The largest continent in the world, Asia encompasses almost 30% of the planet's total land area and is often considered to contain the western region of the Russian Federation.

An important part of the Africa-Eurasia supercontinent, Asia comprises seven main regions, split more than 50 different territories, containing both the Indian and Arabian subcontinents.

The most significant countries in Asia include Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in Central Asia; the People's Republic of China, Japan and Korea in Eastern Asia; Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand in Southeastern Asia; India and Pakistan in Southern Asia; and Turkey, Iraq and Saudi Arabia in Western Asia.

Located on the eastern side of Asia, China is a vast country, with India being situated to the southwest and both Mongolia and Russia to the north.

Beijing is the capital of China, a bustling city with a history of over 3,000 years. Other notable locations include Hong Kong, Macau and Shanghai.

Lying in the South Pacific Ocean, the Republic of the Fiji Islands lies to the east of Australia. A cluster of more than 300 different islands, with 106 being permanently occupied and over 500 further islets of various sizes.

Fiji's main islands including both Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, which together account for almost 90% of the country's total population. Suva is the capital of Viti Levu and the country - a busy port city almost completely surrounded by the sea.

The island of Guam stands to the east of China, in the Western Pacific Ocean. With a thriving economy supported by its tourist industry, Guam features a diverse landscape of limestone plateaus, volcanic mountains and forested areas.

Guam is the biggest island in Micronesia and the most southerly of the islands in the Mariana island chain. The capital of Guam is Hagatna, sited on the western shore and featuring a number of sandy beaches around Agana Bay.

The Republic of India is located in South Asia and is the world's seventh-biggest country, featuring one of the highest populations and an endless coastline.

Many cultural beliefs have originated from India, including Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism. New Delhi is the capital of India and contains many historic landmarks, while the city of Agra is home to the spectacular Taj Mahal.

Indonesia consists of the large group of almost 18,000 different island and is officially known as the Republic of Indonesia. Situated in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is edged by East Timor, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea.

Featuring 33 provinces, Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia and can be found on the northwestern shore of the island of Java, while Bali is amongst the country's most popular tourist destinations and is one of the many Lesser Sunda Islands.

A modern and appealing country, Israel occupies an area of the Middle East, in Western Asia. Located on the eastern side of both northern Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, Israel is surrounded by Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Divided into four main regions, the coastal plain, central hills, Jordan Rift Valley and Negev Desert, Israel's official languages are both Hebrew and Arabic. The capital of Israel is Jerusalem, southeast of Tel Aviv and north of Bethlehem.

Standing in Eastern Asia, the country of Japan is a chain of islands, located in the Pacific Ocean. Running parallel with the nearby Asiatic mainland, Japan can be found to the east of China, Korea and the Russian Federation.

Tokyo is Japan's capital, a true 'megacity', situated on the island of Honshu.

Korea is an area of Eastern Asia, divided into two regions - North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and South Korea (Republic of Korea), forming a peninsula between the Yellow Sea and the East Sea.

The capital of North Korea is Pyongyang, located alongside the Taedong River. Seoul is South Korea's capital and is a densely populated city.

Comprising 13 states in Southeast Asia, Malaysia is split into two regions by the South China Sea. Peninsular Malaysia (west) borders Thailand to the north and Singapore to the south, while Malaysian Borneo (east) is north of Indonesia.

Separated by around 400 miles / 650 km, the two regions of Malaysia contain many different ethnic groups, with the official language being Malay. Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia, on the western coastline of Peninsular Malaysia.

An emirate in the Middle East / Western Asia, Qatar occupies a peninsula setting on the western side of the Persian Gulf. Located to the north of Saudi Arabia, Qatar's official language is Arabic.

While much of Qatar consists of barren plains and rolling sand dunes, the capital of Doha is a modern metropolis, with major fishing and oil industries. Qatar features a particularly hot climate with very little rain during the summer.

The country of Singapore occupies an area of Southeast Asia. Singapore consists of an inland area, connected by a causeway to the southern side of the Malay Peninsula, and more than 50 smaller islands.

Singapore's harbour is one of the busiest in the world, based around the mouth of the Singapore River. A small country with no distinct seasons, Singapore lies close to the equator, with Singapore City being the capital.

Taiwan is an island country, to the southeast of China and part of the Republic of China, which encompasses a number of nearby islands, including Lanyu (Orchid Island), Green Island, the Pescadores, Kinmen and Matsu.

Mandarin Chinese is the official language of Taiwan, with Taipei being the capital city, located on the northern side of the country, in the Taipei Basin. Taipei is home to the world's tallest structure, the Taipei 101 building.

Thailand is a true kingdom in Southeast Asia, standing to the north of Cambodia, Malaysia and the Gulf of Thailand. Divided into 75 different provinces, Thailand is grouped into five main regions by location.

The capital of Thailand is Bangkok, sited on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River and close to the Gulf of Thailand. A dynamic city with a fast growing economy, Bangkok features a population of over six million.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is an indepedent state, on the southern shore of the Persian Gulf. Sandwiched between both Saudi Arabia to the west and Oman to the west, the official language in the UAE is Arabic.

Abu Dhabi is the capital city and one of the seven emirates that comprise the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is the UAE's second-biggest city and famous for being home to three spectacular Palm Islands.

Socialist Republic of Vietnam lies in Southeast Asia, in the eastern Indochina area, alongside the South China Sea. Bordered by Cambodia, China and Laos, Vietnam is home to a varied terrain, with many hills and forested mountains.

Vietnam offers a tropical climate and is split into 64 distinct provinces. Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's largest city, once known as Saigon and located to the south, while Hanoi is the capital, in the centre of northern Vietnam.