Talking about the biggest continent in the world, which is Asia fascinates a lot of people. Their fascination arises from the fact that there are a lot of varying cultures in Asia, and each country within it seems to have a different identity!
With this in mind, we tackle some facts, information as well as other lesser-known information about Asia. These facts will serve as a guide for you in slowly unraveling this mysterious continent and entice you to know more, and even visit countries in this region. While we are talking about facts here, if you want to read more about Asia and articles about their people, culture, and lifestyles, do check out Haveyoudesign. The site aims to help you know more about Asia and talks about Asian fashion, Asian history, Asian art as well as Asian daily life. So please go check them out.
So, let’s start with unraveling some facts about Asia!
● Asia is the biggest and most diverse continent in the world.
● In Asia, 48 countries are recognized by the UN. However, Palestine has observer status, as it does not rule much of the land claimed.
● Two of the Asian nations, on the European continent, also share part of their territory; these are Russia and Turkey.
● The biggest city in Asia, in Japan, is Tokyo.
● It is the Maldives, which is the smallest country.
● The longest river on the Asian continent is the Yangtze River.
● The Gobi desert is Asia’s largest desert and the world’s fifth-largest desert.
● Asia comprises 12 landlocked nations.
● Russia, by landmass, is the largest country, although roughly 40 percent of the nation belongs to the European continent. By population, China is the largest nation.
● Asia contains not only the highest but also the lowest point on the Earth’s surface. It has the longest coastline on any continent.
● The cultures of Asia have recorded the most extensive variety of human adaptations found on any of the continents.
● The Suez Isthmus unites Asia with Africa, and it is widely accepted that the Suez Canal forms their boundary.
● The Asian mainland’s farthest terminal points are Cape Chelyuskin in north-central Siberia, northward Russia. In the south, the tip of the Malay Peninsula, Cape Piai, or Bulus. To the west is Cape Baba in Turkey. Cape Dezhnev (Dezhnyov), or East Cape, in northeastern Siberia, facing East Bering Strait.
● Asia has the highest average continental elevation and features an enormous relative relief.
● Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain, reaching an elevation of 29,035 feet.
● The Dead Sea, the lowest position on Earth’s land surface, stood at approximately 1,410 feet (430 meters) below sea level in the mid-2010s.
● Asia has the deepest continental trough in the world, formed by Lake Baikal, 5,315 feet (1,620 meters) deep, and 3,822 feet (1,165 meters) below sea level at its bottom.
● Asia is the birthplace of all major religions around the world—Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism—and several minor faiths.
● Asia also includes the highest mountain mass on Earth’s surface: the Tibet Plateau and the surrounding Himalayan Mountains, Karakoram Range, Hindu Kush, Pamirs, Kunlun Mountains, and Tien Shan Mountains.
● Most animals in Asia face the subject of extinction, most notably for China’s giant panda and the Sumatran rhinoceros and Southeast Asian orangutan.
● Asia is about one-third of the world’s land area and is home to nearly three-fifths of its people.
● The continent is composed of the two most populated nations, China and India, which together make up almost two-fifths of all populations.
● The continent includes one of the most economically advanced countries in the world, Japan and a host of poorer nations, such as Afghanistan, Cambodia, and Nepal.
● The development has come from lucrative mining reserves of petroleum and natural gas for countries like Saudi Arabia, other Persian Gulf states, and Brunei.
● Asia has vast coal reserves, which amount to almost three-fifths of the world’s total, but they are spread unevenly.
● In Asia, at least two-thirds of the world’s estimated reserves of crude oil and natural gas are located.
● China, Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, and North Korea are the largest producers of iron ore and ferroalloy ores.
● By far, the more significant part of Asia remains uncultivated, mostly because of adverse climatic and soil conditions.
● Among most Asians, rice is the staple food crop. Asia generates around 90 percent of the total rice supply in the world.
● Throughout Asia, it identifies more than 2,300 languages.
● Seven of the countries in Asia are part of the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II of England leads the Commonwealth. Commonwealth-owned Asian nations are Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, and Sri Lanka.
● Indonesia is the only country in Asia that is wholly in the Southern Hemisphere.
● Asia comprises about 30% of the world’s land area and 60% of the world’s population.
● Asia is the only continent with two other continents sharing borders; Africa and Europe. This is also joined by ice formed in the Bering Sea with a third continent, North America, in winter.
● Asia is home to two of the world’s three largest economies: China (2nd) and Japan (3rd). Russia and India are the top 10 economies in the world, too.
● It is believed that up to 90 percent of South Asians are intolerant of lactose. Some Asians lack or have lower levels of the enzyme called lactase, which means they can’t digest lactose from dairy products.
●
● Although some people assume that the Middle East is a separate continent, it belongs to the continent of Asia. You will find Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is the world’s tallest building.
● At a life expectancy of 84.2 years, the Japanese people are surviving death longer than any other population on the planet. They’re living the longest in the entire world.
● Singapore, South Korea, and Japan have the world’s highest average IQ.
● According to a study, a particular enzyme found in the liver to metabolize alcohol is deficient in up to 50 percent of the Asian population.
● Nearly 1,600 temples are located in Kyoto, Japan.
● Indonesia is situated on the Pacific Plate border – a region known as the ‘Fire Ring.’ With 127 volcanoes currently active in the world, it’s easy to see how they got this name.
● Japan has produced 22 Nobel prizewinners. This number is more than any other Asian nation per capita! Japan has long enjoyed a proud reputation as a hub for technology, culture, and literature.
● The Rafflesia found growing in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia’s forest floors produce large flowers up to a meter full and are the largest flora in the world.
● Western Thailand is home to the hog-nosed bat of the Kitti, also known as the bumblebee bat, considered by some to be the smallest mammal on Earth.
There you have it! All the most interesting facts about Asia! I hope you have learned something new, beautiful, and unique about Asia with this. As always, it’s better to immerse yourself in the culture to be able to know more about the place, so be sure to add Asian destinations on your next travels! Ciao!
