The largest continent on the face of the Earth is Asia. It covers an area of 17,212,000 square miles (44,579,000 square km); that's almost 9% of the Earth's surface. Asia is home to some 4,164,252,000 people (4 billion,164 million!); that's nearly two thirds of all the inhabitants of Earth. But despite its size and its population, Asia has fewer countries than either Africa or Europe, which are both considerably smaller. Because of its enormous size, Asia has a wide variety of different climates. Siberia to the north endures arctic conditions and India to the south has tropical weather. The... Show more The largest continent on the face of the Earth is Asia. It covers an area of 17,212,000 square miles (44,579,000 square km); that's almost 9% of the Earth's surface. Asia is home to some 4,164,252,000 people (4 billion,164 million!); that's nearly two thirds of all the inhabitants of Earth. But despite its size and its population, Asia has fewer countries than either Africa or Europe, which are both considerably smaller. Because of its enormous size, Asia has a wide variety of different climates. Siberia to the north endures arctic conditions and India to the south has tropical weather. The southern and eastern parts of Asia are damp and affected by monsoons, whilst the south-western part of the continent is hot, dry and marked by deserts. With such a large area and such a difference in climates it is not surprising that Asia is home to many different cultures and countries, each with their own symbolic flag. All of the world's major religions have their origins in the continent of Asia. Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism were all founded on the Indian subcontinent, whilst Confucianism and Taoism originated in China. In addition to these 'eastern' religions, the 'western', or Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, were also founded in Asia; the first two in what is now the modern state of Israel, and the third in what later became Saudi Arabia. The continent was the birthplace, not only of the major religions, but also of civilisation itself. From its beginnings in the fertile crescent of the Middle East some 12,000 years ago civilisation has spread to almost every corner of the globe, and to each one of the many nations which exist today. The Asian continent has influenced world history in many ways. Recently there have been many Asians who have been awarded the Nobel Prize for their work. The first Asian to receive the award was the Indian, Rabindranath Tagore, who was awarded the Prize for Literature in 1913. In 2003 Iranian Shirin Ebadi became the first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which was also awarded to Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma in 1991 for her non-violent campaign for democracy. No less than 13 Japanese scientists have been given Nobel prizes, along with several Middle Eastern politicians. And religious figures have also been recognised, with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Many things which we recognise in western culture had their origins in the continent of Asia. From the delights of Chinese or Thai food, to sports such as Japanese karate or Indian snooker. The game of chess is also thought to have originated in India, and the figures we use to represent numbers come to us via the Arabs. Show less
The largest continent on the face of the Earth is Asia. It covers an area of 17,212,000 square miles (44,579,000 square km); that's almost 9% of the Earth's surface.
Asia is home to some 4,164,252,000 people (4 billion,164 million!); that's nearly two thirds of all the inhabitants of Earth. But despite its size and its population, Asia has fewer countries than either Africa or Europe, which are both considerably smaller.
Because of its enormous size, Asia has a wide variety of different climates. Siberia to the north endures arctic conditions and India to the south has tropical weather. The southern and eastern parts of Asia are damp and affected by monsoons, whilst the south-western part of the continent is hot, dry and marked by deserts.
With such a large area and such a difference in climates it is not surprising that Asia is home to many different cultures and countries, each with their own symbolic flag.
All of the world's major religions have their origins in the continent of Asia. Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism were all founded on the Indian subcontinent, whilst Confucianism and Taoism originated in China. In addition to these 'eastern' religions, the 'western', or Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, were also founded in Asia; the first two in what is now the modern state of Israel, and the third in what later became Saudi Arabia.
The continent was the birthplace, not only of the major religions, but also of civilisation itself. From its beginnings in the fertile crescent of the Middle East some 12,000 years ago civilisation has spread to almost every corner of the globe, and to each one of the many nations which exist today.
The Asian continent has influenced world history in many ways. Recently there have been many Asians who have been awarded the Nobel Prize for their work. The first Asian to receive the award was the Indian, Rabindranath Tagore, who was awarded the Prize for Literature in 1913. In 2003 Iranian Shirin Ebadi became the first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which was also awarded to Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma in 1991 for her non-violent campaign for democracy.
No less than 13 Japanese scientists have been given Nobel prizes, along with several Middle Eastern politicians. And religious figures have also been recognised, with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
Many things which we recognise in western culture had their origins in the continent of Asia. From the delights of Chinese or Thai food, to sports such as Japanese karate or Indian snooker. The game of chess is also thought to have originated in India, and the figures we use to represent numbers come to us via the Arabs.
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