Asia

Asia is the largest and most populous continent on Earth. It stretches from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Indian Ocean in the south, from the Ural region and the seas around the Middle East to the Pacific Ocean in the east. Its boundaries with Europe and Africa are partly based on geographic conventions, so they are not defined by a single natural feature everywhere.

Asia contains a remarkable variety of landscapes: vast plains and deserts, high plateaus, tropical forests, long river valleys and some of the world's highest mountains. The Himalayas include Mount Everest, whose summit rises to about 8,849 metres above sea level. Asia also includes many islands and archipelagos, from Japan and the Philippines to Indonesia.

More than half of the world's population lives in Asia, spread across countries with very different languages, cultures, religions and forms of government. China and India are its two most populous countries, while several other countries have populations of hundreds of millions. Asia is also home to major rivers such as the Yangtze, Ganges and Mekong, which support agriculture, cities and ecosystems.

Its climate ranges from polar conditions in Siberia to hot, humid environments near the equator, with large areas influenced by seasonal monsoon winds. Because of its size and diversity, Asia plays a major role in world agriculture, trade, industry, science and culture.