What countries are on the continent of Asia. Where is Asia located? Location and borders of Asia

Asia - the largest part of the world, forms the continent of Eurasia together with Europe. The area (together with the islands) is about 43.4 million km². Population - 4.117 billion people. (2009).

origin of name

In the Hittite era, the kingdom of Assuva was located in the northwestern part of Asia Minor. The victory of the Hittites over him is mentioned in the annals of King Tudhaliyas IV. In the Greek epic, this kingdom is personified in the image of King Asius, an ally of the Trojans. The name Asiya in Greek mythology is the Oceanid, the wife of Prometheus, from whom, according to the mythological tradition, the name of the part of the world came from. By the time of Herodotus, the designation of the whole part of the world as Asiya (Asia) was generally accepted among the Greeks.

Position and boundaries

Mainland Asia is located mainly in the eastern (with the exception of the Chukchi Peninsula) and northern hemispheres. Asia is connected to Africa by the Isthmus of Suez, and separated from North America by the narrow Bering Strait.

Border between Europe and Asia

The first attempts to determine the border between these parts of the world date back to the era of Ancient Greece. Presumably, the ancient Greek geographer Hecateus of Miletus became the first scientist to divide the whole world into Europe and Asia: in his work “Earth Description”, he drew a border between them along the Phasis River (Rioni River in Georgia) and the Mediterranean Sea. Subsequently, the problem of the border between Europe and Asia was addressed by such ancient Greek scientists as Herodotus, who singled out three parts of the world (Europe, Asia and Libya), Thucydides, Isocrates, Polybius (he determined the border between Europe and Asia in his work “General History” along the river Tanais (Don)), Strabo (in the work "Geography" he also drew a border along Tanais). In turn, the ancient Roman writer Pliny the Elder marked the isthmus between Pontus and the Caspian (Caucasian mountains), the Cimmerian Bosporus (Kerch Strait) and Meotida (Sea of ​​Azov) as the borders of two parts of the world.

Until the 18th century, the border between Europe and Asia along the Sea of ​​​​Azov and the Don was not in doubt and was confirmed in a number of works: Kozma Indikoplova (VI century), Martin Belsky (1550), Gerard Mercator (XVII century), Mikhail Lomonosov (XVIII century ). However, already in this period there were alternative opinions. For example, medieval Arabic sources considered the rivers Itil (Volga) and Kama to be the eastern border of Europe.

By the 18th century, the number of alternative opinions had increased. Thus, the French cartographer Guillaume Delisle drew the eastern border of Europe along the Ob, and the German traveler in the Russian service Johann Georg Gmelin and the French geographer Jean Jacques Elise-Reclus - along the Yenisei. In 1730, in the book "Northern and Eastern Parts of Europe and Asia", the Swedish scientist Philipp Johann Stralenberg first proposed the idea of ​​drawing the border between Asia and Europe along the watershed of the Ural Mountains, and after the Southern Urals - along the Common Syrt, the rivers Samara, Volga to Kamyshin and further along the Don. At the same time, Stralenberg's priority in drawing the border along the Urals was disputed by the Russian scientist Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev, who, according to him, put forward this idea as early as 1720. In 1745, in the Russian Lexicon, he wrote:

It is more decent and natural to draw the border from the narrowness of Vaigach along the Great Belt and Yaik down through the Caspian Sea to the Kuma River or the Tauris Mountains.

Subsequently, the border between Asia and Europe along the Urals was reflected in the scientific works of F. A. Polunin (1773), S. I. Pleshcheev (1793), I. P. Falk (1824), G. E. Shchurovsky (1841). At the same time, the border between parts of the world in the southeastern segment of the eastern border varied greatly: P. S. Pallas (1773) drew the border from the middle course of the Ural River along the southern slopes of the Common Syrt, Volga, Ergeny and the Manych river valley, referring the entire Caspian lowland to Asia; G. F. Miller (1750) and F. A. Polunin (1773) - along the Don, Volga, Kama, Belaya and further along the Ural Range; S. I. Pleshcheev (1793) and I. F. Gakman (1787) - along the Emba River.

In the 20th century, the problem of borders was further developed. In 1850, the German scientist A. Humbold expressed the opinion that Europe is part of Asia, so there is no border between Europe and Asia. In turn, the French geographer P. Guru in the book "Asia" (1956) stated that "Europe is an Asian peninsula, and Asia is an artificial concept ...", and W. Parker in the book "Europe: how far?" (1960) - that there are no two continents of Europe and Asia, but there is one - Eurasia.

In Soviet science, the problem of the border between Europe and Asia was developed in the 1950s and 1960s as part of the activities of the Moscow branch of the Geographical Society of the USSR. Yu. K. Efremov (1958), V. I. Prokaev (1960) and E. M. Murzaev (1963) became the authors of key works on this topic.

According to Yu. K. Efremov, who made a report in 1958 at a meeting of the department of school and physical geography of the Moscow branch of the Geographical Society of the USSR, the borders between Asia and Europe are of a cultural and historical nature, therefore there is no natural border between them. Based on this, neither the Urals nor the Caucasus can serve as a border between two parts of the world. As a result, the meeting adopted a recommendation that was reflected in all Soviet textbooks:

Recommend drawing the border between Europe and Asia along the eastern foot of the Urals and Mugodzhar, then along the Emba River, along the northern coast of the Caspian Sea, along the Kumo-Manych depression and the Kerch Strait, leaving the Sea of ​​Azov within Europe.

This decision provoked criticism from V. I. Prokaev (1960), who argued that the adopted recommendation did not comply with the principle of physical and geographical integrity. In his opinion, if this principle is followed, the border should be drawn along the eastern border of the Ural country (which lies entirely in Europe) and the northwestern border of the Turan country (related to Asia) with the Caspian lowland. Despite this, V. I. Prokaev did not consider this description to be the border between Asia and Europe, since it contradicted the existing traditions, namely: the border along the watershed of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the watershed of the Greater Caucasus and the Kerch Strait.

The problem of the border between Asia and Europe was touched upon in his work by the Soviet scientist E. M. Murzaev (1963). Emphasizing the impossibility of drawing a boundary between these parts of the world on the basis of anthropological, historical, linguistic and ethnographic boundaries, he put forward two main options for this boundary.

• The first option is based on political and administrative boundaries. According to him, the border between Asia and Europe goes along the state border of Georgia and Azerbaijan (the Caspian Sea belongs entirely to Asia), then - along the state border of Russia and Kazakhstan to the Chelyabinsk region. Asia entirely includes the Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen regions, the Khanty-Mansiysk and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs. According to this version, the Kara Sea belongs entirely to Asia, and the Novaya Zemlya archipelago belongs to Europe.
• The second option is based on physical and geographical boundaries. It is based on the formula "Caucasus - Caspian - Ural River - Ural Ridge".

At the present stage, the border between Asia and Europe remains very conditional and indefinite. In Russian geographical sources, the border with Europe, as a rule, is drawn along the eastern foot of the Ural Mountains, Mugodzhary, the Emba River, then along the Caspian Sea, the Araks River, along the Black and Marmara Seas, the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits.

In statistical and economic calculations in Russia, the border between Asia and Europe is drawn along the eastern administrative borders of the Arkhangelsk region, the Komi Republic, Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions and further along the state border of Russia with Kazakhstan, along the northern administrative borders of Dagestan, Stavropol and Krasnodar regions.

Border between Asia and Africa

The first attempts to determine the border between Asia and Africa date back to the era of Ancient Greece. Traditionally, it was held along the Nile River, but Herodotus in the 5th century BC. e. opposed the division of the territory of Egypt into Asian and African parts, therefore he determined the border along the western border of Egypt, completely attributing it to Asia. In turn, Strabo defined the border along the isthmus between the Red Sea and the mouth of Lake Bardavil on the Sinai Peninsula, connected to the Mediterranean Sea. During the period of Ancient Rome and in the Middle Ages, some scientists drew the border along the Isthmus of Suez, but the vast majority continued to consider either the Nile or the western border of Egypt as a border.

In the modern period, the border between Asia and Africa is drawn along the Isthmus of Suez or the Suez Canal. As a result, the part of Egypt located on the Sinai Peninsula belongs to Asia, and the rest of Egypt belongs to Africa.

Geography of Asia

• Area - 43475 thousand km² (including islands)
• The area of ​​the islands is 2001 thousand km²
• The average height above sea level is 960 meters
• The highest altitude above sea level is 8,848 meters (Mount Everest)
• Lowest altitude: −405 meters (Dead Sea level)
• The northernmost point is Cape Chelyuskin (77° 43′ N 104° 18′ E)
• The southernmost point is Cape Piai (1° 16′ N 103° 30′ E)
• The westernmost point is Cape Baba (39° 29′ N 26° 04′ E)
• The easternmost point is Cape Dezhnev (66° 05′ N 169° 40′ W)
• Cities located near the geographical center of Asia: Irkutsk, Kyzyl

• East Asia (Korean peninsula, Japanese islands, eastern part of China);
• Western Asia (South Caucasus and the Near Asian highlands);
• North Asia (Siberia and northeast Eurasia);
• Central Asia (Pamir, Tien Shan, Turan lowland);
• Southeast Asia (Indochina Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago);
• Southwest Asia (Arabian Peninsula and Levant);
• South Asia (the Hindustan Peninsula and the island of Sri Lanka (the Maldives archipelago).

According to the classification adopted by the UN, the following subregions are distinguished:

• East Asia (China as part of the PRC and the Republic of China, South and North Korea, Mongolia, Japan)
• Western Asia (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Qatar, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon, UAE, Oman, Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey)
• Southeast Asia (Brunei, East Timor, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines)
• South Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka)
• Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan)

At the same time, this classification is not the only correct one. There are alternative classifications, for example:

• East Asia (DPRK, PRC, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Japan)
• Central and North Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, the Asian part of Russia, as well as three autonomous regions of China - Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Tibet)
• Southwest Asia (Afghanistan, Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Qatar, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon, UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the Asian part of Turkey, the Sinai Peninsula belonging to Egypt)
• South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka)
• Southeast Asia (Brunei, East Timor, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines).

Asian countries

Currently, 54 states are fully or partially located on the territory of Asia, of which four (Abkhazia, the Republic of China, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, South Ossetia) are only partially recognized. Of the unrecognized states - the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The inclusion of Russia in the list of Asian countries is based primarily on its partial location in this part of the world (with most of the country's population located in Europe, most of the territory in Asia). Turkey and Kazakhstan are included in the list of European countries due to the presence of a smaller part of the territory and population in Europe (according to all versions of the border between Europe and Asia). Azerbaijan and Georgia are also often referred to European countries (when drawing the border between Europe and Asia along the Greater Caucasus, they have small territories in Europe), and Cyprus, which is part of the EU, but geographically located entirely in Asia and has close political and cultural ties with Europe . Abkhazia (partially recognized republic)

• Azerbaijan (most of the territory)
• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• Bahrain
• Brunei
• Butane
• East Timor
• Vietnam
• Georgia (most of the territory)
• Egypt (partially)
• Israel
• India
• Indonesia (most of the territory))
• Jordan
• Yemen (most of the territory))
• Kazakhstan (most of the territory)
• Cambodia
• Qatar
• Kyrgyzstan
• Republic of China (partially recognized republic)
• Democratic People's Republic of Korea
• The Republic of Korea
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Mongolia
• Myanmar
• Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (unrecognized republic)
• Nepal
• Pakistan
• Russia (most of the territory, but a smaller part of the population)
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
• Syria
• Tajikistan
• Thailand
• Turkmenistan
• Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (partially recognized republic)
• Turkey (most of the territory)
• Uzbekistan
• Philippines
• Sri Lanka
• South Ossetia (partially recognized republic)
• Japan

Population

Asia is characterized by very high average annual population growth rates (according to this indicator, Asia is second only to Africa); Recently, however, they have somewhat decreased and amount to 1.3%. More than 60% of all mankind lives in Asia. Together, China and India account for 40% of the world's population. 7 states have more than 100 million inhabitants. (in addition to those mentioned above - Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan and the Philippines).

Representatives of the three main races of mankind live in Asia - Mongoloid (Chinese and others), Caucasoid (peoples of Western Asia) and Negroid (some peoples of South and Southeast Asia). The ethnic composition of the Asian population is very diverse.

Many ancient civilizations originated in Asia - Chinese, Indian, Tibeto-Mongolian, Central Asian, Babylonian, etc. The areas of South and Southeast Asia favorable for agriculture gave rise to many modern peoples.

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Asia is one of the six parts of the world that occupies the largest area in the world (over 43 million km2). Two parts of the world - Europe and Asia - form the mainland of Eurasia. More than 4 billion people live on the territory. The borders of Asia are considered in the north - the Arctic Ocean, in the east - the Pacific, in the south - the Indian and their marginal seas. There is a conditional border between Europe and Asia, which runs in the west along the eastern slopes of the Urals, the Emba, Manych, Kuma rivers, the Caspian, Black, Azov seas, the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus. The border with Africa is the Suez Canal, with America - the Bering Strait. The main part of the Asian mainland is located in the eastern and northern hemispheres of the Earth. This part of the world is divided into large areas, such as North, East, Central, Middle, West and South Asia.

Asia is surrounded by three oceans: Arctic, Pacific, Indian, in the west - the inland seas of the Atlantic Ocean. Inland waters include the main rivers Yenisei, Angara, Ob, Irtysh, Lena, Huang He, Yangtze, Amur, Mekong, Euphrates, Tigris, Ganges, Indus, Syr Darya and Amu Darya. The presence of large areas of internal flow is characteristic - the basins of the Aral and Caspian Seas, Lake Balkhash, etc. There are also drainless areas on the Arabian Peninsula, the Iranian Highlands, and in Central Asia. On the territory of Asia there is the largest freshwater lake on our planet - Baikal, as well as other large lakes - the Caspian Sea, the Aral Sea, Van, Balkhash, Kukunor, Issyk-Kul, Poyang, etc.

The dissection of the coasts of Asia is relatively small, there are several large peninsulas: Arabian, Asia Minor, Korean, Hindustan, Chukotka, Taimyr, Kamchatka and others. The islands belonging to Asia occupy an area of ​​more than two million square meters. km. These are Taiwan, the Greater Sunda Islands, Sakhalin, Novosibirsk, Philippine, Japanese, Sri Lanka, Severnaya Zemlya.

The territory of Asia is located on four platforms: Indian, Arabian, Siberian, Chinese. Approximately 75% of the area of ​​this part of the world is occupied by mountain ranges and plateaus. The highest mountains are located in Central and Central Asia, in particular, the highest peak in the world, Chomolungma, is in the Himalayas. Large mountain systems - the Himalayas, Karakoram, Altai, Hindu Kush, Kunlun, Greater Caucasus, Sayans, Tien Shan. Asia is a contrasting region in terms of absolute heights. So, one of the deepest depressions in the world are the Dead Sea and Baikal, located in Asia. The most extensive plains in this part of the world are Turan, West Siberian, Great Chinese, Mesopotamian, Indo-Gangetic. Various minerals are mined in Asia, there are large deposits of fuel and energy raw materials.

All types of climate are represented in Asia - from arctic in northern latitudes to equatorial in southern latitudes. Most of the territory is located in the continental climate zone, which is characterized by a strong decrease in temperature in winter and hot weather in summer. North of 40°N snow cover is formed everywhere. In most of the territory, precipitation is observed in the warm season, only in the Middle and Near East - in the winter. Natural areas are located by latitudes. To the north lie tundra and forest-tundra, further to the south - taiga, mixed and deciduous forests, steppes and forest-steppes. Most of the Arabian Peninsula, the Iranian Highlands, Central and Central Asia are occupied by semi-deserts and deserts.

Currently, the territory of Asia is divided among 54 states. Asian countries - Iraq, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Thailand, Japan, etc.

When I remember my first trip to Asia, my imagination draws images of endless desert expanses and no less deserted roads, dissolving behind the horizon in the hot air of the sun. If you find it difficult to choose the direction of your movement on vacation, then you definitely need to read my story to the end. I will tell you about what a place this largest part of the world is better go.

Asia on the world map

Asia is located in northern hemisphere from the equator Eastern from the prime meridian. She is situated on the same mainland as Europe called Eurasia. The western "border" of Asia is Ural mountains. Its southern border runs along the northern tip Caspian Sea, and then - along the northern ridgeCaucasus goes to TOto the Yerchen Strait. In the east, the shores of Asia are washed by the Pacific Ocean, in the north - by the Arctic Ocean. The south of Asia goes to the Indian Ocean, the southwest - to the Mediterranean and Red Sea.

Where is the best place to visit in Asia?

Asia is so huge that you can find a region in it that will appeal to anyone, even the most capricious tourist. I suggest visiting the following regions of Asia:

Important. Planning a trip to Near East, do not forget to check with the tour operator the route of your movement, accommodation and sightseeing objects: there are fighting.

The white sand of the coral islands, the calm of the Gulf of Thailand and the unique landscapes of the shores of the Andaman Sea - this is the beginning of an endless list of natural luxury of the Kingdom of Thailand.

Modern Thailand is rich in diversity of flora and fauna due to its geographical location on the mainland of Eurasia, part of the world Asia.

Eurasia is the largest and most contrasting natural continent of the Earth.

Asia- translated from Arabic "asu" - "east, sunrise" (of the Sun), part of the world that is part of the Eurasia continent. It occupies the largest area of ​​Eurasia, lies to the east of Europe.

Even 500 years ago, Asia attracted Europeans. It was from Asia that merchants brought precious stones, tropical fruits, the finest fabrics and spices (pepper, cinnamon, walnut). Europeans have long dreamed of Asian riches.

Europe- So ancient a word that it is extremely difficult to trace its origins. The name could come from the Semitic "ereb" or "irib", which means "west" or from the Phoenician "erep" - sunset, sunset.

Europe is part of the world, the western part of the Eurasian continent.

In the modern geological era, there are six continents. In descending order of areas they can be placed like this:

1.Eurasia, 2. Africa, 3. North America, 4. South America, 5. Antarctica and 6. Australia.

Eurasia - The largest continent, occupies 1/3 of the entire land (together with the islands)

Eurasia is a continent of contrasts, where almost all types of climate, vegetation and soils that exist on Earth are represented. The length of the mainland from north to south is about 16,000 km.

He holds many records:

The highest mountain is Chomolungma (8848m)

The lowest point on Earth is the Dead Sea region (-405 m)

Altitude fluctuations are 9243m, that is, more than 9 km.

Along with the division of the land of the globe into continents, in geography there is a conditional, historically established division into parts of the world. parts of the world also six:

Europe and Asia into which the single continent of Eurasia is divided;

America, which includes two continents - North and South America;

Australia and Oceania,

Antarctica.

Some geographers propose to single out the seventh part of the world - Oceania, which includes a unique cluster of almost 7 thousand islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Islands- small (compared to the continents) land areas, surrounded on all sides by water. The total area of ​​all the islands of the Earth is a little more than 6% of the total land.

Found in oceans and seas single islands(for example, the islands of the Kingdom of Thailand: Koh Phuket; Koh Samui; Koh Chang),

and their groups archipelagos (for example: Mu Ko Ang Thong; Mu Ko Similan; Mu Koh Phi Phi; Mu Ko Chang; Mu Koh Samet, etc..).

In Thai, the names of the islands often include the word Co.(Thai เกาะ; English Ko, Koh), denoting Island.

MatKo(Thai หมู่เกาะ; English. Mu Ko; Mu Koh) denotes an archipelago of islands.

When transcribed into English, these words are usually preserved. In Russian, the names are transcribed without it.

By origin, the islands are divided into:

Mainland (e.g. Koh Phuket), those. separated from the mainland due to the subsidence or destruction by exogenous processes of marginal land areas, and

oceanic , originated outside the continents ( volcanic (e.g. the Similan Islands) and coral (e.g. Koh Samet, Koh Talu).

The largest islands in Thailand:

Map of Phuket Island (TTT).

Indian Ocean, Andaman Sea. Distance from Bangkok 862 km South

Phuket Island 543km 2

Maximum length 48 km; The maximum width is 21 km.

Map of Koh Chang (TTT).

Distance from Bangkok about 300 km to the east

Chang Island – 417 km 2

Maximum length 30 km; The maximum width is 18 km.

Map of Koh Samui (TTT).

Pacific Ocean, South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand

Distance from Bangkok about 700 km to the south

Koh Samui – 228.7 km 2

Maximum length 25 km; The maximum width is 21 km.

Powerful currents in the oceans washing the shores of Eurasia have a strong influence on the nature of the mainland.

Close proximity to other continents increases the degree of diversity of the nature of Eurasia.

However, the territory of Eurasia has been studied unevenly. Until now, there are hard-to-reach areas of the mainland that are waiting for their explorers - the interior of Arabia and Tibet, the Hindu Kush and Karakorum mountains, the central regions Peninsular Indochina and many islands of Indonesia.

Relief and geological structure, minerals. The diversity of the nature of Eurasia is associated not only with the peculiarities of the geographical position of the continent, its gigantic size, but also with the extreme complexity of the structure of the earth's crust and the relief of the continent.

Various complexes of minerals on the territory of Eurasia, as well as on other continents, correspond to certain geological structures. The rocks of the Precambrian platform basement contain gold, precious stones, reserves of uranium ores, diamonds (Hindostan peninsula, Sri Lanka, Siberian platform). The richest deposits of ores of various metals are confined to the outcrops of igneous and metamorphic rocks in the ledges of the platform foundations (on shields). Along the eastern outskirts of the mainland, in the areas of Hercynian and Mesozoic folding, a belt of mountain structures rich in ores of tin, tungsten and other rare and non-ferrous metals.

In many intermountain troughs of the earth's crust accumulated richest reserves of oil and gas. The southeastern oil and gas region of Eurasia, covering southeastern China, Burma, Thailand, part of the islands of the Malay Archipelago (Sumatra Island) and the adjacent shelf of the South China Sea.

TABLE 1. Relief of the mainland Eurasia

Climate . The climatic features of Eurasia are determined by the huge size of the mainland, the great length from north to south, the variety of prevailing air masses, as well as the specific features of the relief structure of its surface and the influence of the oceans.

Eastern and southern regions of Asia are under the influence monsoons, which carry air masses in winter from the mainland to the ocean, and in summer from the ocean to land (the Hindustan and Indochina peninsulas, East China, the Far East and the Japanese islands).

The influence of oceans on the climate of Eurasia through the influence of ocean currents (Gulf Stream, Kuroshio, Kuril-Kamchatka, monsoon currents of the Indian Ocean) and the sea air masses formed above them.

subequatorial belt includes the Hindustan peninsulas and Indochina, the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the island of Sri Lanka (without the southwestern part), Southeast China, the Philippine Islands. This belt is characterized by a seasonal change of air masses: in summer, humid equatorial air, brought by the monsoon, dominates; in winter - a relatively dry tropical trade wind of the northern hemisphere. The hottest time of the year is spring, when daytime temperatures can exceed +40°C.

Equatorial climate zone located on the islands of the Malay Archipelago (excluding East Java and the Lesser Sunda Islands), Peninsula Malacca, southwest of Sri Lanka and the south of the Philippine Islands. Throughout the year, maritime equatorial air masses dominate here. They are formed from tropical air coming from the trade winds of both hemispheres. This climate is characterized by abundant rainfall (2000-4000 mm per year) and constantly high temperatures (above +25°C).

Inland waters. Eurasia is the only continent whose rivers belong to the basins of all oceans. In the same time here is the largest area of ​​​​inland flow on the globe, which accounts for about 30% of the total area of ​​the continent. Sharp climatic contrasts, uneven precipitation, and differences in relief determine the uneven distribution of inland waters across the mainland. In Eurasia, there are all types of rivers in terms of food sources and runoff regime. In different parts of the mainland, rivers are fed by rain and ground, melted snow and glacial waters.

The longest river Africa and all over the world– Neil(6671 km).

table 2
The largest rivers in the world by length

*Chao Phraya River or Maenam is the only river in Thailand , fully passing through its territory

Rivers of the Pacific Basin usually start in the high mountains. A significant part of the course of such large rivers as the Huang He, Yangtze, Mekong lies in the highlands of Tibet.

Why do the rivers and lakes of Southeast Asia have such a color?

In the upper reaches, these rivers have a rapid flow, cut deeply into the rock masses and carry out to the plains a huge amount of suspended material, which is then deposited in the lowlands of East and Southeast Asia.

The rivers drain the mountain slopes and foothills well, carrying a huge amount of alluvium*.

*(Alluvium- (from Latin alluvio - sediment) (alluvial deposits), deposits of permanent and temporary water flows (rivers, streams), consisting of detrital material of varying degrees of roundness and sorting (pebble, gravel, sand, loam, clay) on swampy lowlands and in the sea.

In the coastal lowlands of East and Southeast Asia, rivers overflow widely during the rainy season, flooding large areas. At the beginning of the recession of the flood, the peasants, knee-deep in water, plant young shoots of rice in these areas; well-drained areas are specially bunded to retain water.

The Kingdom of Thailand is part of Southeast Asia.

TABLE 3. SEA countries

Southeast Asia(and often just Southeast Asia) is a region of Asia that includes the Indochina peninsula and the islands of the Malay Archipelago.

Asia from A to Z: countries, cities and resorts of Asia. Map, photo and video, Asian peoples. Descriptions and opinions of tourists.

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The largest part of the world, washed by three oceans and containing 53 states, Asia on the world map is like a motley carpet of cultures, languages, and nationalities. Perhaps there is no region on Earth that is more diverse and rich in all sorts of curiosities. From Israel to the Philippines, from Mongolia to India, its mercilessly scorched lands stretched. Although man originated from Africa, it was here that he learned to sow and reap, invented the wheel, writing and philosophy. Over the millennia, Asia has seen a lot: the rise of great civilizations and bloodthirsty hordes of nomads, magnificent pearls of creativity and primitive cruelty, devastation and fertility, wars of millions and the birth of religions. It is not surprising that today Asia is the subject of the closest tourist interest. Here are such pillars of the industry as Turkey, Thailand, Maldives, India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and a lot of developing countries in the sense of tourism - Vietnam, South Korea, Oman, etc.

What is he, a portrait of an "Asian" tourist? Let's start with the fact that the main thing that people go to Asia for is, of course, exotic, and the exotic is its own, authentic and not at all similar to, say, African. Whether it’s the temple complexes of India or the fiery tom yum soup in a Pattaya diner, calls to prayer pouring from the minarets of Damascus, or Orthodox Jews marching in the July heat in fur hats through the streets of Jerusalem - everything permeates Asian flavor: bright, always unexpected , a little discouraging and remaining in memory like a frozen frame from a movie. Pictures of Asia - a whirlwind of colorful colors, a combination of incongruous, crazy beauty and an excess of lines, shades, shapes.

By the way, in terms of climate, Asia is more than diverse: on its territory you can find weather for every taste. I wanted snow - welcome to the northern coast of Mother Russia, I like the heat - please proceed to the July Emirates, I want the humid tropics - you have a direct road to the Philippines. In addition, God himself ordered climbers to go to Asia - to Everest and for those who prefer more than calm sea expanses - to the Dead Sea. And for those who want to stand in the very center of Asia, we recommend going to Irkutsk: it is this city that bears the title of the geographical "navel" of the region.

In addition, Asia is visited in order to touch spirituality. The largest world religions once arose on its territory: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam. So the number of religious monuments here is appropriate: numerous Buddhist monasteries, pagodas and stupas, and places associated with the earthly life of Christ, and the most significant mosques.

Last but not least, it is worth mentioning the "idle" advantages of Asia, which include the coasts of several oceans and numerous seas at once, the cleanest beaches with fine sand and other amenities near the beach - in the form of hotels, restaurants, discos and other developed infrastructure. And, of course, gourmets will not be left without vivid impressions: the world has never seen so many spices, aromatic plants and hot peppers that Asian housewives use! Whether it will be Rajasthani chicken with curry sauce or Tajik khash - an unforgettable experience is guaranteed!

• Western Asia: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Qatar, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon, UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey
• South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
• Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia
• East Asia: China, Taiwan, Japan, North Korea, Republic of Korea and Mongolia
• Central Asia (aka Central or Front): Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan