 Land area

o 17 million square miles

o about 30% of the world’s total land area
 Population
o 3.7 billion people
o about 60% of the world's total population
 Concept of ``Asia"
o given by Greeks in 5th century B.C.
o ``Asia minor" versus ``Asia major"
 Five major realms
o East Asia
 China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan
o Southeast Asia
 Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, Laos,
Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, and the Philippines
o South Asia
 India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, and Bhutan
o Southwest Asia
 Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Cyprus, Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman,
United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait
o Russian Asia and Central Asia
 Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan
 Other divisions
o culturally Asian
 East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia
o Pacific Asia
 East Asia and Southeast Asia
 Natural environment
o The Himalayas Mountains and Tibetan Plateau
o Rivers and plains
 the Tigris, the Euphrates, and Mesopotamia
 the Ganges and the Indus River
 the Yangtze (Changjiang, or ``Long River")  and Huanghe (``Yellow
River")
 cradles of Chinese civilization
o The highest and lowest points on earth
 Qumulangma Peak (Mount Everest)
 Dead Sea
o Natural disasters
 flood and typhoons
 ``Ring of Fire": earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

Asia is the largest continent on planet Earth, both by physical size and
human population. It is located in the Eastern Hemisphere, along with the
continents of Europe, Africa, and Australia. Asia is positioned east of
both Europe and Africa, and north of Australia. It is connected to Europe,
creating the super-continent of Eurasia. It is connected to Africa by a
small chunk of land called the Sinai Peninsula; it has no physical
connection to Australia. Both mountains and waterways separate Asia
from Europe. 49 countries call Asia home, with both the physically largest
nation (Russia, though it is considered politically a part of Europe) and
the nation with the most population (China, at around 1.4 billion people
as of 2021). It also has the second-most populated nation, that being
India, at around 1.3 billion as of 2021. In fact, Asia is home to over 60%
of the total world's population! In addition, it contains nations that are not
physically located in Asia, but are instead archipelagos/chains of islands,
such as Indonesia and Japan.

The enormity of Asia can be found not just in its people, but by its
physical geography. Asia roughly one-third of all land on Earth, with a
total area of over 17.2 million square miles. As such, its geography is
wide and varied, containing nearly all of the world's biomes. Some of
these biomes include the frigid cold taiga/boreal forests of Siberia, to the
humid, tropical forests of southeast Asia. It is this geography that has
played a major role in shaping human history; some of the world's first
civilizations, such as the Indus River Valley civilization of India, or the
Sumerians sandwiched between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers were
found here.

Asia's physical geography can be divided into five major landforms:

1. Mountains: This includes Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth

2. Deserts: Mostly found in the southeast, this includes the Rub al Kali, known for containing more
sand than the Sahara, in the Arabian Peninsula
3. Plains: Found mainly in Asia's center, this includes the West Siberian Plain, one of the largest
plains systems in the world
4. Rivers: The third-longest river in the world, the Yangtze, is found in China
5. Lakes: One of the most notable includes Lake Baikal in Russia, the deepest freshwater lake in
the world

Physical Features of Asia

The physical geography of Asia can be generally categorized into three: land of high elevation
(mountains and plateaus), land of low elevation (plains and deserts), and major bodies of water, such as
rivers, lakes, and seas.

Mountains & Plateaus of Asia

Mountain chains form the land boundaries between Europe and Asia. These include the Ural Mountains
of Russia, and the Caucuses south of Russia. However, arguably the most famous mountain chain in
Asia is the Himalayas. The Himalayas is a mountain range in southeast Asia that contains the world's
tallest mountain, Mount Everest. They help form a natural boundary between the countries of China and
India, as well as contain smaller nations such as Nepal and Bhutan. They were formed around 35 million
years ago, when the Indian subcontinent collided with Eurasia. This collision of to tectonic plates forced
the crust to rise up, known as tectonic uplift. Its effects are still being seen today, as the Himalayas are
still growing in height! In addition to mountain chains. Asia also has plateaus, areas of elevated land with
often flat tops and steep hills. One of the most famous in Asia is the Tibetan Plateau, which is found in
southwestern China, Nepal, and Bhutan. These plateaus are usually surrounded by mountain ranges,
with the Tibetan Plateau being surrounded by the Himalyas. The Tibetan Plateau was also formed when
India collided with Asia.

Mount Everest, known locally as Sagarmantha. It is the tallest mountain in the

world, at over 29,000 feet (or 5 miles) above sea level!

Lakes and Major Rivers in Asia: Map & Examples

Lake Baikal, the deepest body of freshwater in the world.

The waterways of Asia are arguably the most important geological feature for human civilization on the
continent. The earliest recorded civilization, the Sumerians, arose in between the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers in the Middle East. The Indus River Valley Civilization, the first civilization in India, arose around
the Indus River. Finally, in East Asia, Chinese civilization started along the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers;
the Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia, at around 3,915 miles long, making it the third-longest river
in the world (behind the Nile and the Amazon)! This is because these rivers saturate the surrounding
land, making river valleys some of the fertile areas for agriculture. In addition to its rivers, Asia is
significant for its lakes, two in particular. The first is the Caspian Sea, the largest inland body of water in
the world. Covering an area larger than the country of Japan, at around 149.2 square miles, the Caspian
is also the largest salt lake in the world. The Caspian, in addition to the Urals, also serve as a physical
divider between Europe and Asia. The second significant lake in Asia is Lake Baikal. Located in
Siberia, Lake Baikal is the deepest inland body of water, with a depth of over 5,000 feet. Baikal is also
the oldest body of freshwater, having formed 25 million years ago; it holds the largest amount of
freshwater on Earth, containing over 20% of the total amount.
In addition to its lakes and rivers, Asia is known for its seas. In western Asia, the most significant are the
Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. The Red Sea, on the left side of the Arabian Peninsula, is a major trading
hub for the world; the Persian Gulf, on the peninsula's right side, has large amount of oil reservoirs under
the sea floor, giving the countries surrounding a major source of revenue. In eastern Asia, some of the
major seas include the Bay of Bengal (east of India), the Sea of Japan (separates the Korean Peninsula
and Japan), and the South China Sea (in southeast Asia).
Asia is the largest of the world’s continents, covering approximately 30
percent of the Earth’s land area. It is also the world’s
most populous continent, with roughly 60 percent of the total population.

The geographic term “Asia” was originally used by ancient Greeks to

describe the civilizations east of their empire. Ancient Asian peoples,
however, saw themselves as a varied and diverse mix of cultures—not a
collective group. Today, the term “Asia” is used as a cultural concept,
while subregion classifications describe the distinct geopolitical identities
of the continent. These classifications are Western Asia, Central Asia,
Southern Asia, Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, and Northern Asia.

Today, Asia is home to the citizens of Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan,

Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Georgia, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait,
Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar
(Burma), Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar,
Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria,
Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Turkey, Turkmenistan,
United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.

Asia’s physical geography, environment and resources, and human

geography can be considered separately.

Asia is home to the world’s earliest civilizations.

Its indigenous cultures pioneered many practices that have
been integral to societies for centuries, such as agriculture, city planning,
and religion. The social and political geography of
the continent continues to inform and influence the rest of the world.

Cultural Geography

Historic Cultures
The Fertile Crescent is considered the birthplace
of agriculture. Civilizations developed along a series of watersheds,
starting with the Nile River valley and arching up the Mediterranean
coast, eastward toward Iraq and southward along the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers until reaching the Persian Gulf.

Nomadic peoples settled along the lush river banks to harvest wild wheat
and barley, becoming the world’s first farmers. This represented a
fundamental shift in the lifestyle of early humans, who until that point had
survived by following their food as hunter-gatherers. Through agriculture,
people learned to sustain themselves by manipulating the
natural environment.

As more tribes settled and worked together, important agricultural

innovations were developed, such as the wheel, irrigation, and hand
tools. Farmers used these tools to tame wild grasses, such as wheat,
barley, and lentils. Farmers also domesticated animals such as cows,
sheep, and pigs.

Agriculture made cities and civilizations possible by producing enough

food for the community so not everyone had to provide for themselves.
People not engaged in agriculture had time to develop
writing, religion, taxation, and trade. For instance, the cuneiform writing
system has preserved the history of the metropolis of Ur, part of the
Sumerian civilization, which developed around 2100 BCE.

The Indus Valley was another hotspot of early civilization. From 2600

BCE to 1700 BCE, settlements developed on the flood plain of the Indus
River, stretching over a million square kilometers from northwestern India
through Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The cities of the Indus Valley civilization established early forms of urban

planning and construction. Buildings were well-organized and built out of
durable materials such as brick and stone. Cities contained docks along
the river, granaries, temples, residences, and warehouses. Cities were
often surrounded by high walls, which offered protection from
both natural disasters, such as floods, and invading armies.

Placing a high priority on hygiene, cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-daro

(both in modern-day Pakistan) developed drainage systems, wells, and
water-storage systems that were the most advanced of their times. For
example, wastewater was directed from a home’s bathhouse to covered
drains that lined major streets. Houses only opened to inner courtyards
and smaller lanes. This privacy radically reduced the spread of disease.
These efficient and sanitary systems greatly influenced future urban
development.

The spread of religion is an important example of how cultural practices

expand into distant territories through a variety of direct and indirect
actions. Buddhism, for example, has its roots in Nepal and India in the
late 6th century BCE. Well-established maritime and land trade routes
allowed Buddhist thought to spread to other Asian territories.
Missionaries joined Buddhist merchants on their ships and caravans,
carrying with them religious manuscripts and images.

Buddhist missionaries remained in market cities for extended periods of

time, facilitating the exchange of ideas and symbols. Today, Buddhism is
the majority religion throughout most of eastern Asia, from Japan in the
north to Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, and Laos in the south.

Art played an important role in the spread of Buddhism. Sculpture,

paintings, and icons depicting Buddhist concepts and deities were easily
understood and adopted by cultures outside Nepal and India.
As Buddhist art was created in these specific cultural styles,
the religion took on local significance in each region. Buddhism flourishes
in part because it allowed its practitioners to express their devotion
through creative means.

Asia’s rich cultural heritage has modernized, along with its developing
economies. The continent’s growing middle class and increased
investment from abroad support this modernization. Asian film, fashion,
and music highlight the relationship between historic cultures and
contemporary markets.

India is the world’s largest producer of films, producing more than 2,500
movies every year. Film production is so widespread in India that it is
categorized regionally. Areas such as Mumbai, West Bengal, Andhra
Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu produce distinct films that reflect regional
language and culture. Government and private industry have invested
heavily in India’s film industry, and today more than 30 film production
companies exist in the country. The world’s largest film studio, Ramoji
Film City, is in the city of Hyderabad. It offers more than 500 set locations
and has the space to produce 60 films at the same time.

Indian cinema is a major export. The largest film industry is centered

around Mumbai, and nicknamed Bollywood. Bollywood films screen in
more than 90 countries around the world, and earn millions of dollars,
especially in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and
Singapore. The growing number of Indians working abroad has opened
up new markets for Indian films. These so-called non-resident Indians
(NRIs) account for roughly 12 percent of a film’s total revenue.

Central Asia’s tradition of textile-making is enjoying a period of revival in

such countries as Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. After the fall of the Soviet
Union, these former Soviet republics used their cultural history to help
define a new national identity. Vibrant hand-dyed textiles were an
important part of this cultural tradition, especially in
Uzbekistan. Suzani textiles played a central role in Uzbek family
ceremonies and denoted a family’s status.

Today, workers dye, weave, and embroider Uzbek suzani textiles by

hand after a long period of industrial production. Craftswomen are
updating traditional designs and using natural dyes, such as indigo,
walnut, and pomegranate, to create eye-catching pieces for the
contemporary marketplace. Uzbek suzanis are sold internationally.
Fashion and home décor companies from around the world have
adopted suzani designs into their products. In order to support the
growing demand, craftsmen’s associations and nongovernmental
organizations have been created to promote Uzbek textiles

South Korean pop music, nicknamed K-pop, integrates traditional Korean

song with contemporary pop, hip-hop, electronic, and R&B sounds. K-
pop has developed into a pop culture phenomenon in Asia and abroad.
Musical producers invest heavily in girl groups, boy bands, and soloists.
Performers are followed by millions of fans, mostly Asian young adults,
who have adopted their style and fashion trends.

K-pop producers and artists have invested heavily in broadening their

appeal abroad. Korean artists tour with international headliners and work
with producers such as American rappers Kanye West and will.i.am of
the Black Eyed Peas. They also use Internet platforms, such as
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, to reach a larger audience. As a result,
K-pop has a strong following in the United States, Canada, Australia, and
Europe.

Political Geography

Political geography is the internal and external relationships between a

continent’s various governments, citizens, and territories. Asian
governments and citizens have created and responded to political and
social change in ways that have profoundly affected these relationships
at both the local and international level. As the continent continues to
increase its political and economic prominence, its policy decisions will
hold greater weight for the global community.

Historic Issues
One of the oldest and most intensely debated political disputes continues
to be negotiated in the Levant, an area in the eastern Mediterranean.
The Levant, part of the Middle East, has been continuously occupied for
thousands of years by the historic cultures of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan,
and Israel.
The Levant is sometimes called “The Holy Land.” This small region is
spiritually important to followers of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths.
These are the three most populous and
influential monotheistic religions in the world. All three faiths trace their
origins to the Jewish patriarch Abraham. For this reason,
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are known as the “Abrahamic religions.”

The religious conflict between Abrahamic religions in the Levant has

endured for thousands of years. Christian leaders persecuted Jews in the
region during the late Roman Empire. During the Middle Ages,
European Christians sent soldiers on crusades to conquer and convert
the Levant’s Muslim majority.

The most recent conflict in the Levant is between Israel and neighboring

nations. Israel, the only Jewish-majority nation in the world, was
established in 1948. Prior to 1948, the area was a British colony called
Palestine. Many non-Jewish natives identify as Palestinians. Neighboring
states—including Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt—accepted
Palestinian immigrants and rejected the new Israeli government.

Major wars plague the region, including the Arab-Israeli War (1948), the

Suez Crisis (1956), the Six Day War (1967), and the Yom Kippur War
(1973). Smaller conflicts, including incidents of terrorism, are associated
with Palestinian uprisings, or intifadas. The First Intifada, which included
nonviolent protests as well as armed assaults, took place in the late
1980s. The Second Intifada took place between 2000 and 2005.

The conflict in the Levant has resulted in Israel creating two “Palestinian

Territories” (the West Bank and Gaza) within its boundaries. Treaties,
such as the Camp David Accords (which established a lasting peace
treaty between Egypt and Israel) have attempted to negotiate a lasting
peace in the Levant.

The colonization of Southeast Asia is another example of how

historic political geography can influence an entire region. Colonialism is
foreign political rule imposed on a people. Chinese, Japanese, and
European colonization of Southeast Asia lasted for more than 1,000
years. China, for instance, was the ruling power in Vietnam from about
110 BCE to 900 CE.

Colonial powers from Europe, the United States, and Japan imposed
their rule on Southeast Asian peoples from the 1500s to the mid-1940s.
While these powers had distinct motives, they were generally looking to
expand their territory, increase trade, import cheap raw materials, and
impose their cultural practices.

The Dutch and British established extremely powerful companies that

oversaw trade and labor in their respective colonies. The Dutch East
India Company, based in Indonesia, had the power to print its own
money and engage in war. They enforced harsh labor practices on local
peoples, who worked to collect lucrative spices and extract precious
metals. These resources were then sold in Europe.

Spanish and Portuguese colonists spread the Roman Catholic faith by

converting indigenous peoples, especially in the Philippines. The French
used their military to maintain control of their colonies, resulting in the
deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

The countries of Southeast Asia are now independent. However, their

economies, politics, and culture still maintain aspects of the colonial
period. For instance, the Vietnamese language is written with the Roman
alphabet, not the glyphs, ideograms, or indigenous alphabets of
neighboring Asian nations. This is because the written Vietnamese
language was established by the French, who use a Roman alphabet.

As with the colonial period, Asia was deeply affected by World War II and
its aftermath. Japan was the most devastated Asian country in terms of
loss of life and physical destruction. However, it also experienced a
record period of economic growth after the war. Investment from the
United States and innovative economic restructuring by the
Japanese government stimulated this growth.

Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry coordinated

partnerships, known as keiretsu, between manufacturers, suppliers,
distributors, and banks in order to streamline industry. The ministry also
created a strong export economy, focusing on technology industries that
still define Japan’s global image. Capital was invested in
Japan’s infrastructure, especially in efficient transportation systems,
communications, and technology. Japan’s intense public and private
investment increased its gross domestic product (GDP) from $91 billion
in 1965 to more than $1 trillion in 1980.

Current Issues
India’s and China’s economic growth has been profound in the last 20
years. Both countries have removed government controls, increased
foreign trade, and built strong export-based economies. This economic
growth has had both positive and negative effects.
China has the world’s fastest-growing economy, increasing nearly 10
percent every year for the past 30 years. This is largely because China is
the world’s largest manufacturer and exporter of goods. As a result of this
growth, wages have increased rapidly, giving Chinese workers a better
standard of living. More Chinese people have access to excellent health
care, electricity, and education. China has a strong presence in
international politics and influences important debates, such as those
surrounding terrorism and climate change. China has used its newfound
wealth to invest around the world. China has invested billions of dollars in
Nigeria, for instance, to extract oil. Predicted to be the world’s
largest economy in the coming decades, China’s economic decisions will
greatly affect how and where future development occurs around the
globe.

But China’s rapid growth has caused a number of social, environmental,

and economic problems. Rapid industrial growth in the cities has
impoverished rural workers, who must migrate to congested urban areas
to find jobs. Industrial activity has put stress on the country’s energy and
transportation systems and degraded air, water, and soil quality.
Industrial growth also has major implications for global climate change,
as China is the world’s largest producer of carbon dioxide emissions.

India’s growth has been drastically different from China’s. India is

a democracy, while China is a totalitarian state. This means that social
and political reforms are debated more openly in India, and change is
often more difficult because power resides in coalitions instead of one
political party.

Unlike China, India’s growth is largely a result of its rapidly

growing service industry—not its manufacturing sector. In particular,
India has become a major exporter of information technology services. Its
telecommunications industry, which focuses on phone and Internet
services, added more than 200 million subscribers in 2010. The country
also hosts seven of the world’s top technology outsourcing companies,
which rely heavily on India’s highly educated, English-speaking
population.

India’s growth has caused hourly wages to double during the past

decade, bringing more than 430 million Indians out of poverty and
creating an immense middle-class population. Much like China, India’s
urban infrastructure and global influence have also improved.

Despite this economic growth, India remains socioeconomically divided.

India still has the world’s largest concentration of people living in
extreme poverty—below $1.25 per day. The difference
in revenue between India’s more industrialized states and its poorer
agricultural states has widened substantially. Much like China, India’s
urban infrastructure, education, and health systems are having difficulty
adjusting to the large number of poor, rural migrants moving into cities.

In Asia’s Arab region, conservative governments are under pressure from

their citizens and the international community to enable political,
economic, and social reform. While authoritarian rulers control the
majority of these countries, their citizens broadly support democracy. In
the so-called “Arab Spring” of 2011, social and political groups across the
region staged armed protests calling for democratic
reform. Governments have responded to these protests with both military
force and political compromise. Syria and Jordan exemplify this political
change in Arab Asia.

Protesters in Syria called for the legalization of political parties, the

removal of corrupt officials, and the repeal of Emergency Law, which
allows arrests without charge. In response to the protests, the
Syrian government launched military campaigns to repress protesters.
These campaigns have killed thousands of people. Hundreds of Syrians
have been jailed. The international community has responded by placing
economic and political sanctions on the Syrian government.

Jordanians have staged weekly protests against corruption, rising

prices, poverty, and unemployment. King Abdullah has responded to
these protests by replacing his prime minister and forming the National
Dialogue Committee. Made up of both government officials and
opposition leaders, the committee is in charge of drafting reforms,
including new laws for elections and political parties.

The implications of this complicated and often violent process of political

reform are still too early to determine in Syria, Jordan, and other Asian
states that have joined a common democratic cause. What is certain is
that these changes will increase public participation in the political
process.

Future Issues
Asia’s growing political and economic prominence will continue to place
stress on both local and global processes. Great focus has been placed
on how Asia’s increased development has negatively affected
the environment. National governments and international
organizations are working to protect local natural resources and the
broader global climate.

The extreme loss of forest cover in Southeast Asia due to overharvesting

of timber threatens the region’s economy and biodiversity, as well as the
world’s carbon budget. Between 1990 and 2010, Southeast Asia’s forests
contracted in size by roughly 33 million hectares (81.5 million acres), an
area larger than Vietnam. By 2020, these forests are expected to shrink
by an additional 16 million hectares (39.5 million acres).

This loss would mean an additional 8.72 gigatons of carbon dioxide

would enter the world’s atmosphere. It would destroy forests with
important ecological value, such as Indonesia’s lowland tropical forests.
Furthermore, the loss would dramatically decrease the productivity of the
region’s wood industries, a main economic generator for many Southeast
Asian countries.

International organizations and regional and

national governmental bodies are enforcing sustainable forestry practices
in order to combat forest degradation. The Cambodian government, for
example, has encouraged the planting of fast-growing trees, modernized
wood-processing equipment, and banned the export of many types of
logs. Myanmar (Burma) has developed a network of more than 600
community forest management agreements that bring local people and
the government together. Organizations such as the Forest Stewardship
Council and the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme enable forest
industries to pursue sustainable development. Roughly 3.5 percent of
Southeast Asia’s total forest area was sustainably certified in 2010.

Maldives, a country of hundreds of islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean,

symbolizes the current and future effects of global climate change. Rising
to only 2.3 meters (7.7 feet) above sea level at its highest point, Maldives
has already felt the effects of rising sea levels. A 2004 tsunami flooded
the entire country, killing 82 people, displacing 12,000, and inflicting $375
million in damage.

The effects of global warming on Maldives will be more widespread

during the coming decades. Along with rising sea levels, the country will
be susceptible to coastal erosion, higher storm surges, and loss
of biodiversity. This will drastically affect the country’s tourism-
based economy. A loss of beachfront property coupled with warmer
winters in the Northern Hemisphere would keep residents of Europe and
North America from visiting the islands.

The Maldivian government has taken decisive steps to curtail the effects

of climate change, commanding the attention of the international
community. Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom supported the
construction of the artificial island of Hulhumalé, which now houses a
hospital, school, government buildings, and residences for 50,000
people. Hulhumalé sits on ground several meters higher than the rest of
the country.

In 2009, Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed held the world’s first

underwater cabinet meeting in order to highlight the effects of climate
change. At a table 6 meters (20 feet) below the water’s surface,
Maldivian leaders signed a document calling on all countries to cut their
carbon dioxide emissions. President Nasheed also agreed to make
Maldives the world’s first carbon-neutral country by switching entirely to
wind and solar energy within a decade. These acts have demonstrated
that those who affect and are affected by climate change need to take
decisive steps to create lasting environmental improvements.

FAST FACT

Population Density
246 people per square kilometer

FAST FACT

Highest Elevation
Mount Everest, Nepal: 8,848 meters/29,029 feet

FAST FACT

Most Renewable Electricity Produced

Bhutan (99.9%, hydropower)

FAST FACT

Largest Urban Area

Tokyo-Yokohama, Japan (37.8 million people)

FAST FACT

Largest Watershed
Ob River (3 million square kilometers/1.15 million square miles)