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Asia (Continent) Facts & Worksheets

Asia is the world's largest continent, with a ground area of 17,212,000 square miles. It has a population of more than 4 billion which is more than all of the other continents combined.

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Asia is the world’s largest continent, with a ground area of 17,212,000 square miles. It has a population of more than 4 billion, more than all other continents combined.

See the fact file below for more information on Asia, or you can download our 26-page Asia Continent worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Amazing Asia

  • Asia is gigantic, enormous, vast, and huge.
  • It is the largest of the world’s five continents.
  • It covers approximately 30% of the Earth‘s surface, 17,226,200 mi² or 44,614,000 km².
  • Asia is bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean, on the east by the Pacific Ocean, and by Europe on the west.
  • Asia’s coastline is approximately 39,000 miles (62,800 km) and is the longest coastline of any continent.
  • The continent of Asia includes over 18,000 islands.
    • The five major islands are Sulawesi, Borneo, Java, New Guinea, and Sumatra.
    • The two main archipelagos are the Maluku Islands and Nusa Tenggara.
    • There are also 60 smaller archipelagos (extensive groups of islands). 
  • According to the United Nations, there are 48 countries in Asia.
  • Asia has three-fifths of the world’s population. China and India have two-thirds of Asia’s population, with over one billion each.
  • Asia contains the tallest peak in the world. This is Mount Everest which is 29,035 ft (8,850 mt) at its highest point.
  • Asia also has the lowest place on Earth’s land surface. This is the Dead Sea which sits about 1,410 ft (430 mt) below sea level.
  • The largest and the smallest country in terms of land area are located in Asia, namely Russia, the largest, and the Maldives, the smallest.
  • Many of the largest cities in the world are located in Asia, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Tokyo, Guangzhou, Istanbul, Karachi, Tianjin, and Shanghai.
  • Asia is the birthplace of all the world’s major religions. However, Christianity is the most common faith that Asian people are affiliated with now.
  • Due to its vastness, Asia has the world’s widest climate extremes.

Etymology and Background

  • The name of the continent originated from the word Ἀσία which is an Ancient Greek word. 
  • Asia was the site of many first civilizations and has long been home to most of the Earth’s population.
  • Many historical events took place on this continent, and countless historical places are still there, attracting millions of tourists.  
  • In 2010, the number of millionaires in Asia increased significantly, falling only slightly short of those in North America, leaving Asia in second place.
  • When it comes to the economy, Asia has the largest GDP Nominal and PPP among all the continents in the world.
  • The majority of Asian countries have multiple languages and dialects. India has the most languages, with over 800.
  • The third longest river in the world, the Yangtze River, can be found in China.
  • China and India are the most populated countries in the world. Each of them has over one billion inhabitants.
  • Agriculture is the main source of income for people living in Southeast Asia. They rely on monsoon rains and mild storms to create bumper crops.
  • The Japanese people have one of the world’s highest lifespans, with many reaching 100 years old and over.
  • The world’s most continuous sandy desert is located in Saudi Arabia.
  • It is said that Asia produces 90% of the rice that is consumed globally.
  • The most active volcanoes in the world are Mt. Kelut and Mt. Merapi, located on Java island in Asia.
  • The most widely used language in the world originates from Asia, specifically China. It is Mandarin Chinese.
  • Two countries fall onto two continents. These are Turkey and Russia and are both located in Asia and Europe.
  • The record holder for the most tourists visiting a city is in Asia, specifically Bangkok in Thailand.

Resources, Flora and Fauna

  • The huge continent of Asia has vast reserves of almost every important mineral. 
  • There are abundant reserves of coal, petroleum, natural gas, uranium, iron, bauxite (a rock with a high aluminum content), and many other ores. 
  • Asia also produces the most varied forms of vegetation and animal life on Earth.
  • Asia’s indigenous vegetation includes most cereal grains, fruits, and vegetables.
  • It also has a variety of useful building materials, such as bamboo, wood, and thatch.
  • It produces clothing from flax, rope from hemp, utensils from bamboo, silk from silkworms, and a multitude of other items obtained from plants, including pharmaceuticals and drugs.
  • Sheep, goats, poultry, pigs, and cattle provide food, dairy products, hides, and wool.
  • Asia has many oriental conifers, including umbrella pines, cedars, spruces, junipers, and yews.
  • Ornamental plants include azaleas, primroses, camellias, peonies, roses, lotus, and begonias. 
  • The Clouded Leopard, Sun Bear, and Draco Lizard are unique wildlife in Asia.
  • Large mammals include the Asian elephant, Indian rhinoceros, and Asiatic Malayan tapir.
  • Other fascinating creatures include the snow leopard, orangutan, giant panda, Asian tigers, Asiatic lion, the proboscis monkey, the Indian cobra, the Komodo dragon, and birds such as the painted stork and colorful peacock.
  • Fish, crustaceans, and many other sea and freshwater creatures are all abundant and heavily exploited. 
  • Most countries in Asia have working animals. Arabia has the camel, Central Asia has the yak, Thailand uses the elephant, and the water buffalo is used in Southeast Asia.

Asia’s Attractions

  • The only man-made structure visible from outer space is the Great Wall of China in Asia. 
  • The largest lake in the world can also be found in Asia. It is the Caspian Sea in the vicinity of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan, providing beaches and watersports. Although it does not feed into an ocean, it is called a sea due to its size and depth. 
  • The largest cave in the world can also be found in Asia in the country of Vietnam. The cave is called “Son Doong,” and it measures 660 ft (200 mt) in height, 3.1 mi (5 km) in length, and 490 ft (150 mt) in width, at the greatest points.
  • The deepest and largest freshwater lake in the world is located in Asia. Lake Baikal, popular for watersports and scuba-diving, is situated on the mountainous border of Siberia and Mongolia.
  • The fifth-largest desert in the world, the Gobi desert, is found in Asia. The Gobi Desert is attractive to tourists because of its dramatically changing seasons. In the summer, it is lush, with fantastic carpets of colorful flowers. In the winter, the sand dunes are all covered in snow.

Asia Continent Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Asia across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Asia Continent worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Asia, which is the world’s largest continent, with a ground area of 17,212,000 square miles. It has a population of more than 4 billion, which is more than all of the other continents combined.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

  • Asia Facts
  • Today I Learned that…
  • Let’s Go Oriental
  • It Starts with the Capital
  • Around the Word
  • Numbers Game
  • Fill in the Gaps!
  • Asian Currencies
  • Asia’s Wonders
  • Asian Languages

Frequently Asked Questions

How many flags are there in Asia?

There are 48 independent countries within the continent of Asia, and each has its own national flag. 

What animals are unique to Asia?

Asia has many unique creatures. Some of these are the Draco Lizard, also known as the flying lizard, the Proboscis Monkey, or as its name implies, the long-nosed monkey, the Tanuki, a Japanese raccoon dog, and the Sunda Colugo, the Malayan flying lemur. 

What is the most famous food in Asia?

Asian cuisine is as varied as its 48 countries. Staple foods include noodles, mung beans, rice, and soybeans. Well-known dishes include ramen and sushi (Japan), biryani (India), kimchi (Korea), and dim sum (China).

How many people live on the continent of Asia?

Asia has a population in excess of 4.7 billion people, which is more than half of the world’s population, which, in 2020, is fast approaching eight billion.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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