Deserts of Asia, Landforms of Asia - Worldatlas.com Deserts of Asia, Landforms of Asia ASIA DESERTS: Several significant deserts stretch across Asia and the Middle East. Here we highlight of the map and brief description of the major ones, including the Arabian, Gobi, Karakum, Kyzylkum, Takla Makan and Thar. Arabian Desert The Arabian Desert is a vast desert wilderness stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and from Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It is the largest desert in Asia at 900,000 square miles and occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula. This desert is located in the Middle East, and we have additional details and map at this link: Gobi Desert The Gobi Desert is the 2nd largest desert in Asia, covering 500,000 square miles. Extending from northern China into Mongolia, the Gobi Desert receives an average of 7 inches of rainfall each year because the Himalaya mountains block rain clouds from reaching the region. Kara Kum Desert The Kara Kum covers 135,000 square miles, nearly 70 percent of Turkmenistan's land.

Because of the desert's location along the Caspian Sea, the weather in Karakum is milder than many Asian deserts, which typically experience frigid winters and scorching summers. Kyzyl Kum Desert Crossing over Kazakhstan into Uzbekistan, this 115,000 square mile desert features a wide variety of flora and fauna. Though the area only receives 4 to 8 inches of rain per year, the rain occurs during the region's cooler period so the water does not dissipate quickly and supports large migratory game. Takla Makan Desert China's largest desert extends over 123,550 square miles. Composed primarily of shifting crescent sand dunes, the Takla Makan is one of the largest sandy deserts in the world. Despite the inhospitable and unpredictable nature of the desert sands, the Chinese government erected a road across the desert in the mid-1990s. Thar Desert Covering 77,000 square miles in India and Pakistan, the Thar Desert is Asia's only subtropical desert.

Primarily occupying the Indian state of Rajasthan, the Thar receives up to 20 inches of rain per year, primarily during the monsoon period from July to September, and most crops are grown during this rainy season. Major Deserts of Asia | USA Today Major Deserts of Asia Travel Tips Gabi Logan The Chinese government is working to reforest the edges of the Gobi desert to prevent its spread into surrounding villages. (Photo: Getty Images/Getty Images News/Getty Images ) Related Articles Names of the Tallest Mountains in Asia Deserts come in many shapes, sizes and climates -- Antarctica and the Arctic are the world's largest deserts. The technical definition of a desert area is a region that receives under 10 inches of precipitation per year, though the climate can range from extremely arid to semi-arid. Asia's major deserts break the stereotype of rolling sand dunes radiating with heat and feature trees, plantations, mountains and occasional frost. Gobi Desert The Gobi Desert is the largest desert in Asia, covering 500,000 square miles. Extending from northern China into Mongolia, the Gobi Desert receives an average of 7 inches of rainfall each year because the Himalaya mountains block rain clouds from reaching the region.

The silk road actually passes through the Gobi Desert, and through historic trading cities such as Turfan, Hami and Dunhuang. Today, the Gobi continues to grow every year, as winds carry desert sand into nearby areas and erodes the surrounding top soil. This process of desertification renders fertile land unusable and occurs in the Gobi at an alarming rate for the nearby human population. Karakum Desert The Karakum Desert covers 135,000 square miles -- nearly 70 percent of Turkmenistan. Because of the desert's location along the Caspian Sea, the weather in Karakum is milder than many Asian deserts, which typically experience frigid winters and scorching summers. Average summer temperatures remain below 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while winters typically hover around freezing. The Aral Karakum is a separate, unconnected desert within the confines of Kazakhstan. Kyzylkum Desert Crossing over Kazakhstan into Uzbekistan, the 115,000 square mile Kyzylkum Desert features a wide variety of flora and fauna.

Though the area only receives 4 to 8 inches of rain per year, the rain occurs during the region's cooler period so the water does not dissipate quickly and supports large migratory game such as deer, boar and antelope as well as turtles, lizards and birds. The region's rich fauna dates back to prehistoric times, as documented over a series of archeological digs that have uncovered a wealth of dinosaurs and early mammals. Takla Makan Desert China's largest desert extends over 123,550 square miles of the Autonomous Region of Xinjiang in the Tarim Basin. Composed primarily of shifting crescent sand dunes, the Taklamakan is one of the largest sandy deserts in the world. Despite the inhospitable and unpredictable nature of the desert sands, the Chinese government erected a road across the desert in the mid-1990s. This feat of structural and environmental engineering involved melting sand under the roads into a solid mass, planting millions of trees to keep the sand from covering the road and setting up families along the road to water the trees.

Thar Desert Covering 77,000 square miles in India and Pakistan, the Thar Desert is Asia's only subtropical desert. Primarily occupying the Indian state Rajasthan, the Thar has a high population density for a desert. Thar inhabitants subsist on livestock and agriculture. The western portion of the desert receives up to 20 inches of rain per year, primarily during the monsoon period from July to September, and most crops are grown during this rainy season. References What is the largest desert in Asia? | Reference.com What is the largest desert in Asia? A: Quick Answer The largest desert in Asia is the Gobi Desert. The Gobi Desert spreads more than 800,000 square miles through Northern China and into Mongolia. Full Answer The Gobi Desert is crossed by the famous Silk Road, passing through several famous trade cities like Turfan. The area only receives around 7 inches of rain per year. The Himalayan Mountains block rain clouds from reaching the desert area. The winds that move across the desert cause it to expand rapidly, taking over the farm land that borders it quickly.

The sand is able to take over the farm land, because the sand destabilizes the soil and causes it to erode and become unstable. Facts and Information about the Continent of Asia Asia Geography Asia is the World’s largest continent – 43,810,582 kmÂ². covering approximately 30% of the Earth’s land and 8.66% of the Earth’s surface. It is bordered by the Ural Mountains to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Indian Ocean to the south. The highest point in the World, is Mount Everest (8,848 m), situated in the Tibetan region of the Himalayas. The longest river in Asia and third longest in the World is the Yangtze (6,211 km) which flows through China. The largest desert in Asia is the Gobi desert measuring 281,800 kmÂ². Regions & Seasons Asia is broadly divided into six regions as shown on the map right. Asia lies almost entirely inÂ the northern hemisphere and the seasons of all are similar. The seasons of southern and south-east Asia vary slightly because of the monsoons.

Northern Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Asia – Spring – March, April, May Climate The climate of Asia varies according to location and physical geography. There are eight different climate types: Deciduous forest – Four distinct seasons with warm summers and cold, wet winters. The trees shed their leaves in autumn. Coniferous forest – Also known as Taiga, cold and dry with snowy winters and warmer summers. Alpine/mountain – Cold, windy and snowy. It is winter from October to May with temperatures below freezing, while summer is from June to September where the temperature can reach 15Â°C. Rainforest – High temperatures and high rainfall throughout the year. Desert – Warm to high temperatures with very little rainfall. Tundra – This area is characterised by a layer of permafrost (soil that has remained below freezing for at least two years. Winters are very cold, summers are warm and there is little rainfall. Grassland – Hot summers and cold winters with above average rainfall. Savanna – Very high temperatures all year and rain during the summer season only.

Countries There are 53 countries in Asia including Russia and Turkey which lie in both Europe and Asia and Taiwan which is technically a part of China and not officially recognised as a country by the United Nations. Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait,Â Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Macau, Maldives, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen. Click on the map (right) for a larger image. Demography Asia is the most populated continent containing around 60% of the World’s population. The population of Asia is growing with a growth rate of approximately 2%. The total population of Asia is approximately 3,879,000,000 (2005).

Eastern, southern and south-east Asia are the most populated while the desert, mountain and tundra regions are the least populated. The countries with the highest populations (to the nearest million) are: China – 1,384 million Bangladesh – 133 million Japan – 127 million China, India and Japan are the most economically developed countries. The large oil producing nations – Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab EmiratesÂ are also in Asia. Economic growth in Asia has improved living standards for millions of people, but there remains a huge poverty problem and the gap between rich and poor is growing. According to World data records around 60% of the world’s poorest people live in Asia. Plant Life The plant life of Asia is wide and varied and differs according to climatic region. Due to the cold during the winter months, only short grasses and shrubs can survive in the tundra and alpine/mountain regions. The picture (left) shows an alpine/mountain region. The desert regions are home to those plants that can survive the arid conditions like cactii. The coniferous forest region contains trees such as pine, fir and spruce.

The deciduous forest region has a wealth of plant life and includes tall and short trees, shrubs, small plants and mosses The grassland and savanna regions are characterised by large open areas of tall or short grass. The rainforest areas are jungles of dense, wet forests. Animal Life The animal life of Asia is wide and varied depending on the climatic region. The tundra is home to reindeer, foxes and wolves, while camels and lizards can be found in the desert region. Bears can be found in the coniferous forest region while the mountainous region of China is home to the giant panda. Top Ten Largest Deserts in the World | The Wondrous Top Ten Largest Deserts in the World Nature, Top Ten Pinterest0 10. Kara-Kum Desert, Uzbekistan / Turkmenistan In our list of largest deserts in the world at #10 is The Karakum Desert, also spelled Kara-Kum and Gara Gum is a desert in Central Asia. It occupies about 70 percent, or 350,000 km², of the area of Turkmenistan.

Covering much of present day Turkmenistan, the Karakum Desert lies east of the Caspian Sea, with the Aral Sea to the north and the Amu Darya river and the Kyzyl Kum desert to the northeast. In modern times, with the shrinking of the Aral Sea, the extended “Aral Karakum” has appeared on the former seabed, with an estimated area of 15,440 sq. The sands of the Aral Karakum are made up of a salt-marsh consisting of finely-dispersed evaporites and remnants of alkaline mineral deposits, washed into the basin from irrigated fields. The dusts blown on a powerful east-west airstream carry pesticide residues that have been found in the blood of penguins in Antarctica. Lets read about top ten largest deserts in the world. 9. Great Sandy Desert, Australia The Great Sandy Desert is a 360,000 km2 (140,000 sq mi) expanse in northwestern Australia. Roughly the same size as Japan, it forms part of a larger desert area known as the Western Desert. The vast region of Western Australia is sparsely populated, without significant settlements.

The Great Sandy Desert is a flat area between the rocky ranges of the Pilbara and the Kimberley. To the southeast is the Gibson Desert and to the east is the Tanami Desert. The Rudall River National Park and Lake Dora are located in the southwest while Lake Mackay is located in the southeast. Image credit: yaruman5 8. Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border in the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau, bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, and overlaying northern portions of the east range, the Sierra Madre Oriental. On the U.S. side it occupies the valleys and basins of central and southern New Mexico, Texas west of the Pecos River and southeastern Arizona; south of the border, it covers the northern half of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, most of Coahuila, north-east portion of Durango, extreme northern portion of Zacatecas and small western portions of Nuevo León. It has an area of about 140,000 square miles.

It is the third largest desert of the Western Hemisphere and is second largest in North America, after the Great Basin Desert. Via: wikipedia 7. Great Basin Desert, USA The Great Basin is the largest watershed of North America which does not drain to an ocean. Water within the Great Basin evaporates since outward flow is blocked. The basin extends into Mexico and covers most of Nevada and over half of Utah, as well as parts of California, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming. The majority of the watershed is in the North American Desert ecoregion, but includes areas of the Forested Mountain and Mediterranean California ecoregions. The Great Basin includes several metropolitan areas and Shoshone Great Basin tribes. A wide variety of animals can be found in great basin desert. Look to the rocky slopes around the desert mountain ranges, you may spot a very rare desert bighorn sheep. Other mammals of the desert include kit fox, coyote, skunk, black-tailed jackrabbit, ground squirrels, kangaroo rat and many species of mice. Bird species are very diverse in desert oases. Via: wikipedia 6.

Great Victoria Desert, Australia The Great Victoria Desert is a barren, arid, and sparsely populated desert ecoregion in southern Australia. It falls inside the states of South Australia and Western Australia and consists of many small sandhills, grasslands and salt lakes. It is over 700 kilometres (430 mi) wide (from west to east) and covers an area of 424,400 square kilometres (163,900 sq mi). The Western Australia Mallee shrub ecoregion lies to the west, the Little Sandy Desert to the northwest, the Gibson Desert and the Central Ranges xeric shrublands to the north, the Tirari and Sturt Stony deserts to the east, and the Nullarbor Plain to the south separates it from the Southern Ocean. Image credit: Travel Collective 5. Patagonia Desert, Argentina The Patagonian Desert, also known as the Patagonia Desert or the Patagonian Steppe, is the largest desert in America and is the 7th largest desert in the world by area, occupying 260,000 square miles (673,000 km).

It is located primarily in Argentina with small parts in Chile and is bounded by the Andes, to its west, and the Atlantic Ocean to its east, in the region of Patagonia, southern Argentina. The Patagonian Desert is the largest continental landmass of the 40° parallel and is a large cold winter desert, where the temperature rarely exceeds 12°C and averages just 3°C. The region experiences about seven months of winter and five months of summer. Image credit: Melissa Toledo 4. Kalahari Desert, Southern Africa The Kalahari Desert is a large arid to semi-arid sandy area in Southern Africa extending 900,000 square kilometers (350,000 sq), covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa, as semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains. The Kalahari Desert is the southern part of Africa, and the geography is a portion of desert and a plateau. The Kalahari supports some animals and plants because most of it is not a true desert. There are small amounts of rainfall and the summer temperature is very high.

It usually receives 3–7.5 inches (76–190 mm) of rain per year. The surrounding Kalahari Basin covers over 2,500,000 square kilometers (970,000 sq mi) extending farther into Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, and encroaching into parts of Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The only permanent river, the Okavango, flows into a delta in the northwest, forming marshes that are rich in wildlife. Via: wikipedia 3. Gobi Desert, Mongolia / N.E China The Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the southwest, and by the North China Plain to the southeast. The Gobi is made up of several distinct ecological and geographic regions based on variations in climate and topography. This desert is the fifth largest in the world.

The Gobi is most notable in history as part of the great Mongol Empire, and as the location of several important cities along the Silk Road. Image Credit: PnP 2. Arabian Desert, peninsula Arabian Desert or Eastern Desert, c.86,000 sq mi (222,740 sq km), E Egypt, bordered by the Nile valley in the west and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Suez in the east. It extends along most of Egypt’s eastern border and merges into the Nubian Desert in the south. The Arabian Desert is sparsely populated; most of its inhabitants are based around wells and springs. Today most of the desert can be accessed by roads. Since ancient times Egypt has used the porphyry, granite, limestone, and sandstone found in the desert mountains as building materials. Oil is produced in the north. The name Arabian Desert is also commonly applied to the desert of the Arabian Peninsula. Image Credit: Nick Leonard 1. Sahara Desert, North Africa The Sahara is the world’s largest desert.

At over 9,000,000 square kilometers (3,500,000 sq mi), it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as the United States or the continent of Europe. The desert stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean. To the south, it is delimited by the Sahel: a belt of semi-arid tropical savanna that comprises the northern region of central and western Sub-Saharan Africa. The Top 5 Largest Deserts on Earth The Top 5 Largest Deserts on Earth km2 Sources: Top 5 of Anything research 2010. List Notes: Data is the top 5 largest hot deserts on earth and does not include cold deserts. If cold deserts were included the Antarctic polar desert would rank number 1 on our list at 14,000,000 km2 and the Arctic desert area could be considered as number two at 13,700,000 km2. This list also excludes desert complexes (deserts made up of other deserts) such as the Australian desert and the Arabian desert. Data is in square kilometres.

Please note: many of the world's largest deserts are often broken down by geographers into smaller desert regions. Share on Social Media: Deserts cover more than one fifth of the Earth's land or about 35 million square kilometres of the earth's surface and they are found on every continent. A place that receives less than 25 centimetres (10 inches) of rain per year is considered a desert. Deserts are part of a wider classification of regions called "drylands." These areas exist under a moisture deficit, which means they can frequently lose more moisture through evaporation than they receive from annual precipitation. Drylands are characterized by low rainfall and high rates of evaporation. They occupy 41 per cent of Earth's land area and are home to more than 2 billion people. Half of all people living in poverty live in drylands. They depend heavily on environmental services for their basic needs. People living in drylands, 90 per cent of whom live in developing countries, lag far behind the rest of the world in human well-being and development indicators.

In developing countries, infant mortality in drylands averages about 54 children per 1,000 live births, twice as high as in non-dryland areas, and 10 times the infant mortality rate in developed countries. (a.), (b.) Despite the common conceptions of deserts as dry and hot, there are cold deserts as well. The largest hot desert in the world, northern Africa's Sahara, reaches temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 F) during the day. But some deserts are always cold, like the Gobi desert in Asia and the desert on the continent of Antarctica. Others are mountainous. Only about 10 percent of deserts are covered by sand dunes. The driest deserts get less than one centimetre (half an inch) of precipitation each year, and that is from condensed fog not rain. (a.) The Sahara Desert, by far the largest desert in the world, has an overall area as large as the continental United States and is also one of the hottest deserts on earth. The Sahara desert stretches over areas of Northern Africa, from the Red Sea to the areas close to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean.

This desert shares it boundaries with the Atlas Mountains, the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt, Sudan and valley of the Niger River and extends into 10 countries. Dust from the Sahara has occasionally been carried as far afield as the UK and Germany. The Sahara Desert accounts for around 8 per cent of the world's land area. There are an estimated 1,200 species of plant to be found in the Sahara. In the last 50 years the Sahara has spread south to cover an extra 65 million hectares. Because of their highly specialized nature, desert species are particularly vulnerable to habitat disturbance. Surprisingly little is known and documented about deserts in terms of biological, ecological and cultural characteristics. The different deserts of the world are unique in terms of origin, evolutionary history and climatic patterns. (b.) 13 per cent of the world's population live in deserts and continuously high solar radiation makes deserts ideal locations for solar cell installations thus improving these economies. Solar energy from desert regions is predicted to become a strong new market and may fill the gap of fade out of nuclear power plants particularly in Europe. Top 5 facts sources: National Geographic. (2010).

"Deserts: Arid, But Full of Life" Retrieved Dec 8, 20120. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2006). "Don't Desert Drylands: Facts About Deserts and Desertification." Retrieved Dec 8, 2010. Global Deserts Outlook. (2006). The Arabian Desert Solar Energy Consortium. (2010). Desert Energy Project: "Global Sustainable Energy Initiative" Retrieved Dec 8, 2010. Where is the Gobi Desert located? | Reference.com Where is the Gobi Desert located? A: Quick Answer The Gobi Desert is located in Asia in northern and northwestern China as well as parts of southern Mongolia. It has several distinct features including the Eastern Gobi Desert Steppe, the Alaskan Plateau and the Gobi Lakes Valley. Full Answer The Gobi Desert is 932 miles long and 497 miles wide, covering more than 500,000 square miles in Asia. The Eastern Gobi Desert Steppe is 100,000 square miles, and is the most eastern point of the desert, located in both China and Mongolia.

The Alaskan Plateau covers more than 250,000 square miles, and contains the Great Gobi National Park in Mongolia. The Gobi Lakes Valley is located north of the Alaskan Plateau, and covers 53,800 square miles between mountain ranges. Asia Map / Map of Asia - Maps, Facts and Geography of Asia - Worldatlas.com Asia Photographs Description Asia is the largest and most populous continent in the world, sharing borders with Europe and Africa to its West, Oceania to its South, and North America to its East. Its North helps form part of the Arctic alongside North America and Europe. Though most of its continental borders are clearly defined, there are gray areas. Europe and Asia are technically located on the same overall landmass, and combined the two are referred to as Eurasia. As a result of its porous land border, some countries on Asia’s western border have been at times referred to as part of Europe’s East. Armenia , Azerbaijan , and Georgia are sometimes referred to as Asian and other times as European. Russia and Turkey tend to be cut into regions.

Russia is generally split along the Ural Mountains, with its western half called “European Russia” and its East as simply “Russia.” The land between Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, and its direct borders with Bulgaria and Greece is at times referred to as a part of Europe called “Thrace,” while the rest of its territory is called “Anatolia” and is part of Asia. On the other side of the continent, the islands which separate Asia from Oceania can also be difficult to delineate. Indonesia and parts of the Philippines are sometimes categorized as part of Oceania rather than as Asian. This being said, it is important to note that these divided regions do not constitute separate countries or autonomous regions claiming sovereignty (such as the cases of Hong Kong or Palestine). “European Russia” and “Russia” are both simply Russia, and the “Thrace” and “Anatolia” parts of Turkey are both undisputedly part of Turkey, but sometimes the regions are shaded differently on maps in order to help delineate the borders between Asia and Europe. Asia is often divided into culturally and geographically similar regions.

Although definitions, names, and borders can vary, generally the regions of Asia include West Asia (which is part of the Middle East), the Caucasus (sometimes also considered as part of the Middle East), Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia (also called the India n Subcontinent), and Southeast Asia. West Asia is sometimes referred to as the Middle East, with is actually a misnomer since the cultural region we define as the Middle East often included countries outside of Asia, such as Egypt in Africa and Cyprus in Europe. West Asia specifically includes the countries within the region of Asia bordered by the Mediterranean and Red Seas to the West and the Persian Gulf, the Gulfs of Aden and Oman , and the Arabian Sea to the South. Countries within West Asia include Afghanistan , Bahrain , Iran , Iraq , Israel , Jordan , Kuwait , Lebanon , Oman, Qatar , Saudi Arabia , Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates , and Yemen . Just northeast of Turkey lies the Caucasus, a mountainous region wedged between the Black Sea to the West and the Caspian Sea to the East. The Caucasus includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Russia.

Central Asia is located just north of Iran and Afghanistan and south of Russia, consisting of Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan , and Uzbekistan . East Asia defines the region between Central Asia, Russia, and the Pacific Ocean roughly up to the beginning of the Tropic of Cancer. The countries of East Asia include China , Japan , North Korea , South Korea , and Mongolia (as well as Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan ). South Asia is also referred to as the Indian Subcontinent, separated from East Asia by the Himalayan Mountains between China and India and defined largely by the Indian Tectonic Plate on which its countries largely rest. South Asian countries include Bangladesh , Bhutan , India, Maldives , Nepal , Pakistan , and Sri Lanka . Lastly, the Southeast Asian region defines the tropical and equatorial countries between South and East Asia to the North and Oceania to the South. The countries of Southeast Asia include Brunei, Cambodia , Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia , Myanmar (or Burma ), the Philippines, Singapore , Thailand , East Timor (or Timor-Leste ), and Vietnam . It is worth reiterating that these regional borders are as porous as Asia’s continental borders, and some countries can be organized differently.

Pakistan can be West instead of South Asian, Afghanistan can be Central or South rather than West Asian, and so on. Finally, it is also worth noting that Russia is not included in any of these regions. As it is the largest country in the world, Russia’s territory actually stretches across the entirety of Asia’s border from East to West. It cannot be categorized into any of these regions alone and so is kept separate. There are also several unrecognized and partially recognized states within Asia. Palestine, which is made up of the Gaza Strip and West Bank regions in and around Israel, declared its independence in 1988 and is currently recognized as independent by 134 countries, though it is not an official member of the United Nations and is not considered to be its own country by every G-8 nation except Russia. Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia are all located in the Caucasus and all declared their independence during the 1990s, with limited recognition internationally. Northern Cyprus declared its independence in 1983 but is only recognized as a sovereign state within the UN by Turkey, with every other member considering it as simply part of Cyprus.

Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are all considered by China to be a part of its territory, but each see themselves as either entirely independent (in the case of Taiwan) or fully autonomous (in the cases of Hong Kong and Macau), operate largely autonomously in terms of currency and government, and have varying degrees of international recognition as separate states. Taiwan actually operates under various names as a result of its contested statehood: it refers to itself officially as the Republic of China (or ROC), invoking the state which governed the mainland until the Chinese Civil War and takeover of power by the Communist Party of China in 1949, and today’s mainland China (officially the People’s Republic of China, or PRC) calls it Chinese Taipei, but internationally it is most commonly called Taiwan (the name of the state’s largest island). Geography Asia’s immense size lends itself to a variety of different geographical landscapes, depending on its region. West Asia has some of the highest temperatures on the planet as a result of its warm desert climate.

Factoring in the heat index and wind speeds, summers in the region have risen to dangerous temperatures, with parts of Iraq and Iran having recorded feel-like temperatures of over 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius). Inversely, Asia is also home to the coldest weather in the populated world (excluding Antarctica), which was recorded as -90 degrees Fahrenheit (-67.7 degrees Celsius) and occurred in two Russia n towns: Verkhoyansk and Oymyakon. Most of the northern half of Russia is characterized by continental subarctic climates similar to Alaska and much of Canada , and its far north is classified as an arctic tundra comparable to the far north of the Canadian territories or the coasts of Greenland . Both extremes in precipitation can also be found on the Asian continent. Some of the driest places on Earth are located in the desert climates of West Asia, the steppes of Central Asia, and parts of China and Mongolia . At the same time, the northeast India n village of Mawsynram is the absolute wettest place on Earth, with an average of 467.4 inches (11,872 millimeters) of rainfall per year.

South Asia has a mixture of the monsoon weather which lends itself to such heavy precipitation along with tropical savannas with intense heat. Climate patterns involving the Indian and Pacific Oceans cause much of East Asia to have temperate weather with a heavy monsoon season, particularly in Eastern China, Hong Kong , Macau, Taiwan , South Korea and most of southern Japan . Much of continental Southeast Asia has a savannah climate similar to some of the drier parts of South Asia, while its island portions between Asia and Oceania are distinct for their tropical rainforests. The various climates of Asia also allow it to have many different geographical features, such as mountains, rivers, and deserts. The Himalayas, home to Bhutan and Nepal and separating South Asia from China, is the tallest mountain range in the world and its highest peak, Mount Everest, is the tallest mountain on Earth. Three major Asian rivers are also sourced from the Himalayas, the Brahmaputra, the Ganges, and the Indus, which each approach 2,000 miles (3,219 kilometers) in length.

However, the longest river in Asia is actually the Yangtze River, which runs from the southwest region of Tibet all the way to the Pacific coastal city of Shanghai and measures at 1,790 miles (2,880 kilometers) in length. The Syrian and Arabian Deserts of West Asia count among the world’s largest deserts, as does the Gobi Desert between China and Mongolia, in Central Asia. It is also worth noting that many of these massive landscapes are actually the underlying causes of Asia’s various weather patterns. The height of the Himalayas, for example, blocks rainclouds coming from the Indian Ocean and pushes them back into the Indian Subcontinent while simultaneously keeping northern cold air from travelling any farther south, accounting for both the hot monsoon weather of South Asia and the cold deserts and steppes of Central Asia. The largest continent on Earth, Asia’s total size is roughly 17,212,048 square miles (44,579,000 square kilometers), or 30% of the planet’s total landmass.

The largest countries of Asia include Russia (6.6 million square miles or 17.1 million square kilometers), China (3.7 million square miles or 9.6 million square kilometers), India (1.3 million square miles or 3.3 million square kilometers), and Kazakhstan (1.05 million square miles or 2.7 million square kilometers). Asia’s smallest countries are Maldives (120 square miles or 300 square kilometers), Singapore (278 square miles or 719 square kilometers), Bahrain (295 square miles or 765 square kilometers), and Brunei (2,226 square miles or 5,765 square kilometers). If Hong Kong and Macau are recognized as separate countries, then Macau (12.1 square miles or 31.3 square kilometers) is the smallest country in Asia and Hong Kong (1,064 square miles or 2,755 square kilometers) is the fourth-smallest. History Due to its immense size and diverse populations, it is nearly impossible to offer a unified history of Asia.

The continent is the birthplace of nearly all major religions in the world today, as well as a vast number of technological and civilizational advancements. West Asia is at times called the “Cradle of Civilization,” as it was here that Neolithic humans first began its transition from a nomadic to a sedentary lifestyle, inventing the wheel and basic agriculture in order to do so. The West Asia was also home to the first known human civilizations, such as Ancient Sumer and the ancient Assyrian, Babylonian, and Akkadian empires. Meanwhile, the Indus Valley Civilization (or Harappan Civilization) was the first known civilization formed in South Asia, and in East Asia the Xia Dynasty would be the first recorded account of Ancient China . Most of the world’s earliest belief systems trace their origins back to Asia. West Asia saw the creation of the first Kingdom of Israel , which fostered early Judaism, the birth of Jesus Christ and onset of early Christianity, and the birth of the Prophet Muhammad and the initial spread of Islam. Forms of early Hinduism were practiced in South Asia as far back as the Indus Valley Civilization, and it was codified as a religion during the Vedic Period which followed it.

The South Asian country of Nepal was the birthplace of the initial Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, and the subsequent proliferation of Buddhism influenced much of Central, East, South, and Southeast Asia. Parshvanatha, the oldest historical leader of Jainism, was born in South Asia, as was Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. Taoism has origins in East Asia stretching back to the very onset of Ancient China, perhaps even prehistoric China. East Asia also saw the birth of Kong Qiu, known in the West as Confucius, and the spread of Confucianism. The Shinto religion has ancient origins on the Japan ese islands, though its first recorded history began alongside the rise of early imperial dynasties there during the Medieval Period. Demographics With a population of roughly 4.4 billion, or 62% of the global population (about 7.1 billion), Asia is by far the most populated continent on the planet. The most populous countries in Asia are China (1.4 billion people), India (1.3 billion people), Indonesia (259 million people), and Pakistan (193 million people).

Asia’s least populated countries are Maldives (341 thousand people), Brunei (412 thousand people), Bhutan (771 thousand people), and East Timor (1.2 million people). If Hong Kong and Macau are included as countries, then Macau (647 thousand people) becomes the third-least populous country in Asia. Several different religions are widely spread throughout the Asian continent. This being said, Islam is followed by about 1.1 billion people, or 25% of the continent, making it the most popular religion in Asia. Islam is particularly popular in West Asia, where it is the sole official religion of many countries and is practiced by close to 100% of the populations of countries like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia . However, most Muslims actually live in South and Southeast Asia. Bangladesh , India, and Pakistan have Muslim populations of well over 100 million, while the Southeast Asian country of Indonesia has more adherents to Islam than any other country, with over 200 million Muslims. The second-largest religion in Asia is Hinduism, which follows close behind Islam with roughly 1 billion adherents.

Hinduism is strongest in India and Nepal (where it is followed by over 80% of the population), but it also has strong minority populations in several Southeast and West Asian countries. Christianity is also fairly widespread, with the majority of people in Armenia , Georgia , and Russia following various Orthodox churches, East Timor and the Philippines adhering to Roman Catholicism, and South Korea largely following Protestantism (though with a sizeable minority of Roman Catholics). Other notable religions in Asia include Sikhism and Jainism (which are found mostly in India and Pakistan), Judaism (with Israel being the only country in the world with a majority Jewish population), and Zoroastrianism (the first Iran ian religion and still practiced in parts of modern Iran and other countries). After Islam and Hinduism, however, irreligion technically counts as the third-widest “religion” in Asia. Roughly 21% of the continent claims not to have any particular religious affiliation, especially in China, Hong Kong, Japan , and North Korea . This fact can be partly explained by Communist state policies in China and North Korea regarding religion, but also by the nature of the traditionally prevalent religions of East Asia.

Confucianism and Taoism (or Daoism) are more akin to philosophical traditions than the organized religions practiced in other societies, and indeed the Chinese state promotes some specifically Confucian tenants, while Japan’s Shinto belief system involves a relatively disunified set of religious traditions and folkloric tales. Thus it is the case that much of China’s population can be considered as somewhere between Confucian, Taoist, or irreligious, and that roughly 80% of Japanese citizens practice Shinto but less than 5% can really be called “Shintoist.” Asia is home to a staggering number of languages ranging from local tongues spoken by only a few inhabitants to international languages used in entire regions. Regarding international languages, the most widely spoken language on the continent is Mandarin, which is spoken by 1.3 billion people and is an official language in China, Singapore , and Taiwan . Russian also crosses official language borders, being the official language of Russia, Kazakhstan , and Kyrgyzstan (alongside various other state and regional languages) and having roughly 260 million speakers. Arabic is perhaps the third major international language, recognized as official in most of the countries in West Asia and spoken by about 230 million people.

It is also worth mentioning that English is internationally popular throughout Asia. Though it does not have many recognized native speakers, it is recognized as an official or regional language in Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Singapore. For languages concentrated around specific countries, Hindi is India’s national language (though it recognized a plethora of regional tongues), and with roughly 400 million speakers it is also the second-most popular language in Asia. Other populous national languages include Indonesian (240 million speakers), Bengali (150 million speakers), Japanese (120 million speakers), and Filipino (90 million speakers), though most other countries in Asia also have their own national languages. Additional Asia Geography Notes Burma : Military authorities have promoted the name Myanmar since 1989 as the conventional name for their state. That decision was not (and is not) approved by any sitting legislature in Burma , and is not accepted by the U.S. government. However, Myanmar is widely accepted by numerous countries, and by the United Nations. European Russia : The Russian landmass west of the Ural Mountains is commonly referred to as European Russia in most educational atlases, and by the vast majority of geography experts.

It is not a separate country, but rather called that because of its political, cultural and geographical blendings with Europe. For reference purposes it is shown above to the west of the dashed-line, however, the entire country (as a whole) is still considered part of the continent of Asia. Middle East: Countries considered part of the Middle East (or West Asia) are shown in a lighter shade of gray. Note that they are all still a part of the continent of Asia. Opinions vary as to what countries make up the modern definition of Asia and the Middle East. Historically, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been long associated with the Middle East, but in recent years, some sources now consider them to be more closely aligned with Europe based on their modern economic and political trends. We have moved in that direction, and the same can be said for the island country of Cyprus . Taiwan is still considered by China to be its 23rd province, and not an independent country. Very few other country governments accept China's claims of sovereignty over Taiwan. Turkey is officially, politically and geographically considered part of both Asia and Europe.

The small northwestern portion of Turkey named (Thrace) is a recognized part of Europe, while the largest part (Anatolia) is located in the Middle East, a part of Asia. Major Deserts of Asia | eHow Major Deserts of Asia dune dans le desert de gobi image by ClÃ©ment Billet from Fotolia.com Much of Asia is occupied by deserts, from the hot and arid Arabian desert to the cold intercontinental deserts of central Asia. Home to three of the world's largest cold deserts, Asia has been shaped by these vast, impenetrable landforms for a millennium. The deserts of Asia continue to fascinate and challenge travelers with their stark beauty. Gobi Desert The Gobi is one of the world's largest deserts, encompassing southern Mongolia and northern China. Although there are sandy areas in the Gobi where dunes have formed, vast plains and rocky outcroppings comprise most of the desert. The environment in the Gobi is extreme and harsh with seasonal temperatures reaching over 100 degrees in the summer and -40 degrees in the winter with scant rainfall.

Strong winds in the spring and fall make travel in the Gobi dangerous, when large dust storms reduce visibility. The Great Gobi National Park is one of the largest biospheres in the world, covering an area larger than Switzerland. Like most deserts, the Gobi has several oases that offer vital water resources for wildlife, such as rare Bactrian camels, the Asiatic wild ass, and Gobi bears, which are the only desert-dwelling bears in the world. Taklamakan Desert Located in the middle of the Tarim Basin, the Taklamakan is China's largest desert and the second largest shifting-sand desert in the world. Covering 13,000 square miles, the Taklamakan is the 17th largest desert in the world. The continental environment of the Taklamakan creates frigid temperatures, even in the summer when evening temperatures dip below freezing. The defining characteristic of the Taklamakan are the large sand dunes, which can reach heights of 300 meters.

Due to the high winds in the Taklamakan, the shift in sand has been measured at 150 meters per year, which poses a huge threat to people in the region by encroaching on farmland and into oases. Karakum Desert The Karakum desert is located in central Asia and occupies over 70 percent of the country of Turkmenistan. The name "Karakum" means "black sand" in reference to the color of the sand, which is high in evaporates and minerals. Moisture in the Karakum is scant, with rainfall coming once a decade. Despite the harsh environment, the Karakum is a diverse and complex biosphere with a wide variety of topography, ranging from sandy desert to vast tracts of saxaul forests. The country of Turkmenistan has designated 14 wildlife preservation areas and cultural monuments in the desert, as well as including 245 sites within the Karakum in the National Environmental Action Plan. UNESCO is currently evaluating areas of the Karakum for inclusion on their World Heritage List, given the universal value of the desert and its fragility.

Question: What is the largest desert in Asia?
Answer: Gobi