Asia Family Travel Guides

Background info about Asia

With 49 countries, Asia is an extremely diverse continent. Most of the Middle Eastern countries are part of Asia. As well as Russia and Turkey, two transcontinental countries. Partially located in Europe and partially in Asia. While the UN classifies Russia as a European country, Turkey is classified as an Asian country.

A sub region is Southeast Asia, which is home to some of the most visited countries in the world, like Thailand and Indonesia. That is no surprise because you can find pristine beaches here, lush jungles, fascinating history and mouthwatering food. Lots of coffee is made in this subregion, with Vietnam being the world’s second largest exporter of it. And let’s not forget about all those grand UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Bagan in Myanmar.

Asia is known for its ethnic and and religious diversity. Hundreds of different ethnic groups can be found on this continent. With many speaking their own distinct languages and they have their own cultures and styles of dress.

Since it’s the largest of the world’s continents, covering approximately 30 percent of the Earth’s land area, landscapes are divided in different regions. The 5 major ones are:

• mountain systems
• plateaus
• plains, steppes, and deserts
• freshwater environments
• saltwater environments

Asia’s vast area knows extreme climates. It has some of the coldest, hottest, wettest, and driest places on earth.