2. ASIA world's largest and most populous continent located : eastern and northern hemispheres It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area (or 30% of its land area) approximately 3.879 billion people, contains 60% of the world's current human population. During the 20th century Asia's population nearly quadrupled.

3. It is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean on the south by the Indian Ocean on the north by the Arctic Ocean Asia is the largest and most culturally diverse of the continents in the seven-continent system It contains 48 countries in its region, 2 of the countries - Russia and Turkey - have part of their lands in Europe and part in Asia

5. Worlds tallest mountain – Mt. Everest (Nepal) Worlds lowest point – Dead Sea (Israel/Jordan) – 1300 feet below sea level Worlds most populated countries – China & India World s deepest freshwater lake – Lake Baikal (Russia)

10. Important rivers – Amu Darya (Tajikistan) Tigris & Euphrates – Iraq Indus – India, Pakistan, Tibet

11. AMU DARYA

12. Tigris-Euphrates Rivers

13. INDUS RIVER

14. Regions of Asia Since the 18th century Asia has been divided into several sub-regions independently defined from Asia as a whole. Central Asia includes : Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan East Asia includes: China, Hong Kong, Macao, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Mongolia North Asia includes: Siberia or the Asian portion of Russia

15. Southeast Asia includes: Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste

16. JAPAN an archipelago of 4 major and over 4,000 smaller islands, is a mostly mountainous country only 15% of its land cultivable largest cities are located on the coastline Tokyo, and the other huge cities along the Pacific Ocean are home to most of its people.

17. Population 127,417,200 Capital: Tokyo (8.3 mil) Currency: Yen (JPY) Flag of Japan – the rising sun surrounded by a white field symbolizing purity & honesty

18. National Day: December 23 Religions: Buddhist and Shinto (85%) Highest Point: Mt. Fujiyama (active volcano; last erupted in 1707) The islands of Japan are located on the Ring of Fire as a result suffer from frequent, violent earthquakes and some serious volcanic activity Ring of Fire: series of volcanoes encircling the Pacific Ocean