Subregions of foreign Asia. Economic and geographical characteristics

Asia - this is perhaps the most variegated and many-faced part of the world. Stunning diversity of landscapes and natural and climatic conditions, diverse nations, religions and cultures, different ways of life. Sometimes even the neighboring countries of Asia are very unlike each other. Which subregions are allocated in foreign Asia? What states do they have and what are they special about?

Geography of foreign Asia. Brief description of macroregion

Foreign Asia is the largest region of the planet, within which about 80% of the world's population lives. It is interesting that the primacy in terms of the number of inhabitants in the world it preserves throughout the entire period of the existence of human civilization. In terms of area, the region is second only to Africa.

A detailed, componentwise description of foreign Asia will be considered later. It should be noted right away that agriculture was born in this part of the world , it was here that many important scientific discoveries and inventions were made.

The very term "foreign Asia" was established in everyday life in Soviet times. Today it is actively used only in the countries of the post-Soviet space.

The countries of Asia are very different in their area. There are giant states (China and India), as well as very tiny countries (for example, Lebanon or Bahrain). Borders between Asian states often pass along well-defined natural boundaries.

Which subregions of foreign Asia are distinguished by modern geographers? Read about this in the next section of the article.

Subregions of foreign Asia: countries and features

As already mentioned above, Asia is an extremely heterogeneous part of the world. Based on cultural, historical, and geographical features, the following subregions of foreign Asia are distinguished: South-West, South, South-East, Central (or Middle), and East Asia.

South-West Asia includes 20 states:

• Turkey.
• Armenia.
• Georgia.
• Azerbaijan.
• Cyprus.
• Saudi Arabia.
• Israel.
• Lebanon.
• Jordan.
• Palestine (territory with uncertain status).
• Iraq.
• Iran.
• Kuwait.
• Syria.
• Qatar.
• Bahrain.
• United Arab Emirates.
• Oman.
• Yemen.
• Afghanistan.

The economy of many of these countries will be hanging on the extraction and export of oil and oil products to the world market. In some countries of South-West Asia, other branches of the economy are also well developed (for example, tourism in the UAE).

South Asia is a subregion that includes only seven countries. These include:

• India.
• Pakistan.
• Nepal.
• Butane.
• Bangladesh.
• Sri Lanka.
• Maldives.

The main specialization of most of these states is agriculture. Thus, Azerbaijan is a major supplier to the world cotton market, Sri Lanka - tea, etc. In India, heavy industry and science are well developed.

South-East Asia includes 11 countries, such as:

• Myanmar.
• Laos.
• Vietnam.
• Thailand.
• Cambodia.
• Malaysia.
• Brunei.
• Indonesia.
• Singapore.
• Philippines.
• East Timor.

Plantations of sugar cane, rubber, tea and coffee are a typical landscape of this subregion. Of great importance for the economy of these states is the sea transport, which is very developed here.

East Asia is Asia's largest subregion. It consists of the following countries:

• China.
• Mongolia.
• Japan.
• Korea (South).
• North Korea.

Finally, the Central Asia sub-region consists of five former Soviet republics:

• Kazakhstan.
• Uzbekistan.
• Kyrgyzstan.
• Turkmenistan.
• Tajikistan.

After the collapse of the empire, these countries inherited advanced engineering, chemical and other industries.

It should be noted that the division of these subregions of foreign Asia into domestic geographic literature is generally accepted. The demographic, religious and some other aspects (characteristics) of these subregions will be discussed later.

Features of population reproduction in different subregions of Asia

Foreign Asia was and remains the main focus of the demographic explosion on our planet. Although the rate of natural growth here in the past two decades has significantly decreased.

The largest natural increase in population is typical for South-West Asia. Here its indicators are more than twice as large as the global ones. So, in Iraq, one woman produces an average of four children, in Yemen - five, and in Afghanistan - seven. The fertility rates in East Asia have significantly decreased, in particular in China, where demographic policy has been successfully implemented in recent decades. Japan is also close to zero natural growth.

Features of the religious composition of the population of foreign Asia

It was within Asia that all three world religions were born. This is Islam, Christianity and Buddhism. Muslims profess about 800 million inhabitants of foreign Asia. In many countries of the region this religion is dominant and is fixed at the state level. This is especially true of the countries of South-West Asia. It is here, on the territory of Saudi Arabia, the main shrine of all Muslims is located - the city of Mecca.

There are fewer Buddhists in foreign Asia than Muslims - about 550 million people. Christianity in the region is weak and limited. There are only two states where the majority of the population treats themselves as Christians - these are Cyprus and the Philippines.

Various national and regional religions have spread widely in Asia. To such, above all, include Confucianism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Sikhism.

Conflicts and hot spots within foreign Asia

Unfortunately, the territory of foreign Asia is covered by a fairly dense network of military conflicts and hot spots. On the territory of Syria and Iraq, the so-called "Islamic State" (IGIL), the largest terrorist organization of the modern world, has been formed. The sphere of its criminal activity has long gone beyond the framework of the Arab world, and all of Asia.

For more than half a century, the conflict between Israel and Palestine has lasted. The problem of Kurdistan - an integral ethnic region that has historically been "torn" between several modern states remains unresolved. The tiny island of Cyprus, in fact, is divided into two parts - Greek (recognized by the world community) and Turkish (not recognized almost by no one).

Many other hot and potentially dangerous points are scattered throughout the rest of overseas Asia. These are Kashmir, Sri Lanka, East Timor, Southern Philippines, Taiwan and other territories. An alarming and tense situation remains on the border between North and South Korea.

Finally…

Now you know what subregions of foreign Asia exist. This is the South-West, South, South-East, Central (Middle) and East Asia. The latter is the leader in terms of both area and population in Asia. But the number of states is dominated by the subregion of South-West Asia.