parthia — an ancient country in Asia on the Caspian Sea; dominated southwestern Asia from about 100 BC to 200 AD
• Qatar, State of Qatar, Katar, State of Katar — an Arab country on the peninsula of Qatar; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1971; the economy is dominated by oil
• Armenia, Republic of Armenia, Hayastan — a republic in southwestern Asia; formerly an Asian Soviet; throughout 2500 years the Armenian people have been invaded and oppressed by their neighbors
• Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani Republic, Azerbajdzhan, Azerbajdzhan Republic — a landlocked republic in southwestern Asia; formerly an Asian Soviet
• Kazakhstan, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazakstan, Kazakh, Kazak — a landlocked republic south of Russia and northeast of the Caspian Sea; the original Turkic-speaking inhabitants were overrun by Mongols in the 13th century; an Asian Soviet from 1936 to 1991
• Kyrgystan, Kyrgyz Republic, Kirghizia, Kirgizia, Kirghiz, Kirgiz, Kirghizstan, Kirgizstan — a landlocked republic in west central Asia bordering on northwestern China; formerly an Asian Soviet
• Tajikistan, Republic of Tajikistan, Tadzhikistan, Tadzhik, Tadjik, Tajik — a landlocked mountainous republic in southeast central Asia north of Afghanistan; formerly an Asian Soviet
• Turkmenistan, Turkomen, Turkmen, Turkmenia — a republic in Asia east of the Caspian Sea and south of Kazakhstan and north of Iran; an Asian Soviet from 1925 to 1991
• Uzbekistan, Republic of Uzbekistan, Uzbek — a landlocked republic in west central Asia; formerly an Asian Soviet
• Syria, Syrian Arab Republic — an Asian republic in the Middle East at the east end of the Mediterranean; site of some of the world's most ancient centers of civilization
• Ottoman Empire, Turkish Empire — an empire created by the Ottoman Turks in the 13th century and that lasted until the end of World War I
• United Arab Emirates — a federation of seven Arab emirates on the eastern Arabian peninsula; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1971; rich in oil reserves
• Yemen, Republic of Yemen — a republic on the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula on the Indian Ocean; formed in 1990 when North Yemen and South Yemen merged
• Kura, Kura River — a river in western Asia; rises in northeast Turkey and flows to the Caspian Sea

• Eurasia — the land mass formed by the continents of Europe and Asia