List of democratic countries in Asia?

Answer 1

It depends on how the word "largest" is read.

If it refers to population, Indonesia is the region's most populous democracy with over 200 million individuals of voting age.

If it refers to land-area, Australia is the largest country in the area by territory and also happens to be a democracy.

Answer 2

As of November 2009:

Democratic States

• Bangladesh - generally considered a liberal democracy with free and fair elections.
• Bhutan - a state that has recently made the transition from an absolute monarcy to a liberal democracy with a constitutional monarch.
• Cambodia - a liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy.
• India - the world's most populous democracy since independence.
• Indonesia - a republic with a presidential system of rule.
• Iraq - holds a democratic constitution and has held regular elections since the downfall of Saddam Hussein.
• Japan - a parliarmentary representative democratic monarchy, with the Emperor holding only nominal power.
• Lebanon - a parliamentary democracy following the cedar revolution.
• Kazakhstan - a presidential republic with a bicameral legislature.
• South Korea
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Mongolia - a parliamentary republic.
• Nepal- a recently established republic following the overthrow of the monarchy.
• Pakistan - a semi-presidential federal democratic republic.
• Philippines
• Singapore - parliamentary republic.
• Sri Lanka
• Timor-Leste
• Turkey - a parliamentary representative democrac.
• Taiwan

Quasi-Democracies

• Bahrain - a constitutional monarchy with a strongly democratic constitution, although the prime minister and government ministers are elected by the King. In terms of human rights, Bahrain is considered a model for the middle east, albeit not having institutionalised yet a system reaching the standads of a liberal democracy.
• Georgia - a country that, following the Rose Revolution, instituted a system of democracy, though is still criticized by some observers as having features of authoritarianism and high levels of mistrust between the govenrment and opposition.
• Israel - since independence, the state has held regular elections within a democratic framework. However, a large proportion of the population is under military occupation with no democratic rights.
• Jordan - a constitutional monarchy with a representative parliament and power vested in the King.
• Kuwait - holds the oldest directly elected parliament among the Arab States functionning under the executive authority of a hereditary emir.
• Thailand - a state with a tradition of democracy, which however has been recently disrupted by internal disturbances
• Turkmenistan - following many years of being ruled under a heavy-handed dictatorship, the state recently passed democratic reforms.
• Yemen - a presidential-republic with a bicameral legislature. Recent elections were deemed by observers as "partly free" with certain incidents of violence and repression of media.

Nominal or Questionably Democratic States

• Afghanistan - recently held an election. However, the election was widely considered to have been rigged in favour of the incumbent.
• Armenia - while the state has the trappings of democracy, such as universal suffrage, the adequacy of conduct of elections has been questioned by international observers since 1995.
• Azerbaijan - holds regular elections and has a democratic Constitution, however, elections are widely considered flawed and there are a record of human rights abuses within the state.
• Iran - holds many features of democracy, such as the election of a President. However, the highest executive authority in Iran lies with the supreme leader. Recent elections were widely considered to have been rigged in favour of the incumbent.
• Kyrgyzstan - constitutionally democratic republic. However, 2003 election following unrest was marred by irregularities.
• Russia
• Tajikstan - officially a parliamentary republic, though elections are widely believed to be corrupt.
• Uzbekistan - constitutionally democratic, but elections are considered not to be to the standards of a liberal democracy and the country has a record of human rights abuses.

Non-Democratic States

• Brunei - the system of government is a sultanate, meaining that the executive authority lies with the unelected sultan.
• China - an authoritarian state under one-party rule.
• Laos - a communist single party state.
• Myanmar
• North Korea
• Oman - ruled by a hereditary sultan with an advisory council elected on universal suffrage, however, no political parties are legal and no opposition movement.
• Qatar - ruled by hereditary emirates
• Saudi Arabia
• Syria
• United Arab Emirates - ruled by hereditary emirates
• Vietnam - communist single-party state

Answer 3

Indonesia (the world's 4th most populous country), Phillippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan, according to Democracy Index. Cambodia and Singapore are classified as "hybrid regimes".