Facts About Asia

South-East Asia covers an area of about 4,100,000 square kilometres containing the following countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, China, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakstan, Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen.

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. With outlying islands, it covers an estimated 44,936,000 sq km (17,350,000 sq mi), or about one-third of the world's total land area.

Climates in Asia range from that of the equatorial rain forest to that of the Arctic tundra. For the most part, the northern part of Asia is dominated by movement of polar continental air masses that travel from western Siberia to the northern Pacific.

Asia is rich in natural resources, such as petroleum and iron. High productivity in agriculture, especially of rice, allows high population density of countries in the warm and humid area. Other main agricultural products include wheat and chicken. Forestry is extensive throughout Asia, except in Southwest and Central Asia. Fishing is a major source of food in Asia, particularly in Japan.

Manufacturing in Asia has traditionally been strongest in East and Southeast Asia, particularly in mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. The industry varies from manufacturing cheap goods such as toys to high-tech products such as computers and cars. Many companies from Europe, North America, and Japan have significant operations in Asia's developing countries to take advantage of its abundant supply of cheap labour.

One of the major employers in manufacturing in Asia is the textile industry. Much of the world's supply of clothing and footwear now originates in India and Southeast Asia.

Asia has three main financial centres: in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo. The rise of the business process outsourcing industry has seen the rise of India and China as other financial centres.

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 415 languages spoken in India, and more than 100 are spoken in the Philippines. China has many languages and dialects in different provinces. Korea, however, is home to only one language, albeit one with high dialectal diversity.

The fauna of Asia is as diverse as the continent's climates, terrain, and vegetation. The northern regions are rich in furbearers, such as the brown bear, otter, lynx, sable, ermine, and wolf, in addition to a vast array of birdlife. The steppe and semiarid regions support antelope and numerous species of burrowing animals such as hare and field mice. Freshwater fish are found in all parts of the continent, and Lake Baykal is notable for its distinctive fauna. Wild sheep and goats are found in the highlands, and Tibet is the home of the wild yak. Wildlife is scarcer in the hot dry regions of Southwest Asia and in parts of South Asia, where the most famous indigenous animal, the Asian lion, is virtually extinct. Jackals and hyenas, however, are common in these regions.

For more information about asia visit Asia Hotels News. Asia Hotels News provide Updated News on Special Rates and Discounted Hotels in Asia. Search for your favourite Hotels in Auckland, Bali, Bangkok, Brisbane and many more!