For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). Asia Area 44,579,000 km2 (17,212,000 sq mi) Population 3,879,000,000 (1st)1 Pop. density 89/km2 (226/sq mi) Demonym Asian Countries 48 (List of countries) Dependencies List Akrotiri and Dhekelia British Indian Ocean Territory Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Unrecognized regions List Abkhazia Gaza Strip (Palestine) Nagorno-Karabakh South Ossetia Taiwan Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus West Bank (Palestine) Languages List of languages Time Zones UTC+2 to UTC+12 Internet TLD .asia Largest cities List of cities List Tokyo Seoul Mumbai Karachi Jakarta Osaka Shanghai Manila Hong Kong Tehran Lahore Kolkata Beijing Guangzhou Taipei Bangkok Singapore Kuala Lumpur Ho Chi Minh City Dubai Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area (or 29.9% of its land area) and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population. During the 20th century Asia's population nearly quadrupled.2 Asia is traditionally defined as part of the landmass of Eurasia—with the western portion of the latter occupied by Europe—located to the east of the Suez Canal, east of the Ural Mountains and south of the Caucasus Mountains (or the Kuma-Manych Depression)3 and the Caspian and Black Seas.4 It is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean and on the north by the Arctic Ocean. Given its size and diversity, Asia—a toponym dating back to classical antiquity—is more a cultural concept incorporating a number of regions and peoples than a homogeneous physical entity35 (see Subregions of Asia, Asian people). The wealth of Asia differs very widely among and within its regions, due to its vast size and huge range of different cultures, environments, historical ties and government systems. Asia is the birthplace of all world religions. Contents 1 Etymology 1.1 Other alternatives 2 Definition and boundaries 2.1 Physical geography 2.2 Political geography 2.3 Popular definitions 3 Countries and territories 3.1 Country name changes 4 Economy 4.1 Trade blocs 4.2 Natural resources 4.3 Manufacturing 4.4 Financial and other services 5 Early history 6 Languages and literature 6.1 Nobel prizes 7 Beliefs 7.1 Mythology 7.2 Religions 7.2.1 Abrahamic 7.2.2 Dharmic and Taoist 8 Human Development 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links // Etymology The term "Asia" is originally a concept exclusively of Western civilization.6 The peoples of ancient Asia (Chinese, Japanese, Indians, Persians, Arabs etc.) never conceived the idea of Asia, simply because they did not see themselves collectively. In their perspective, they were vastly varied civilizations, contrary to ancient European belief.6 The word Asia originated from the Greek word Ἀσία,7 first attributed to Herodotus (about 440 BC) in reference to Anatolia or—in describing the Persian Wars—to the Persian Empire, in contrast to Greece and Egypt. Herodotus comments that he is puzzled as to why three women's names are used to describe one enormous and substantial land mass (Europa, Asia, and Libya, referring to Africa), stating that most Greeks assumed that Asia was named after the wife of Prometheus (i.e. Hesione), but that the Lydians say it was named after Asias, son of Cotys, who passed the name on to a tribe in Sardis. Even before Herodotus, Homer knew of two figures in the Trojan War named Asios; and elsewhere he describes a marsh as ασιος (Iliad 2, 461). In Greek mythology, "Asia" (Ἀσία) or "Asie" (Ἀσίη) was the name of a Nymph or Titan goddess of Lydia.8 Usage of the term soon became common in ancient Greece, and subsequently by the ancient Romans.6 Ancient and medieval European maps depict the Asian continent as a "huge amorphous blob" extending eastward.6 It was presumed in antiquity to end with India—the Greek king Alexander the Great believing he would reach the "end of the world" upon his arrival in the East.6 Other alternatives Alternatively, the etymology of the term may be from the Akkadian word (w)aṣû(m), which means 'to go outside' or 'to ascend', referring to the direction of the sun at sunrise in the Middle East and also likely connected with the Phoenician word asa meaning east. This may be contrasted to a similar etymology proposed for Europe, as being from Akkadian erēbu(m) 'to enter' or 'set' (of the sun). T.R. Reid supports this alternative etymology, noting that the ancient Greek name must have derived from asu, meaning 'east' in Assyrian (ereb for Europe meaning 'west').6 The ideas of Occidental (form Latin Occidens 'setting') and Oriental (from Latin Oriens for 'rising') are also European invention, synonymous with Western and Eastern.6 Reid further emphasizes that it explains the Western point of view of placing all the peoples and cultures of Asia into a single classification, almost as if there were a need for setting the distinction between Western and Eastern civilizations on the Eurasian continent.6 Ogura Kazuo and Tenshin Okakura are two outspoken Japanese figures on the subject.6

However, this etymology is considered doubtful, because it does not explain how the term "Asia" first came to be associated with Anatolia, which is west of the Semitic-speaking areas, unless they refer to the viewpoint of a Phoenician sailor sailing through the straits between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. Definition and boundaries Physical geography See also: Geography of Asia, Countries in both Asia and Europe, Geographic criteria for the definition of Europe Physical map of Asia, excluding Southwest Asia. Two-point equidistant projection of Asia. Medieval Europeans considered Asia as a continent a distinct landmass. The European concept of the three continents in the Old World goes back to Classical Antiquity, but during the Middle Ages was notably due to 7th century Spanish scholar Isidore of Sevilla (see T and O map). The demarcation between Asia and Africa (to the southwest) is the Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea. The boundary between Asia and Europe is conventionally considered to run through the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, the Black Sea, the Caucasus Mountains, the Caspian Sea, the Ural River to its source and the Ural Mountains to the Kara Sea near Kara, Russia. While this interpretation of tripartite continents (i.e., of Asia, Europe and Africa) remains common in modernity, discovery of the extent of Africa and Asia have made this definition somewhat anachronistic. This is especially true in the case of Asia, which has several regions that would be considered distinct landmasses if these criteria were used (for example, Southern Asia and Eastern Asia). In the far northeast of Asia, Siberia is separated from North America by the Bering Strait. Asia is bounded on the south by the Indian Ocean (specifically, from west to east, the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal), on the east by the waters of the Pacific Ocean (including, counterclockwise, the South China Sea, East China Sea, Yellow Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk and Bering Sea) and on the north by the Arctic Ocean. Australia (or Oceania) is to the southeast. Some geographers do not consider Asia and Europe to be separate continents,9 as there is no logical physical separation between them.5 For example, Sir Barry Cunliffe, the emeritus professor of European archeology at Oxford, argues that Europe has been geographically and culturally merely "the western excrescence of the continent of Asia."10 Geographically, Asia is the major eastern constituent of the continent of Eurasia with Europe being a northwestern peninsula of the landmass–or of Afro-Eurasia: geologically, Asia, Europe and Africa comprise a single continuous landmass (save the Suez Canal) and share a common continental shelf. Almost all of Europe and most of Asia sit atop the Eurasian Plate, adjoined on the south by the Arabian and Indian Plate and with the easternmost part of Siberia (east of the Cherskiy Range) on the North American Plate. In geography, there are two schools of thought. One school follows historical convention and treats Europe and Asia as different continents, categorizing subregions within them for more detailed analysis. The other school equates the word "continent" with a geographical region when referring to Europe, and use the term "region" to describe Asia in terms of physiography. Since, in linguistic terms, "continent" implies a distinct landmass, it is becoming increasingly common to substitute the term "region" for "continent" to avoid the problem of disambiguation altogether. Given the scope and diversity of the landmass, it is sometimes not even clear exactly what "Asia" consists of. Some definitions exclude Turkey, the Middle East, Central Asia and Russia while only considering the Far East, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent to compose Asia,1112 especially in the United States after World War II.13 The term is sometimes used more narrowly in reference to the Asia-Pacific region, which does not include the Middle East, South Asia or Russia,14 but does include islands in the Pacific Ocean—a number of which may also be considered part of Australasia or Oceania, although Pacific Islanders are not considered Asian.15 Political geography Russia Mongolia China Japan South Korea North Korea Taiwan India Pakistan Nepal Bhutan Bangladesh Maldives British Indian Ocean Territory Sri Lanka Vietnam Hong Kong Thailand Laos Cambodia Burma Malaysia Brunei Singapore Philippines Indonesia East Timor Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan Egypt Afghanistan Iran Saudi Arabia Oman Yemen UAE Qat. Bah. Kuw. Iraq Jordan Isr. Syria Leban. Turkey Greece Cyp. Georgia Azerbaijan Armenia Australia Popular definitions In many western countries, the term Asian refers to only a subset of the population of Asian. See the pages Asian people and Orient for more details. Countries and territories See also: List of Asian countries by population and United Nations geoscheme for Asia

The countries in this table are categorised according to the scheme for geographic subregions used by the United Nations, and data included are per sources in cross-referenced articles. Where they differ, provisos are clearly indicated. Geographical Subregions of Asia: UN geoscheme subregions of Asia: Name of region16 and territory, with flag Area (km²) Population (1 July 2008 est.) Population density (per km²) Capital Central Asia:  Kazakhstan17 2,724,927 15,666,533 5.7 Astana  Kyrgyzstan 198,500 5,356,869 24.3 Bishkek  Tajikistan 143,100 7,211,884 47.0 Dushanbe  Turkmenistan 488,100 5,179,573 9.6 Ashgabat  Uzbekistan 447,400 28,268,441 57.1 Tashkent Eastern Asia:  Hong Kong18 1,092 7,008,30019 6,417.9 -  Japan 377,835 127,288,628 336.1 Tokyo  Macau20 25 460,823 18,473.3  —  Mongolia 1,565,000 2,996,082 1.7 Ulaan Baatar  North Korea 120,540 23,479,095 184.4 Pyongyang  People's Republic of China21 9,640,821 1,322,044,605 134.0 Beijing  Republic of China (Taiwan)22 35,980 22,920,946 626.7 Taipei  South Korea 98,480 49,232,844 490.7 Seoul Northern Asia:  Russia23 17,075,400 142,200,000 26.8 Moscow Southeastern Asia:24  Brunei 5,770 381,371 66.1 Bandar Seri Begawan  Burma (Myanmar) 676,578 47,758,224 70.3 Naypyidaw25  Cambodia26 181,035 13,388,910 74 Phnom Penh  East Timor (Timor-Leste)27 15,007 1,108,777 73.8 Dili  Indonesia28 1,919,440 230,512,000 120.1 Jakarta  Laos 236,800 6,677,534 28.2 Vientiane  Malaysia 329,847 27,780,000 84.2 Kuala Lumpur  Philippines 300,000 92,681,453 308.9 Manila  Singapore 704 4,608,167 6,545.7 Singapore  Thailand 514,000 65,493,298 127.4 Bangkok  Vietnam 331,690 86,116,559 259.6 Hanoi Southern Asia:  Afghanistan 647,500 32,738,775 42.9 Kabul  Bangladesh 147,570 153,546,901 1040.5 Dhaka  Bhutan 38,394 682,321 17.8 Thimphu  India29 3,287,263 1,147,995,226 349.2 New Delhi  Maldives 300 379,174 1,263.3 Malé  Nepal 147,181 29,519,114 200.5 Kathmandu  Pakistan 803,940 167,762,049 208.7 Islamabad  Sri Lanka 65,610 21,128,773 322.0 Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte Western Asia:  Armenia30 29,800 3,299,000 280.7 Yerevan  Azerbaijan31 86,660 8,845,127 102.736 Baku  Bahrain 665 718,306 987.1 Manama  Cyprus32 9,250 792,604 83.9 Nicosia  Georgia33 69,700 4,636,400 65.1 Tbilisi  Iraq 437,072 28,221,181 54.9 Baghdad  Iran 1,648,195 70,472,846 42.8 Tehran  Israel 20,770 7,112,359 290.3 Jerusalem34  Jordan 92,300 6,198,677 57.5 Amman  Kuwait 17,820 2,596,561 118.5 Kuwait City  Lebanon 10,452 3,971,941 353.6 Beirut  Oman 212,460 3,311,640 12.8 Muscat  Palestinian territories 6,257 4,277,000 683.5 Ramallah  Qatar 11,437 928,635 69.4 Doha  Saudi Arabia 1,960,582 23,513,330 12.0 Riyadh  Syria 185,180 19,747,586 92.6 Damascus  Turkey35 Ankara  United Arab Emirates 82,880 4,621,399 29.5 Abu Dhabi  Yemen 527,970 23,013,376 35.4 Sanaá Total 43,810,582 4,162,966,086 89.07 Note: Part of Egypt (Sinai Peninsula) is geographically in Western Asia Country name changes Various Asian countries have undergone name changes during the previous century as the result of consolidations, secessions, territories gaining sovereignty and regime changes. Previous Name Year Current Name Dominion of India, formerly British India 1950 Republic of India East Bengal province 1905–1911 and 1947–1955 1955–1971 1971 East Pakistan state Bangladesh, People's Republic of Democratic Kampuchea 1975 Cambodia, Kingdom of Empire of Great Qing of China 1912 1949 China, Republic of China, People's Republic of Portuguese Timor 1975 2002 Timor Timur (province of Indonesia) East Timor, Democratic Republic of Dutch East Indies 1949 Indonesia, Republic of Persia 1935 1979 Iran, Iran, Islamic Republic of Transjordan 1946 Jordan, Kingdom of Kirghiz SSR (USSR) 1991 Kyrgyzstan, Republic Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore 1963 1965 Malaysia (including Singapore) Malaysia and Singapore Burma 1989 Myanmar, Union of Muscat 1971 Oman, Sultanate of Dominion of Pakistan 1947–1956 1956–1970 1971 West Pakistan, Islamic State of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Islas de San Lorenzo, Spanish East Indies, Philippine Islands and Las Islas Filipinas 1898, 1935, and 1946 Philippines, Republic of the Hejaz-Nejd, The Kingdom of 1932 Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Aden 1970 South Yemen, People's Republic of Ceylon 1972 Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of Tajik SSR (USSR) 1991 Tajikistan, Republic of Siam 1939 Thailand, Kingdom of Ottoman Empire 1923 Turkey, Republic of Turkmen SSR (USSR) 1991 Turkmenistan Trucial Oman and Trucial States 1971 United Arab Emirates French Indo-China 1949 Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam Yemen, People's Democratic and Southern Yemen 1990 Yemen, Republic of Economy Main article: Economy of Asia Singapore has one of the busiest ports in the world and is the world's fourth largest foreign exchange trading centre. Mumbai, one of the most populous cities in the continent, a hub for infrastructure & tourism plays a crucial role in the Economy of India

Asia has the third largest nominal GDP of all continents, after North America and Europe,citation needed but the largest when measured in PPP. As of 2010, the largest economies in Asia are China, Japan, India, South Korea and Indonesia. Founded in 1893, Novosibirsk is the largest city in Siberia, with a population of about 1.5 million. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the economies of the PRC36 and India have been growing rapidly, both with an average annual growth rate of more than 8%. Other recent very high growth nations in Asia include Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Cyprus and the Philippines, and mineral-rich nations such as Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman. China was the largest and most advanced economy on earth for much of recorded history,37383940 until the British Empire (excluding India) overtook it in the mid 19th century. Japan has had for only several decades after WW2 the largest economy in Asia and second-largest of any single nation in the world, after surpassing the Soviet Union (measured in net material product) in 1986 and Germany in 1968. (NB: A number of supernational economies are larger, such as the European Union (EU), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or APEC). In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Japan's GDP was almost as large (current exchange rate method) as that of the rest of Asia combined.citation needed In 1995, Japan's economy nearly equaled that of the USA as the largest economy in the world for a day, after the Japanese currency reached a record high of 79 yen/dollar. Economic growth in Asia since World War II to the 1990s had been concentrated in Japan as well as the four regions of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore located in the Pacific Rim, known as the Asian tigers, which have now all received developed country status, having the highest GDP per capita in Asia.41 It is forecasted that India will overtake Japan in terms of nominal GDP by 2020.42 In terms of GDP per capita, both nominal and PPP-adjusted, South Korea will become the second wealthiest country in Asia by 2025, overtaking Germany, the United Kingdom and France. By 2027, according to Goldman Sachs, China will have the largest economy in the world. Trade blocs Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Asia-Europe Economic Meeting Association of Southeast Asian Nations Gulf Cooperation Council Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement Commonwealth of Independent States South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Natural resources Asia is the largest continent in the world by a considerable margin, and it is rich in natural resources, such as petroleum, forests, fish, water, rice, copper and silver. Manufacturing Manufacturing in Asia has traditionally been strongest in East and Southeast Asia, particularly in mainland China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, India, Philippines and Singapore. Japan and South Korea continue to dominate in the area of multinational corporations, but increasingly mainland China, and India are making significant inroads. Many companies from Europe, North America, South Korea and Japan have operations in Asia's developing countries to take advantage of its abundant supply of cheap labour and relatively developed infrastructure. Financial and other services Asia has four main financial centres: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai. Call centres and business process outsourcing (BPOs) are becoming major employers in India and the Philippines due to the availability of a large pool of highly skilled, English-speaking workers. The increased use of outsourcing has assisted the rise of India and the China as financial centres. Due to its large and extremely competitive information technology industry, India has become a major hub for outsourcing. Early history Main article: History of Asia Map of Asia in 1890. Alexander the Great's empire at its greatest extent. The history of Asia can be seen as the distinct histories of several peripheral coastal regions: East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, linked by the interior mass of the Central Asian steppes. The coastal periphery was home to some of the world's earliest known civilizations, each of them developing around fertile river valleys. The civilizations in Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley and the Huanghe shared many similarities. These civilizations may well have exchanged technologies and ideas such as mathematics and the wheel. Other innovations, such as writing, seem to have been developed individually in each area. Cities, states and empires developed in these lowlands. The central steppe region had long been inhabited by horse-mounted nomads who could reach all areas of Asia from the steppes. The earliest postulated expansion out of the steppe is that of the Indo-Europeans, who spread their languages into the Middle East, South Asia, and the borders of China, where the Tocharians resided. The northernmost part of Asia, including much of Siberia, was largely inaccessible to the steppe nomads, owing to the dense forests, climate and tundra. These areas remained very sparsely populated.

The center and the peripheries were mostly kept separated by mountains and deserts. The Caucasus and Himalaya mountains and the Karakum and Gobi deserts formed barriers that the steppe horsemen could cross only with difficulty. While the urban city dwellers were more advanced technologically and socially, in many cases they could do little in a military aspect to defend against the mounted hordes of the steppe. However, the lowlands did not have enough open grasslands to support a large horsebound force; for this and other reasons, the nomads who conquered states in China, India, and the Middle East often found themselves adapting to the local, more affluent societies. The Islamic Caliphate took over the Middle East and Central Asia during the Muslim conquests of the 7th century. The Mongol Empire conquered a large part of Asia in the 13th century, an area extending from China to Europe. Languages and literature Main article: Languages of Asia Asia is home to several language families and many language isolates. Most Asian countries have more than one language that is natively spoken. For instance, according to Ethnologue, more than 600 languages are spoken in Indonesia, more than 800 languages spoken in India, and more than 100 are spoken in the Philippines. China has many languages and dialects in different provinces. Nobel prizes Rabindranath Tagore, of India, the first Asian Nobel laureate. The polymath Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali Indian poet, dramatist, and writer from Santiniketan, now in West Bengal, India, became in 1913 the first Asian Nobel laureate. He won his Nobel Prize in Literature for notable impact his prose works and poetic thought had on English, French, and other national literatures of Europe and the Americas. He is also the writer of the national anthems of Bangladesh and India. Tagore is said to have named another Bengali Indian Nobel prize winner, the 1998 laureate in Economics, Amartya Sen. Sen's work has centered on global issues including famine, welfare, and third-world development. Amartya Sen was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge University, UK, from 1998 to 2004, becoming the first Asian to head an 'Oxbridge' College. Other Asian writers who won Nobel Prizes include Yasunari Kawabata (Japan, 1966), Kenzaburō Ōe (Japan, 1994), Gao Xingjian (People's Republic of China, 2000) and Orhan Pamuk (Turkey, 2006). Also, Mother Teresa of India and Shirin Ebadi of Iran were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially for the rights of women and children. Ebadi is the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to receive the prize. Another Nobel Peace Prize winner is Aung San Suu Kyi from Burma for her peaceful and non-violent struggle under a military dictatorship in Burma. She is a nonviolent pro-democracy activist and leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma(Myanmar) and a noted prisoner of conscience. She is a Buddhist and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. Sir C.V.Raman is the first Asian to get a Nobel prize in Sciences. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics "for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named after him". Other Asian Nobel Prize winners include Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Abdus Salam, Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Robert Aumann, Menachem Begin, Aaron Ciechanover, Avram Hershko, Daniel Kahneman, Shimon Peres, Yitzhak Rabin, Ada Yonath, Yaser Arafat, Jose Ramos Horta and Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo of Timor Leste, Kim Dae-jung, and thirteen Japanese scientists. Most of the said awardees are from Japan and Israel except for Chandrasekhar and Raman (India), Salam (Pakistan), Arafat (Palestinian Territories) Kim (South Korea), Horta and Belo (Timor Leste). In 2006, Dr. Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the establishment of Grameen Bank, a community development bank that lends money to poor people, especially women in Bangladesh. Dr. Yunus received his Ph.D. in economics from Vanderbilt University, United States. He is internationally known for the concept of micro credit which allows poor and destitutes with little or no collateral to borrow money. The borrowers typically pay back money within the specified period and the incidence of default is very low. The Dalai Lama has received approximately eighty-four awards over his spiritual and political career.43 On 22 June 2006, he became one of only four people ever to be recognized with Honorary Citizenship by the Governor General of Canada. On 28 May 2005, he received the Christmas Humphreys Award from the Buddhist Society in the United Kingdom. Most notable was the Nobel Peace Prize, presented in Oslo, Norway on 10 December 1989. Beliefs Mythology See also: List of Asian mythology Asian mythology is complex and diverse. The story of the Great Flood for example, as presented to Christians in the Old Testament, is first found in Mesopotamian mythology, in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Hindu mythology tells about an avatar of the God Vishnu in the form of a fish who warned Manu of a terrible flood. In ancient Chinese mythology, Shan Hai Jing, the Chinese ruler Da Yu, had to spend 10 years to control a deluge which swept out most of ancient China and was aided by the goddess Nüwa who literally fixed the broken sky through which huge rains were pouring. Pilgrims in the annual Hajj at the Kaabah in Mecca. Religions See also: Eastern philosophy and Religion in Asia

Almost all Asian religions have philosophical character and Asian philosophical traditions cover a large spectrum of philosophical thoughts and writings. Indian philosophy includes Hindu philosophy and Buddhist philosophy. They include elements of nonmaterial pursuits, whereas another school of thought from India, Cārvāka, preached the enjoyment of material world. Christianity is also present in most Asian countries. Buddhist monks in Thailand. Abrahamic The Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Baha'i Faith originated in West Asia. Judaism, the oldest of the Abrahamic faiths, is practiced primarily in Israel (which has the world's largest Jewish population),44 though small communities exist in other countries, such as the Bene Israel in India. In the Philippines and East Timor, Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion; it was introduced by the Spaniards and the Portuguese, respectively. In Armenia, Cyprus, Georgia and Russia, Eastern Orthodoxy is the predominant religion. Various Christian denominations have adherents in portions of the Middle East, as well as China and India. The world's largest Muslim community (within the bounds of one nation) is in Indonesia. South Asia (mainly Pakistan, India and Bangladesh) holds 30% of Muslims. There are also significant Muslim populations in China, Iran, Malaysia, southern Philippines (Mindanao), Russia and most of West Asia and Central Asia. The Bahá'í Faith originated in Asia, in Iran (Persia), and spread from there to the Ottoman Empire, Central Asia, India, and Burma during the lifetime of Bahá'u'lláh. Since the middle of the 20th Century, growth has particularly occurred in other Asian countries, because the Bahá'í Faith's activities in many Muslim countries has been severely suppressed by authorities. Dharmic and Taoist The religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism originated in India, South Asia. In East Asia, particularly in China and Japan, Confucianism, Taoism and Zen Buddhism took shape. Over 80% of the populations of both India and Nepal adhere to Hinduism, alongside significant communities in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Bali. Many overseas Indians in countries such as Burma, Singapore and Malaysia also adhere to Hinduism. Buddhism has a great following in mainland Southeast Asia and East Asia. Buddhism is the religion of the majority of the populations of Cambodia (98%)45, Thailand (95%)46, Burma (89%)47, Japan (84-96%)48, Bhutan (75%)49, Sri Lanka (69%)50, Laos (67%-98%)51 and Mongolia (50%).52 Large Buddhist populations also exist in Singapore (42.5%)53, Taiwan (35.1%-93%)5455565758, South Korea (23.2%)59, Malaysia(19.2%)60, Nepal(10.7%)61, Vietnam (9.3-80%)62, China(8-80%)63, North Korea (4.5%-60%)646566, Indonesia (<2%)67; and small communities in India and Bangladesh. In many Chinese communities, Mahayana Buddhism is easily syncretized with Taoism, thus exact religious statistics is difficult to obtain and may be understated or overstated. The Communist-governed countries of China, Vietnam and North Korea are officially atheist, thus the number of Buddhists and other religious adherents may be under-reported. Jainism is found mainly in India and in oversea Indian communities such as India and Malaysia. Sikhism is found in Northern India and amongst overseas Indian communities in other parts of Asia, especially Southeast Asia. Confucianism is found predominantly in Mainland China, South Korea, Taiwan and in overseas Chinese populations. Taoism is found mainly in Mainland China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. Taoism is easily syncretized with Mahayana Buddhism for many Chinese, thus exact religious statistics is difficult to obtain and may be understated or overstated. Human Development East Asia had by far the strongest overall HDI performance of any region in the world, nearly doubling average HDI attainment over the past 40 years, according to the Report’s analysis of health, education and income data. PR China, the second highest achiever in the world in terms of HDI improvement since 1970, is the only country on the “Top 10 Movers” list due to income rather than health or education achievements. Its per capita income increased a stunning 21-fold over the last four decades, also lifting hundreds of millions out of income poverty. Yet it was not among the region’s top performers in improving school enrolment and life expectancy.68 Nepal, a South Asian country, emerges as one of the world’s fastest movers since 1970 mainly due to health and education achievements. Its present life expectancy is 25 years longer than 1970's.; more than four of every five children of school age in Nepal now attend primary school, compared to just one in five 40 years ago.68 Japan and South Korea ranked highest among the countries grouped on the HDI (number 11 and 12 in the world, which are in the “very high human development” category), followed by Hong Kong, China (SAR)(21) and Singapore (27). Afghanistan (155) ranked lowest amongst Asian countries out of the 169 countries assessed.68 See also Asia portal Main articles: Outline of Asia and Index of Asia-related articles Asian Century Asian cuisine Asian furniture Asian Games Asian Monetary Unit Eastern world Far East Fauna of Asia Flags of Asia Middle East Eastern Mediterranean Levant Near East Pan-Asianism

Lists: List of cities in Asia List of metropolitan areas in Asia by population List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Asia References ^ "List of continents by population". Worldatlas.com. http://www.worldatlas.com/geoquiz/thelist.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-01.  ^ "Like herrings in a barrel". The Economist. December 23, 1999. ^ a b "Asia". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. ^ National Geographic Atlas of the World (7th ed.). Washington, DC: National Geographic. 1999. ISBN 978-0-7922-7528-2.  "Europe" (pp. 68–9); "Asia" (pp. 90–1): "A commonly accepted division between Asia and Europe ... is formed by the Ural Mountains, Ural River, Caspian Sea, Caucasus Mountains, and the Black Sea with its outlets, the Bosporus and Dardanelles." ^ a b "Asia". McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. 2006. New York: McGraw-Hill Inc. ^ a b c d e f g h i Reid, T.R. Confucius Lives Next Door: What living in the East teaches us about living in the west Vintage Books(1999). ^ Ἀσία, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library ^ Asie, on Theoi Project, Exploring Greek Mythology and the Gods in Classical Literature and Art ^ "Asia." MSN Encarta Encyclopedia. 2007. Archived 2009-10-31.dead link ^ "Geography Is Destiny — The Atlantic (December 2008)". The Atlantic. 2008-12-01. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200812/editors-choice. Retrieved 2009-04-20.  ^ Welty, Paul Thomas. The Asians Their Evolving Heritage, 6th ed., p. 21. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1984. ISBN 978-0-06-047001-2. ^ World University Service of Canada. Asia-WUSC WorldWide. 2006. October 7, 2006. <http://www.wusc.ca/expertise/worldwide/asia/>. ^ Menon, Sridevi. Duke University. Where is West Asia in Asian America?: "Asia" and the Politics of Space in Asian America. 2004. April 26, 2007. page 71 ^ "Index". BBC News. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/asia_pacific/.  ^ American Heritage Book of English Usage Asian. 1996. September 29, 2006.dead link ^   Continental regions as per UN categorisations (map), except 12. Depending on definitions, various territories cited below (notes 6, 11-13, 15, 17-19, 21-23) may be in one or both of Asia and Europe, Africa, or Oceania. ^   Kazakhstan is sometimes considered a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe; population and area figures are for Asian portion only. ^   Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China. ^ "HK Census and Statistics Department". Censtatd.gov.hk. http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics/statistics_by_subject/index.jsp?subjectID=1&charsetID=1&displayMode=T. Retrieved 2009-08-28.  ^   Macau is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China. ^   The People's Republic of China is commonly known as "China", which has subsumed the eponymous entity and civilization (China). Figures given are for mainland China only, and do not include Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. ^   Figures are for the area under the de facto control of the state, Republic of China (ROC) , commonly referred to as Taiwan. Claimed in whole by the PRC; see political status of Taiwan. ^   Russia is considered a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia; population and area figures are for the entire state. ^ Excludes Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Australian external territories in the Indian Ocean southwest of Indonesia). ^   The administrative capital of Burma (Myanmar) was officially moved from Yangon (Rangoon) to a militarised greenfield just west of Pyinmana on 6 November 2005. ^ "General Population Census of Cambodia 2008 - Provisional population totals, National Institute of Statistics, Ministry of Planning, released 3rd September, 2008" (PDF). http://www.stat.go.jp/english/info/meetings/cambodia/pdf/pre_rep1.pdf. Retrieved 2010-06-01.  ^   East Timor is often considered a transcontinental country in Southeastern Asia and Oceania. ^   Indonesia is often considered a transcontinental country in Southeastern Asia and Oceania; figures do not include Irian Jaya and Maluku Islands, frequently reckoned in Oceania (Melanesia/Australasia). ^   Includes Jammu and Kashmir, a contested territory among India, Pakistan, and the PRC. ^   Armenia is sometimes considered a transcontinental country: physiographically in Western Asia, it has historical and sociopolitical connections with Europe. ^   Azerbaijan is often considered a transcontinental country in Western Asia and Eastern Europe; population and area figures are for Asian portion only. Figures include Nakhchivan, an autonomous exclave of Azerbaijan bordered by Armenia, Iran and Turkey. ^   The island of Cyprus is sometimes considered a transcontinental territory. In the Eastern Basin of the Mediterranean, south of Turkey, north of Sinai, and west of Lebanon and Syria, it has some socio-political connections with Europe. However, the UN considers Cyprus to be within Western Asia, while the CIA regards it as Middle Eastern. ^   Georgia is often considered a transcontinental country in Western Asia and Eastern Europe. ^ In 1980, Jerusalem was proclaimed Israel's united capital, following its annexation of Arab-dominant East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War. The United Nations and many countries do not recognize this claim, with most countries maintaining embassies in Tel Aviv instead. ^   Turkey is generally considered a transcontinental country in Western Asia and Southern Europe; population and area figures are for Asian portion only, excluding all of Istanbul. ^ Five Years of China's WTO Membership. EU and US Perspectives on China's Compliance with Transparency Commitments and the Transitional Review Mechanism, Legal Issues of Economic Integration, Kluwer Law International, Volume 33, Number 3, pp. 263–304, 2006. by Paolo Farah ^ "Professor M.D. Nalapat. Ensuring China's "Peaceful Rise". Accessed January 30, 2008". Bharat-rakshak.com. 2001-09-11. http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/SRR/Volume14/nalapat.html. Retrieved 2010-06-01.  ^ "Dahlman, Carl J; Aubert, Jean-Eric. China and the Knowledge Economy: Seizing the 21st Century. WBI Development Studies. World Bank Publications. Accessed January 30, 2008". Eric.ed.gov. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED460052&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED460052. Retrieved 2010-06-01.  ^ "The Real Great Leap Forward. The Economist. Sept 30, 2004". Economist.com. 2004-09-30. http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_PNTJQTR. Retrieved 2010-06-01.  ^ Chris Patten. Financial Times. Comment & Analysis: Why Europe is getting China so wrong. Accessed January 30, 2008. ^ "Rise of Japan and 4 Asian Tigers from". emergingdragon.com. http://www.emergingdragon.com/. Retrieved 2010-06-01.  ^ "Commonwealth Business Council-Asia". Archived from the original on July 28, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070728122032/http%3A//www.cbcglobal.org/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D84%26Itemid%3D507. Retrieved April 12, 2007.  ^ His Holiness's Teachings at TCV. "A Brief Biography". Dalailama.com. http://www.dalailama.com/biography/a-brief-biography. Retrieved 2010-06-01.  ^ "The Jewish Population of the World". Jewishvirtuallibrary.org. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/jewpop.html. Retrieved 2010-06-01.  ^ "CIA — The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cb.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20.  ^ "CIA — The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/th.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20.  ^ "CIA — The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bm.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20.  ^ "CIA — The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ja.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20.  ^ "CIA — The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bt.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20.  ^ "CIA — The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ce.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20.  ^ "CIA — The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/la.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20.  ^ "CIA — The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mg.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20.  ^ "CIA — The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sn.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20.  ^ "CIA — The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tw.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20.  ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named cia-factbook; see Help:Cite errors/Cite error references no text ^ "China (includes Taiwan only): International Religious Freedom Report 2005". US Department of State: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 2005-11-08. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51508.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-24.  ^ "China (includes Taiwan only): International Religious Freedom Report 2006". US Department of State: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 2006-09-15. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71337.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-24.  ^ "China (includes Taiwan only): International Religious Freedom Report 2007". US Department of State: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 2006-09-15. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90134.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-24.  ^ "CIA — The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ks.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20.  ^ "CIA — The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/my.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20.  ^ "CIA — The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/np.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20.  ^ "CIA — The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/vm.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20.  ^ Travel China Guide – Han Chinese, Windows on Asia – Chinese Religions, China – Travel China Guide – Religions and Beliefs, Every Culture – Han people: Religion and Expressive Culture, Every Culture – Han Chinese in the People's Republic of China ^ "Culture of North Korea - Alternative name, History and ethnic relations". Countries and Their Cultures. Advameg Inc.. http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/North-Korea.html. Retrieved 2009-07-04.  ^ CIA The World Factbook -- North Korea ^ "Background Note: North Korea". U.S. State Department. 2009-2. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2792.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-04.  ^ "CIA — The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/id.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20.  ^ a b c "2010 Human Development Report: Asian countries lead development progress over 40 years". UNDP. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/PR6-HDR10-RegRBAP-E-rev5-sm.pdf. Retrieved 2010-12-22.  "Asia". The Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online. 2005. New York: Columbia University Press. World Conflicts: Asia and the Middle East. Edited by Carl L. Bankston III. New York: Salem Press. Further reading Higham, Charles. Encyclopedia of Ancient Asian Civilizations. Facts on File library of world history. New York: Facts On File, 2004. Kamal, Niraj. "Arise Asia: Respond to White Peril". New Delhi:Wordsmith,2002, ISBN 978-81-87412-08-3 Kapadia, Feroz, and Mandira Mukherjee. Encyclopaedia of Asian Culture and Society. New Delhi: Anmol Publications, 1999. Levinson, David, and Karen Christensen. Encyclopedia of Modern Asia. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2002. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Asia Wikinews has news related to: Asia European Digital Archive on the Soil Maps of the World - EuDASM Map Asia Maps of Asia from the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library Philp Bowring, "What is Asia?" Columbia University Asia For Educators  Articles Related to Asia v · d · eAsia topics

Culture · Demographics · Economy · Geography · History · Politics v · d · eCountries and dependencies of Asia Sovereign states Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Burma (Myanmar) · Cambodia · People's Republic of China · Cyprus · Egypt · Georgia · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · North Korea · South Korea · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Nepal · Oman · Pakistan · Philippines · Qatar · Russia · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Thailand · East Timor (Timor-Leste) · Turkey · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen States with limited recognition Abkhazia · Republic of China (Taiwan) · Nagorno-Karabakh · Northern Cyprus · Palestine · South Ossetia · Dependencies and Special Administrative Regions Australia Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands People's Republic of China Hong Kong · Macau United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia · British Indian Ocean Territory v · d · eContinents     Africa Antarctica Asia Australia Europe North America South America     Afro-Eurasia Americas Eurasia Oceania     Geological supercontinents Gondwana · Laurasia · Pangaea · Pannotia · Rodinia · Columbia · Kenorland · Nena · Ur · Vaalbara Historical continents Arctica · Asiamerica · Atlantica · Avalonia · Baltica · Cimmeria · Congo craton · Euramerica · Kalaharia · Kazakhstania · Laurentia · North China  · Siberia · South China · Ur · East Antarctica  · India     Submerged continents Kerguelen Plateau · Zealandia Possible future supercontinents Pangaea Ultima · Amasia · Novopangaea Mythical and theorized continents Atlantis · Lemuria · Meropis · Mu · Terra Australis See also Regions of the world v · d · eRegions of the world Africa Northern · Sub-Sahara (Central · Southern · Western · Eastern) Oceania Australasia (Australia) · Melanesia · Micronesia · Polynesia Americas North (Northern • Middle • Central • Caribbean) · South (Southern • Northern • Western) · Anglo · Latin Polar Arctic · Antarctic Asia Central · Eastern (Northeastern) · Northern · Southeastern · Southern · Western (Middle East) Oceans World · Arctic · Atlantic · Indian · Pacific · Southern Europe Central · Eastern · Northern · Southeastern · Southern · Western Seas List of seas Related Continents of the world · List of seas · Physical Earth

Culture · Demographics · Economy · Geography · History · Politics v · d · eCountries and dependencies of Asia Sovereign states Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Burma (Myanmar) · Cambodia · People's Republic of China · Cyprus · Egypt · Georgia · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · North Korea · South Korea · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Nepal · Oman · Pakistan · Philippines · Qatar · Russia · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Thailand · East Timor (Timor-Leste) · Turkey · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen States with limited recognition Abkhazia · Republic of China (Taiwan) · Nagorno-Karabakh · Northern Cyprus · Palestine · South Ossetia · Dependencies and Special Administrative Regions Australia Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands People's Republic of China Hong Kong · Macau United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia · British Indian Ocean Territory v · d · eContinents     Africa Antarctica Asia Australia Europe North America South America     Afro-Eurasia Americas Eurasia Oceania     Geological supercontinents Gondwana · Laurasia · Pangaea · Pannotia · Rodinia · Columbia · Kenorland · Nena · Ur · Vaalbara Historical continents Arctica · Asiamerica · Atlantica · Avalonia · Baltica · Cimmeria · Congo craton · Euramerica · Kalaharia · Kazakhstania · Laurentia · North China  · Siberia · South China · Ur · East Antarctica  · India     Submerged continents Kerguelen Plateau · Zealandia Possible future supercontinents Pangaea Ultima · Amasia · Novopangaea Mythical and theorized continents Atlantis · Lemuria · Meropis · Mu · Terra Australis See also Regions of the world v · d · eRegions of the world Africa Northern · Sub-Sahara (Central · Southern · Western · Eastern) Oceania Australasia (Australia) · Melanesia · Micronesia · Polynesia Americas North (Northern • Middle • Central • Caribbean) · South (Southern • Northern • Western) · Anglo · Latin Polar Arctic · Antarctic Asia Central · Eastern (Northeastern) · Northern · Southeastern · Southern · Western (Middle East) Oceans World · Arctic · Atlantic · Indian · Pacific · Southern Europe Central · Eastern · Northern · Southeastern · Southern · Western Seas List of seas Related Continents of the world · List of seas · Physical Earth

Culture · Demographics · Economy · Geography · History · Politics v · d · eCountries and dependencies of Asia Sovereign states Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Burma (Myanmar) · Cambodia · People's Republic of China · Cyprus · Egypt · Georgia · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · North Korea · South Korea · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Nepal · Oman · Pakistan · Philippines · Qatar · Russia · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Thailand · East Timor (Timor-Leste) · Turkey · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen States with limited recognition Abkhazia · Republic of China (Taiwan) · Nagorno-Karabakh · Northern Cyprus · Palestine · South Ossetia · Dependencies and Special Administrative Regions Australia Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands People's Republic of China Hong Kong · Macau United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia · British Indian Ocean Territory v · d · eContinents     Africa Antarctica Asia Australia Europe North America South America     Afro-Eurasia Americas Eurasia Oceania     Geological supercontinents Gondwana · Laurasia · Pangaea · Pannotia · Rodinia · Columbia · Kenorland · Nena · Ur · Vaalbara Historical continents Arctica · Asiamerica · Atlantica · Avalonia · Baltica · Cimmeria · Congo craton · Euramerica · Kalaharia · Kazakhstania · Laurentia · North China  · Siberia · South China · Ur · East Antarctica  · India     Submerged continents Kerguelen Plateau · Zealandia Possible future supercontinents Pangaea Ultima · Amasia · Novopangaea Mythical and theorized continents Atlantis · Lemuria · Meropis · Mu · Terra Australis See also Regions of the world v · d · eRegions of the world Africa Northern · Sub-Sahara (Central · Southern · Western · Eastern) Oceania Australasia (Australia) · Melanesia · Micronesia · Polynesia Americas North (Northern • Middle • Central • Caribbean) · South (Southern • Northern • Western) · Anglo · Latin Polar Arctic · Antarctic Asia Central · Eastern (Northeastern) · Northern · Southeastern · Southern · Western (Middle East) Oceans World · Arctic · Atlantic · Indian · Pacific · Southern Europe Central · Eastern · Northern · Southeastern · Southern · Western Seas List of seas Related Continents of the world · List of seas · Physical Earth