It is common practice in geographic literature to divide Asia into large regions, each

grouping together a number of countries. Those physiographic divisions usually consist of North
Asia, including the bulk of Siberia and the northeastern edges of the continent; East Asia, including
the continental part of the
Russian Far East region of
Siberia, the East Asian
islands, Korea, and
eastern and northeastern
China; Central Asia,
including the Plateau of
Tibet, the Junggar and
Tarim basins, the Inner
Mongolia Autonomous
Region of China, the Gobi,
and the Sino-Tibetan
ranges; Middle Asia,
including the Turan Plain,
the Pamirs, the Gissar and
Alay ranges, and the Tien
Shan; South Asia,
including the Philippine
and Malay archipelagoes,
peninsular Southeast Asia and peninsular India, the Indo-Gangetic Plain, and the Himalayas; and
West (or Southwest) Asia, including the West Asian highlands (Anatolia, Armenia, and Iran), the
Levant, and the Arabian Peninsula. The Philippines, the Malay Archipelago, and peninsular
Southeast Asia, instead of being considered part of South Asia, are grouped separately as Southeast
Asia. Yet another variation of the basic categories is commonly made to divide Asia into its cultural
regions.

Central Asia

Central region of Asia,

extending from the Caspian Sea
in the west to the border of
western China in the east. It is
bounded on the north by Russia
and on the south by Iran,
Afghanistan, and China. The
region consists of the former
Soviet republics of Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan.
 Central Asia’s landscape can be divided into the vast grassy steppes of Kazakhstan in the
north and the Aral Sea drainage basin in the south. About 60 percent of the region consists of desert
land, the principal deserts being the Karakum, occupying most of Turkmenistan, and the Kyzylkum,
covering much of western Uzbekistan. Most of the desert areas are unsuitable for agricultural use
except along the margins of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river systems, which wind their way
northwestward through Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and eastern Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan after
rising in mountain ranges to the south and east. Those two major rivers drain into the Aral Sea and
provide most of the region’s water resources, though northern Kazakhstan is drained by rivers
flowing north into Russia. On the east and south Central Asia is bounded by the western Altai and
other high mountain ranges extending into Iran, Afghanistan, and western China.
Central Asia experiences very dry climatic conditions, and inadequate precipitation has led
to heavy dependence on the Syr Darya and Amu Darya for irrigation. The region as a whole
experiences hot summers and cool winters, with much sunshine and very little precipitation. The
scarcity of water has led to a very uneven population distribution, with most people living along the
fertile banks of the rivers or in fertile mountain foothills in the southeast; comparatively few live in
the vast arid expanses of central and western Kazakhstan and western Uzbekistan and
Turkmenistan.
Central Asia’s economic activity is centred on irrigated agriculture in the south and on
heavy and light industry and mining in Kazakhstan. Under Soviet rule the area supplied most of the
U.S.S.R.’s cotton and was a major supplier of coal and other minerals for industrial use. Irrigated
cotton growing is dominant in the east and southeast, while there is some dry farming of wheat in
the far northern provinces of Kazakhstan, where the Soviets’ Virgin and Idle Lands program of the
1950s brought much steppe under the plow for the first time.

Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is the largest country in Central Asia and the ninth largest in
the world. Between its most distant points, Kazakhstan measures about
1,820 miles (2,930 kilometres) east to west and 960 miles north to south.
The capital is Nursultan (formerly Astana, Aqmola, and Tselinograd), in
the north-central part of the country. Kazakhstan, formerly a constituent (union) republic of the
U.S.S.R., declared independence on December 16, 1991.

Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan, officially Republic of Uzbekistan, Uzbek Ŭ zbekiston or
Ŭ zbekistan Respublikasi, country in Central Asia. It lies mainly between
two major rivers, the Syr Darya (ancient Jaxartes River) to the northeast
and the Amu Darya (ancient Oxus River) to the southwest, though they
only partly form its boundaries. Uzbekistan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest and north,
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east and southeast, Afghanistan to the south, and Turkmenistan to
the southwest.
Turkmenistan
It is the second largest state in Central Asia, after Kazakhstan, and is the
southernmost of the region’s five republics. After Kazakhstan,
Turkmenistan is the least densely populated of the Central Asian states.
Much of its waterless expanse is inhospitable to plant and animal life. Except for oases in narrow
strips dotted along the foothills of the Kopet-Dag Range and along the Amu Darya, Morghā b, and
Tejen rivers, deserts characterize its sun-baked sandy terrain.

Tajikistan
Officially Republic of Tajikistan, Tajik Tojikiston or Jumhurii Tojikiston,
Tajikistan also spelled Tadzhikistan, country lying in the heart of Central
Asia. Tajikistan encompasses the smallest amount of land among the five
Central Asian states, but in terms of elevation it surpasses them all,
enclosing more and higher mountains than any other country in the
region. Tajikistan was a constituent (union) republic of the Soviet Union
from 1929 until its independence in 1991. The capital is Dushanbe.

Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan, country of Central Asia. It is bounded by Kazakhstan on the
northwest and north, by China on the east and south, and by Tajikistan
and Uzbekistan on the south and west. Most of Kyrgyzstan’s borders run
along mountain crests. The capital is Bishkek (known from 1862 to 1926
as Pishpek and from 1926 to 1991 as Frunze). The Kyrgyz, a Muslim
Turkic people, constitute nearly three-fourths of the population. The history of the Kyrgyz in what
is now Kyrgyzstan dates at least to the 17th century. Kyrgyzstan, known under Russian and Soviet
rule as Kirgiziya, was conquered by tsarist Russian forces in the 19th century.

Western Asia
Western Asia is the
westernmost subregion of A
sia. It includes Anatolia,
the Arabian
Peninsula, Iran, Mesopotami
a, the Levant region, the
island of Cyprus, the Sinai
Peninsula,
and Transcaucasia (partly).
The region is considered to
be separated from Africa by
the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt,
and separated from Europe
by the waterways of the
Turkish Straits and the
watershed of the Greater
Caucasus. Central Asia lies to
its northeast, while South Asia lies to its east. Eight seas surround the region (clockwise): the Aegean
Sea, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and
the Mediterranean Sea.

Western Asia, includes Turkey, Iran, the Middle East, and the Arabian Peninsula. The land
on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea is frequently referred to as the Levant and is often
included as a part of the Middle East. Technically, the term Middle East only includes the five
countries of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq, but in common practice Middle East refers to
all of Western Asia.
In West Asia naturally wild vegetation no longer occurs in clearly defined zones but is
dispersed in small areas. The region is predominantly arid; desert like depressions such as
the Kyzylkum Desert of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan, and
the Rubʿ al-Khali (Empty Quarter) of the Arabian Peninsula contrast with the moist, forested
mountains that lie between them. Three climatic zones, however, characterize West Asia: a
continental climate in the northern regions; a dry zone, except where northerly winds bring
moisture to the mountains, to the south; and a Mediterranean climate along the western edges.

Bahrain
Officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a sovereign state in the Persian Gulf.
The island nation comprises a small archipelago made up of 40 natural
islands and an additional 51 artificial islands, centred on Bahrain Island
which makes up around 83 percent of the country's landmass.

Iraq
A country in Western Asia, bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the
east, Kuwait to the southeast, Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the
southwest and Syria to the west. The capital, and largest city, is Baghdad.
During ancient times, lands that now constitute Iraq were known as
Mesopotamia (“Land Between the Rivers”), a region whose extensive
alluvial plains gave rise to some of the world’s earliest civilizations, including those of Sumer,
Akkad, Babylon, and Assyria.

Iran
A mountainous, arid, and ethnically diverse country of south-western
Asia. Much of Iran consists of a central desert plateau, which is ringed on
all sides by lofty mountain ranges that afford access to the interior
through high passes. The capital is Tehrā n, a sprawling, jumbled
metropolis at the southern foot of the Elburz Mountains. Famed for its
handsome architecture and verdant gardens, the city fell somewhat into disrepair in the decades
following the Iranian Revolution of 1978–79, though efforts were later mounted to preserve
historic buildings and expand the city’s network of parks.

Saudi Arabia
Extending across most of the northern and central Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia is a young
country that is heir to a rich history. In its western highlands, along the Red Sea, lies the Hejaz,
which is the cradle of Islam and the site of that religion’s holiest cities, Mecca and Medina. In the
country’s geographic heartland is a region known as Najd (“Highland”), a vast arid zone that until
recent times was populated by nomadic tribes. To the east, along the Persian Gulf, are the country’s
abundant oil fields that, since the 1960s, have made Saudi Arabia synonymous with petroleum
wealth. Those three elements—religion, tribalism, and untold wealth—have fuelled the country’s
subsequent history.

Lebanon
Located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea; it consists of a
narrow strip of territory and is one of the world’s smaller sovereign
states. The capital is Beirut. Lebanon is one of the most densely
populated countries in the Mediterranean area and has a high rate of
literacy. Notwithstanding its meagre natural resources, Lebanon long
managed to serve as a busy commercial and cultural centre for the
Middle East.

Oman
A country occupying the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula at
the confluence of the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.

Kuwait
A small emirate nestled between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Kuwait is situated in
a section of one of the driest, least-hospitable deserts on Earth. Its shore,
however, includes Kuwait Bay, a deep harbour on the Persian Gulf.

Israel
Israel, Arabic Isrāʾīl, officially State of Israel or Hebrew Medinat Yisraʾel,
country in the Middle East, located at the eastern end of the
Mediterranean Sea. It is bounded to the north by Lebanon, to the
northeast by Syria, to the east and southeast by Jordan, to the southwest
by Egypt, and to the west by the Mediterranean Sea. Jerusalem is the seat
of government and the proclaimed capital, although the latter status has
not received wide international recognition.
 Qatar
Independent emirate on the west coast of the Persian Gulf. Qatar has
one of the world’s largest reserves of petroleum and natural gas and
employs large numbers of foreign workers in its production process.
Because of its oil wealth, the country’s residents enjoy a high standard of
living and a well-established system of social services.

Syria
Country located on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea in
southwestern Asia. Syria has a relatively short coastline, which
stretches for about 110 miles (180 km) along the Mediterranean Sea
between the countries of Turkey and Lebanon. Sandy bays dent the
shore, alternating with rocky headlands and low cliffs. North of Ṭ arṭū s,
the narrow coastal strip is interrupted by spurs of the northwestern
Al-Anṣariyyah Mountains immediately to the east. It then widens into the ʿAkkā r Plain, which
continues south across the Lebanon border.

Palestine
Area of the eastern Mediterranean region, comprising parts of
modern Israel and the Palestinian territories of the Gaza Strip (along
the coast of the Mediterranean Sea) and the West Bank (the area
west of the Jordan River). The term Palestine has been associated
variously and sometimes controversially with this small region,
which some have asserted also includes Jordan. Both the geographic
area designated by the name and the political status of it have changed over the course of some
three millennia.

Turkey
Country that occupies a unique geographic position, lying partly in
Asia and partly in Europe. Throughout its history it has acted as
both a barrier and a bridge between the two continents. The capital
is Ankara, and its largest city and seaport is Istanbul.
United Arab Emirates
Federation of seven emirates along the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The largest of these
emirates, Abu Dhabi (Abū Ẓ aby), which comprises more than three-fourths of the federation’s total
land area, is the centre of its oil industry and borders Saudi Arabia on the federation’s southern and
eastern borders. The port city of Dubai, located at the base of the mountainous Musandam
Peninsula, is the capital of the emirate of Dubai (Dubayy) and is one of the region’s most vital
commercial and financial centres, housing hundreds of multinational corporations in a forest of
skyscrapers. The smaller emirates of Sharjah (Al-Shā riqah), ʿAjmā n, Umm al-Qaywayn, and Raʾs al-
Khaymah also occupy the peninsula, whose protrusion north toward Iran forms the Strait of
Hormuz linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.

Yemen
Country situated at the southwestern corner of the Arabian
Peninsula. It is mostly mountainous and generally arid, though there
are broad patches with sufficient precipitation to make agriculture
successful.

Armenia
Country of Transcaucasia, lying just south of the great mountain
range of the Caucasus and fronting the northwestern extremity of
Asia. To the north and east Armenia is bounded by Georgia and
Azerbaijan, while its neighbours to the southeast and west are,
respectively, Iran and Turkey. Naxçıvan, an exclave of Azerbaijan,
borders Armenia to the southwest. The capital is Yerevan (Erevan).

Azerbaijan
Officially Azerbaijani Republic, Azerbaijani Azä rbayjan
Respublikasi, country of eastern Transcaucasia. Occupying an area
that fringes the southern flanks of the Caucasus Mountains, it is
bounded on the north by Russia, on the east by the Caspian Sea,
on the south by Iran, on the west by Armenia, and on the
northwest by Georgia. The capital of Azerbaijan is the ancient city of Baku (Bakı), whose harbour is
the best on the Caspian Sea.

South Asia

South Asia extends

south from the main part
of the continent to the
Indian Ocean. The
principal boundaries of
South Asia are the Indian
Ocean, the Himalayas, and
Afghanistan. The Arabian
Sea borders Pakistan and
India to the west, and the
Bay of Bengal borders
India and Bangladesh to
the east. The western
boundary is the desert
region where Pakistan
shares a border with Iran.
The countries of
South Asia include Sri
Lanka, India, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan,
and the Maldives. The Himalayas, separating South Asia from East Asia along the border of China’s
autonomous region of Tibet, are the highest mountains in the world and the dominant physical
feature of the northern rim of South Asia. Other countries that share the Himalayas include Nepal,
Bhutan, India, and Pakistan. Farther north along the Himalayan range, the traditional region of
Kashmir is divided between India, Pakistan, and China. On the opposite side of the Himalayas are
two island countries off the coast of southern India. The first is Sri Lanka, a large tropical island off
India’s southeast coast, and the other is the Republic of Maldives, an archipelago (group of islands)
off the southwest coast of India. Maldives comprises almost 1,200 islands that barely rise above sea
level; the highest elevation is merely seven feet, seven inches. Only about two hundred islands in
the Maldives are inhabited.
 Bhutan
Country of south-central Asia, located on the eastern ridges of
the Himalayas. Historically a remote kingdom, Bhutan became
less isolated in the second half of the 20th century, and
consequently the pace of change began to accelerate. The
economic core of Bhutan lies in the fertile valleys of the Lesser
Himalayas, which are separated from one another by a series of
high and complex interconnecting ridges extending across the
country from north to south.

Bangladesh
Located in the delta of the Padma (Ganges) and Jamuna
(Brahmaputra) rivers in the northeastern part of the Indian
subcontinent. Bangladesh is bordered by the Indian states of
West Bengal to the west and north, Assam to the north,
Meghalaya to the north and northeast, and Tripura and
Mizoram to the east. To the southeast, it shares a boundary
with Myanmar (Burma). The southern part of Bangladesh
opens into the Bay of Bengal.

Pakistan
Populous and multi-ethnic country of South Asia. Having a
predominately Indo-Iranian speaking population, Pakistan has
historically and culturally been associated with its neighbours
Iran, Afghanistan, and India.

India
Country that occupies the greater part of South Asia. Its capital is
New Delhi, built in the 20th century just south of the historic hub
of Old Delhi to serve as India’s administrative centre. Its
government is a constitutional republic that represents a highly
diverse population consisting of thousands of ethnic groups and
likely hundreds of languages. With roughly one-sixth of the
world’s total population, India is the second most populous
country, after China.
 Sri Lanka
Located in the Indian Ocean southwest of the Bay of Bengal and
southeast of the Arabian Sea. It is geographically separated from
the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk
Strait. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is its legislative capital, and
Colombo is its largest city and centre of commerce. Sri Lanka's
documented history spans 3,000 years, with evidence of
prehistoric human settlements dating back at least 125,000
years.

Nepal
Lying along the southern slopes of the Himalayan mountain ranges. It is a
landlocked country located between India to the east, south, and west and
the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north. Its territory extends
roughly 500 miles (800 kilometres) from east to west and 90 to 150 miles
from north to south. The capital is Kathmandu.

Maldives
Also called Maldive Islands, independent island country in the
north-central Indian Ocean. It consists of a chain of about 1,200
small coral islands and sandbanks (some 200 of which are
inhabited), grouped in clusters, or atolls. The islands extend more than 510 miles (820 km) from
north to south and 80 miles (130 km) from east to west. The northernmost atoll is about 370 miles
(600 km) south-southwest of the Indian mainland, and the central area, including the capital island
of Male (Male’), is about 400 miles (645 km) southwest of Sri Lanka.

East Asia

East Asia is a large expanse of

territory with China as its largest country.
The countries of Mongolia, North and
South Korea, and Japan are China’s
neighbors. The island of Taiwan, off the
eastern coast of China, has an
independent government that has been
separated from mainland China since
shortly after World War II.
On the southern coast of China is
Hong Kong, a former British possession
with one of the best ports in Asia. Under
an agreement of autonomy, Hong Kong
and its port were turned over to the
Chinese government in 1997. Next door,
to the west of Hong Kong, is the former
Portuguese colony of Macau, which has
also been returned to Chinese control.
In western China is the autonomous region of Tibet, referred to by its Chinese name, Xizang.
Tibet has been controlled by Communist China since 1949, shortly after the People’s Republic of
China (PRC) was declared a country. Lobbying attempts by the Dalai Lama and others for Tibetan
independence have not been successful. The region of Tibet has recently become more integrated
with the country of China because of the immigration of a large number of Chinese people to the
Tibetan region (Saylor Academy, 2012).
The region is home of some of the world’s largest and most prosperous economies: Japan,
South Korea, Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. As East Asia's economic prominence
has grown, so has its importance and influence in the world economy. It has emerged as an
increasingly prominent region in the Asian continent and in the global economy and international
politics as a whole.

China
It is the largest of all Asian countries and has the largest
population of any country in the world. Occupying nearly the
entire East Asian landmass, it covers approximately one-fourteenth of the land area of Earth.
Among the major countries of the world, China is surpassed in area by only Russia and Canada, and
it is almost as large as the whole of Europe.

Hong Kong
Located to the east of the Pearl River (Xu Jiang) estuary on
the south coast of China. The region is bordered by
Guangdong province to the north and the South China Sea
to the east, south, and west. The area of Hong has expanded
over the years, and it has continued to grow as more land
has been reclaimed from the surrounding sea.

Macau
Officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the
People's Republic of China, is a city in the western Pearl
River Delta by the South China Sea. It is a special
administrative region of China and maintains separate
governing and economic systems from those of mainland
China. The name Macau, or Macao, is derived from the
Chinese Ama-gao, or “Bay of Ama,” for Ama, the patron
goddess of sailors.

North Korea
It occupies the northern portion of the Korean peninsula,
which juts out from the Asian mainland between the East
Sea (Sea of Japan) and the Yellow Sea; North Korea covers
about 55 percent of the peninsula’s land area. The country
is bordered by China and Russia to the north and by the
Republic of Korea (South Korea) to the south. The national
capital, P’yŏ ngyang, is a major industrial and transport
centre near the west coast.
 Japan
Island country lying off the east coast of Asia. It consists of a
great string of islands in a northeast-southwest arc that
stretches for approximately 1,500 miles (2,400 km) through
the western North Pacific Ocean. Nearly the entire land area is
taken up by the country’s four main islands; from north to
south these are Hokkaido (Hokkaidō ), Honshu (Honshū ),
Shikoku, and Kyushu (Kyū shū ).

South Korea
It occupies the southern portion of the Korean peninsula. The
country is bordered by the Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea (North Korea) to the north, the East Sea (Sea of Japan) to
the east, the East China Sea to the south, and the Yellow Sea to
the west; to the southeast it is separated from the Japanese
island of Tsushima by the Korea Strait. South Korea makes up
about 45 percent of the peninsula’s land area. The capital is
Seoul (Sŏ ul).

Taiwan
Neighbouring countries include the People's Republic of
China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the
Philippines to the south. The main island of Taiwan has an
area of 35,808 square kilometres (13,826 sq mi), with
mountain ranges dominating the eastern two-thirds and
plains in the western third, where its highly urbanised
population is concentrated. Taipei is the de facto capital of the
ROC and serves as its seat of government as well as largest
metropolitan area. Other major cities include New Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Tainan and
Taoyuan.
 Mongolia
It is roughly oval in shape, measuring 1,486 miles (2,392 km)
from west to east and, at its maximum, 782 miles (1,259 km)
from north to south. Mongolia’s land area is roughly
equivalent to that of the countries of western and central
Europe, and it lies in a similar latitude range. The national
capital, Ulaanbaatar (Mongolian: Ulan Bator) is in the north-
central part of the country.

North Asia

North-eastern Siberia
comprises faulted and
folded mountains of
moderate height, such as
the Verkhoyansk,
Chersky, and Okhotsk-
Chaun mountain arcs, all
Mesozoic structures that
have been rejuvenated by
geologically recent
tectonic events. The
Koryak Mountains are
similar but have a
Cenozoic origin. Volcanic
activity took place in
those areas during the Cenozoic. Some plateaus are found in the areas of the ancient massifs, such
as the Kolyma Mountains. Traces of several former centres of mountain glaciers remain, as well as
traces of lowland originally covered by the sea, such as the New Siberian Islands. The Prilenskoye
and Aldan plateaus—comprising an ancient peneplain resting on the underlying platform that
sometimes outcrops on the surface—are located in the region. Traces of ancient glaciation also can
be distinguished.
Siberia, Russian Sibir
Vast region of Russia and northern Kazakhstan,
constituting all of northern Asia. Siberia extends from
the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in
the east and southward from the Arctic Ocean to the
hills of north-central Kazakhstan and the borders of
Mongolia and China.

Southeast Asia

The region between

China, India, Australia, and
the Pacific Ocean is known
as Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asia includes
countries with political
boundaries creating many shapes and sizes. The political borders were created through a
combination of factors, including natural features, traditional tribal distinctions, colonial claims,
and political agreements. The realm also has the fourth-most populous country in the world,
Indonesia. Southeast Asia is a region of peninsulas and islands. The only landlocked country is the
rural and remote country of Laos, which borders China, Vietnam, and Thailand. The physical
geography of Southeast Asia includes beaches, bays, inlets, and gulfs. The thousands of islands and
remote places allow refuge for a wide variety of cultural groups and provide havens for rebellious
insurgents, modern-day pirates, and local inhabitants.
Southeast Asia can be divided into two geographic regions. The mainland portion, which is
connected to India and China, extends south into what has been called the Indochina Peninsula or
Indochina, a name given to the region by France. This mainland region consists of the countries of
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar (Burma). This region has been influenced
historically by India and China. The islands or insular region to the south and east consist of nations
surrounded by water. The countries in this region include Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia,
East Timor, and the Philippines.

Indonesia
Located off the coast of mainland Southeast Asia in the
Indian and Pacific oceans. It is an archipelago that lies
across the Equator and spans a distance equivalent to
one-eighth of Earth’s circumference. The capital, Jakarta,
is located near the northwestern coast of Java.

Thailand
Located in the centre of mainland Southeast Asia. Located
wholly within the tropics, Thailand encompasses diverse
ecosystems, including the hilly forested areas of the
northern frontier, the fertile rice fields of the central
plains, the broad plateau of the northeast, and the rugged
coasts along the narrow southern peninsula.

Singapore
City-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, about 85 miles (137 kilometres) north
of the Equator. It consists of the diamond-shaped Singapore Island and some 60 small islets; the
main island occupies all but about 18 square miles of this combined area.

Vietnam
Country occupying the eastern portion of mainland Southeast
Asia. The capital, Hanoi, is located in the north, while the
country’s largest city, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), is
in the south. Vietnam experienced a period of prolonged
warfare in the mid-20th century, and a partitioning (1954–
75), first militarily and later politically, into the Democratic
Republic of Vietnam, better known as North Vietnam, and the
Republic of Vietnam, usually called South Vietnam. Following reunification in April 1975, the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam was established in July 1976.

Malaysia
Lying just north of the Equator, that is composed of two
noncontiguous regions: Peninsular Malaysia (Semenanjung
Malaysia), also called West Malaysia (Malaysia Barat), which is
on the Malay Peninsula, and East Malaysia (Malaysia Timur),
which is on the island of Borneo. The Malaysian capital, Kuala
Lumpur, lies in the western part of the peninsula, about 25
miles (40 km) from the coast; the administrative centre,
Putrajaya, is located about 16 miles (25 km) south of the
capital.

Philippines
The Republic of the Philippines is a sovereign state in
archipelagic Southeast Asia, with 7,641 islands spanning more
than 300,000 square kilometers of territory. It is divided into
three island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The
country's primary exports include electronics,
semiconductors, transport equipment, construction materials,
and minerals. As an open economy, the Philippines trades
with other economies around the world. It considers Japan,
the United States, China, South Korea, and Germany as its top export markets.
 Cambodia
Country on the Indochinese mainland of Southeast Asia.
Cambodia is largely a land of plains and great rivers and lies
amid important overland and river trade routes linking China to
India and Southeast Asia. The influences of many Asian cultures,
alongside those of France and the United States, can be seen in
the capital, Phnom Penh, one of a handful of urban centres in
the largely rural country.

Brunei
Independent Islamic sultanate on the northern coast of the
island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is bounded to the north by
the South China Sea and on all other sides by the East
Malaysian state of Sarawak, which also divides the state into
two disconnected segments of unequal size.

Timor-Leste
Island country in the eastern Lesser Sunda Islands, at the
southern extreme of the Malay Archipelago. It occupies the
eastern half of the island of Timor, the small nearby islands of
Atauro (Kambing) and Jaco, and the enclave of Ambeno,
including the town of Pante Makasar, on the northwestern coast
of Timor. Dili is the capital and largest city.