A world map showing where Asia is Asia is the largest continent on Earth by area and number of people .[1] It is mainly in the northern hemisphere . Asia is connected to Europe in the west. Sometimes, Asia and Europe are combined to form a larger continent called Eurasia .[2] Some of the oldest human civilizations began in Asia, for example Sumer , China , and India . Asia was the birthplace of many religions , for example Hinduism , Zoroastrianism , Judaism , Jainism , Buddhism , Confucianism , Taoism , Christianity , Islam , and Sikhism . It was also home to some large empires, for example the Persian Empire , the Mughal Empire , the Mongol Empire , and the Ming Empire . It is home to at least 44 countries. Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Greece have territory in both Europe and Asia.
Geographic area of AsiaAsia includes a large amount of land. Covering about 30% of the world's land area, it has more people than any other continent, with about 60% of the world's total population .[3] Stretching from the icy Arctic in the north to the hot and steamy equatorial lands in the south, Asia contains huge, empty deserts , as well as some of the world's highest mountains and longest rivers.
Asia is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea , the Black Sea , the Arctic Ocean , the Pacific Ocean , and the Indian Ocean . It is separated from Europe by the Pontic Mountains and the Turkish Straits . A long, mainly land border in the west separates Europe and Asia. This line runs north–south down the Ural Mountains in Russia, along the Ural River to the Caspian Sea , and through the Caucasus Mountains to the Black Sea.
Some countries are in both Europe and Asia, for example Russia , Georgia , Kazakhstan , and Turkey . The Sinai Peninsula of Egypt is in western Asia. The rest of the country is in North-East Africa .
There are some other countries in Asia with limited recognition. Many countries do not recognize them as separate countries.
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