During much of the 1900s it was
the capital of a republic of the Soviet
Union. An earthquake destroyed much
of the city in 1948, but it was rebuilt. In
1992 Turkmenistan became an independent
country with Ashkhabad as the
capital. The city then adopted the Turkmen
version of its nameAshgabat.
..More to explore
Oasis Turkmenistan
A statue of a horseman stands in
front of a monument in downtown
Ashgabat.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Ashgabat 199
Asia
The largest and most populated continent
is Asia. It has nearly one third of
the worlds total land area and is home
to more than half Earths people.
Land and Climate
Because Asia is so vast and varied, it is
often discussed in terms of six general
regions: Southwest, South, Southeast,
East, North, and Central Asia. Southwest
Asia consists mainly of countries on
or near the Arabian Peninsula, such as
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and Israel.
Most of Turkey is also included in this
group. (Some of Turkey is considered
part of Europe.) The countries of Southwest
Asia are also part of a region known
as the Middle East. Much of the land in
Southwest Asia is desert.
The main geographic features of South,
Southeast, and East Asia are great
mountains, high plains, and islands.
India and Pakistan are major countries
in South Asia; Indonesia, Malaysia,
Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam
are in Southeast Asia; and China, Japan,
and North and South Korea are in East
Asia.
Northern Asia, also called Siberia, is part
of Russia. (Russias Ural Mountains
separate Asia and Europe, so Russia is
partly in Asia and partly in Europe.)
Siberia has mostly frozen plains and
swampy forest. Because of the extreme
cold, few people live there. Most of Central
Asia consists of desert, but in the
north are vast grasslands.
200 Asia BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Asia 201
The continents largest deserts are the
Gobi and the Takla Makan Desert in
East Asia and the Thar Desert in South
Asia. Many of the worlds highest peaks
are found in the Himalayas of South
Asia. The continents other major
mountain ranges include the Hindu
Kush, the Tian Shan, and the Altai, all
in Central Asia. Major Asian rivers
include the Yangtze and Huang He in
China; the Mekong and Irrawaddy in
Southeast Asia; the Ganges in India; and
the Ob in Russia. Some of the worlds
earliest civilizations developed along the
Indus River in India and the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers in Southwest Asia.
The climate of Asia varies greatly. The
continent has some of the hottest and
coldest places on Earth, as well as many
areas in between. Cherrapunji, India, is
one of the worlds wettest places, averaging
nearly 400 inches (1,000 centimeters)
of rain per year. Southwest Asia has
some of the worlds driest deserts. South
and Southeast Asia are hot, wet regions
with two distinctive seasons: a relatively
cool and dry winter and a rainy and hot
summer.
Plants and Animals
Because of the wide variety of climates
and physical features, there are many
types of plants. In northern Siberia
lichens, mosses, and some wildflowers
grow. To the south are evergreen forests
and grasslands. China has the most varied
vegetation of any country in the
world. Palm trees and bamboo grow in
the southern parts of China, South
Korea, and Japan. In South and Southeast
Asia rain forest is the main natural
vegetation, though large areas of trees
have been cut down to make room for
farming. In the mountains of Southwest
Asia there are forests of beech trees, evergreens,
hollies, and creepers.
Asias animals are as varied as its plants.
Northern Asia has polar bears, walruses,
moose, and reindeer, while wild camels
roam the Gobi. Asias reptiles include
crocodiles, king cobras, and Komodo
dragons. Animals found only in Asia
include the orangutan, giant panda,
Asian elephant, Siberian tiger, Bengal
tiger, and Indian rhinoceros. However,
the population of many animals in Asia
has been reduced because of the destruction
of animal habitats and uncontrolled
hunting.
The Tian Shan Mountains are a
major feature of Central Asia.
202 Asia BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
People
Many different groups of people live in
Asia. Arabs, Jews, Iranians, and Turks
are among the peoples of Southwest
Asia. South Asia is home to Indian
peoples. Southeast Asias wide variety of
peoples and cultures has been
influenced by India and China. The
main peoples in East Asia are the
Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans.
Northern Asia includes various Asian
groups, as well as Russians and other
Europeans.
Hundreds of different languages can be
heard throughout the continent. More
than 250 languages are spoken in Indonesia
alone. Some of the most widely
used languages in Asia include Arabic,
which is spoken in parts of Southwest
Asia; Hindi, spoken in India; and Chinese
(Mandarin), spoken in China. Russian,
English, and French are also
spoken.
The worlds major religionsBuddhism,
Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and
Christianityall started in Asia.Today,
many people in Southeast and East Asia
follow Buddhism.Hinduism is the main
religion in India and Nepal, while Islam
is practiced in much of Southwest Asia
and in Indonesia,Malaysia, Pakistan, and
Bangladesh. Judaism is the main religion
in Israel. Christianity is practiced
throughout the continent, but only in
the Philippines, Russia, and Armenia is it
the main religion.
Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Singapore,
and South Korea have excellent
education and health care systems. But
most of the rest of Asia is still
developing. The living standards of
many people are behind those in the
Western world. In general, problems
with nutrition are common. Health and
education services are limited and are
generally more available in cities than in
rural areas.
Economy
Agriculture is an important part of the
economy in many Asian countries. In
much of Asia the main food crop is rice.
Wheat is important in parts of Northern,
Central, Southwest, and South Asia.
Crops grown for sale include tea, sugarcane,
coconuts, and rubber. Sheep and
goats are raised for meat and wool in
most of Asia. China, Japan, Indonesia,
India, and Russia catch large amounts of
fish.
Asia has large reserves of almost every
important mineral. The continent has
more than half the worlds reserves of
The religion of Buddhism was founded in
India and soon spread throughout Asia.
The Kiyomizu Temple is one of the most
famous Buddhist temples in Japan.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Asia 203
coal, mostly in China, Siberia, and
India. Major deposits of oil are found
in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, the United
Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Asia also
produces large amounts of iron ore, cast
iron, tin, tungsten, and refined zinc.
Asias industrialized areas, including
Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and
Singapore, make a wide variety of
products. China and parts of South and
Southeast Asia began developing their
manufacturing in the late 20th century.
South and Southeast Asia produce