From YourTravelGuide

Asia is the largest continent by landmass and population in the world. Asia covers 8.6% of the Earth’s surface, 29.4% of its land. With nearly 4 billion people, Asia has 55% of the world’s population. When one thinks about Asia, the mind usually goes to China, Japan, maybe Korea and Vietnam, but the continent includes much, much more. Asia’s borders include the Artic Sea to the north, the [[Indian Ocean to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the east. It shares a border with Europe and Africa on the western edge of the continent.

Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 Current Events 1.2 History 1.3 Asian Culture 1.4 Asian Cuisine 2 Geography 2.1 Regions 2.2 South Asia 2.3 East Asia 2.4 Central Asia 2.5 Southeast Asia 2.6 Russia and the Caucasus 2.7 The Middle East 3 Transport 3.1 Get There 3.2 Get Around 4 See 4.1 Highlights 4.1.1 World Heritage Sites 4.2 Itineraries 5 Stay Safe 5.1 Health 5.1.1 Bird flu 5.2 Trouble Spots

[edit] Introduction

[edit] Current Events

[edit] History

[edit] Asian Culture

The continent is as diverse as any in the world. In the region commonly referred to as the Middle East, great religious wars have been raging throughout time. It is the birthplace of Christ, and the thirteen tribes of Israel. There are five million Jewish people, living mostly in Israel, twelve million Christians, and 292 million (92%) Muslims in the Middle East.

Shamanism is the oldest form of healing, and a religion based on a leader or Shaman who has mystical powers and can travel through other realities in order to achieve balance between man and spirits. This practice has its origins in the region of Siberia in northern Asia. Said to have been pre-Buddha, it is still practiced in many areas of Asia today, particularly in the central regions.

Other religious factions represented throughout Asia include, Hinduism, particularly in India, various forms of Buddhism, Shinto in Japan, and Daoism in China.

[edit] Asian Cuisine

The food of Asia differs as much as the regions themselves, from hot, curried dishes in India, to the more subtly spiced dishes of Japan. Even the ever-popular Chinese food differs from province to province. One staple of every Asian table, however, is rice. In Pakistan and northern India, an assortment of breads is included with the rice. Fish is used in very many Asian dishes due to proximity to the water. The inland countries, like Afghanistan and Iran, however, are dependant on dairy and meat products.

[edit] Geography

[edit] Regions

Asia is broken down into six regions: South Asia, East Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, North Asia and the Middle East.

[edit] South Asia

South Asia is one of the world’s most densely populated areas.

• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• Bhutan
• India
• Iran
• Maldives
• Nepal
• Pakistan
• Sri Lanka

[edit] East Asia

East Asia is what is usually thought of when one hears the word Asia.

• China
• Hong Kong
• Japan
• Mongolia
• Macau
• North Korea
• South Korea
• Taiwan

[edit] Central Asia

The region known as Central Asia includes the following countries:

• Afghanistan
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Tajikistan
• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan

[edit] Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is composed of the following countries:

• Brunei
• Cambodia
• East Timor
• Indonesia
• Laos
• Malaysia
• Myanmar (Burma)
• Philippines
• Singapore
• Thailand
• Vietnam

[edit] Russia and the Caucasus

• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Georgia
• North Asia is solely made up of Russia.

[edit] The Middle East

The Middle East or Western Asia has the most countries of any region:

• Bahrain
• Cyprus
• Iran
• Iraq
• Israel and the Palestinian Territories
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• Syria
• Turkey
• United Arab Emirates
• Yemen

[edit] Transport

[edit] Get There

[edit] Get Around

[edit] See

[edit] Highlights

[edit] World Heritage Sites

India The Taj Mahal is an internationally admired masterpiece of architecture. Built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 in memory of emperor Shah Jahan’s beloved, favorite wife, the enormous white marble mausoleum is a sight to behold.

Japan The Hiroshima Peace Memorial was the only structure standing after the first atomic bombing on 6 August,1945. Not only is it a stark symbol of the worst of humankind’s creations, it also represents a hope for peace and elimination of all nuclear weapons.

Thailand The Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Santuaries, along the Myanmar border, encompass over 1 million acres. Containing almost all forest types within Southeast Asia, they are home to 77% of large mammals (particularly elephants and tigers), 50% of large birds, and 33% of land vertebrates to be found in the entire region.

[edit] Itineraries

[edit] Stay Safe

[edit] Health

[edit] Bird flu

The bird flu has been found in poultry in Asia. There have also been a number of people infected with the disease in parts of Asia. Precautions suggested by the Center for Disease Control, include:

• Do not go to bird farms or where live birds are sold.
• Avoid touching any type of fowl, wild or other, even if they seem healthy.
• Make sure all poultry products consumed, meat, blood and eggs, are fully cooked. Eggs should not be runny.
• If preparing food, keep meat away from everything else. Make sure to wash all utensils, surfaces and hands after preparation.
• Keep an alcohol base hand cleaner available, in case water is not near.
• Watch for fever, cough, sore throat and trouble breathing, both while visiting the continent and for 10 days after returning home.

[edit] Trouble Spots