Asia is the largest and most populous continent in the world. It is home to some of the oldest civilisations, and some of the most diverse cultures, languages, and religions. It is a continent of great economic and cultural importance. We will be exploring the Top 10 Facts about Asia. From its incredible wildlife to its historical and cultural landmarks, there is so much to discover about this unique continent.

Asia is one of the world’s 7 continents. To find out about the continents head to out Top 10 Facts about Continents.

1. There are 49 countries in Asia 

These include India, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan and many more.

2. Two countries in Asia are also in Europe

Russia and Turkey have both land in Europe and land in Asia. 

3. More than 4.7 billion people live on the continent

This makes Asia the continent with the most people living in it. 

4. Asia is home to around 2,300 languages

The most widely spoken Asian languages are Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Bengali and Japanese. Hindi is also the oldest language in the world. 

5. There are 12 landlocked countries in Asia

Landlocked means countries which do not have a coastline so are not on the sea.

 The landlocked countries in Asia are Armenia, Bhutan, Laos, Nepal, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

6. The continent covers one-third of the Earth’s surface

This makes it the biggest continent in the world

7. Asia has the highest mountain in the world

Mount Everest is part of the Himalaya mountain range. The Himalayas are spread across five Asian countries; Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

8. The biggest island in Asia is Borneo

Borneo in South-East Asia is the third largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. 

The island belongs to three countries: Malaysia and Brunei in the north and Indonesia in the south. 

Borneo is known for its rainforests. Many animals only live on this island such as the Bornean Orangutan.

9. Asia is the birthplace of all major religions

Asia is the birthplace of all the world’s major religions—Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism

Buddhism for example began in India and is now a key religion in China, South Korea, Japan, the Southeast Asian countries, and Sri Lanka. 

10. Asia has a very varied climate

Some parts of Asia are very cold like Siberia in Russia, whereas countries like Thailand and the Maldives are known for tropical weather.

This means there is varied animals and wildlife across Asia from jungles with monkeys to polar bears in colder regions.

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