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Countries of Asia

47 countries5 regions4 territories

Asia has 47 countries. Don't try to learn them all at once: follow the route below through 9 small groups of neighbours, with capitals, flags and a memory hook for the trickiest shapes, then test yourself.

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Your route through Asia

1
Central Asia
5 countries

5 countries, a good size for one sitting. Start with Uzbekistan, which touches 4 of the others, then work outwards.
Memory hooks to start you off
- Kazakhstan
  A huge rounded block that sprawls across Central Asia, with Russia along its entire northern side.
- Uzbekistan
  A wide wedge in the middle of Central Asia, hemmed in by all four of the other 'stans' plus Afghanistan.
2
Eastern Asia
5 countries

5 countries, a good size for one sitting. Start with China, which touches 2 of the others, then work outwards.
Memory hooks to start you off
- Mongolia
  A vast oval of grassland sandwiched between Russia on top and China below.
- South Korea
  The southern half of a peninsula that hangs down from China, with Japan across the sea to the east.
3
Southern Asia, northern part
5 countries

Southern Asia has 9 countries, too many for one sitting, so it is split into 2 parts from north to south. This is the northern part. Start with Afghanistan, which touches 2 of the others, then work outwards.
Memory hooks to start you off
- Afghanistan
  A rough oval of mountains, with a thin finger stretching eastwards towards China.
- Nepal
  A long thin rectangle squeezed between India and China, like a brick lying along the Himalayas.
4
Southern Asia, southern part
4 countries

Southern Asia has 9 countries, too many for one sitting, so it is split into 2 parts from north to south. This is the southern part. Start with India, which touches 2 of the others, then work outwards.
Memory hooks to start you off
- Sri Lanka
  A teardrop hanging off the southern tip of India.
- Maldives
  A long chain of tiny islands strung out in the Indian Ocean, south-west of India and Sri Lanka.
5
South-Eastern Asia, northern part
6 countries

South-Eastern Asia has 11 countries, too many for one sitting, so it is split into 2 parts from north to south. This is the northern part. Start with Laos, which touches 4 of the others, then work outwards.
Memory hooks to start you off
- Cambodia
  A rounded shape around a large lake, with Thailand on the west and Vietnam on the east and south.
- Myanmar
  A kite-like shape with a long tail running down the Bay of Bengal, with India and Bangladesh on its western flank.
6
South-Eastern Asia, southern part
5 countries

South-Eastern Asia has 11 countries, too many for one sitting, so it is split into 2 parts from north to south. This is the southern part. Start with Malaysia, which touches 3 of the others, then work outwards.
Memory hooks to start you off
- Brunei
  Two small pieces on the north coast of Borneo, with Malaysia on every land side.
- Indonesia
  A long chain of islands stretching across the equator, between mainland South-East Asia and Australia.
7
Western Asia, northern part
6 countries

Western Asia has 17 countries, too many for one sitting, so it is split into 3 parts from north to south. This is the northern part. Start with Türkiye, which touches 4 of the others, then work outwards.
Memory hooks to start you off
- Azerbaijan
  A wedge on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, with Russia above it and Iran below.
- Syria
  A rough square at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, with Türkiye above it and Iraq to the east.
8
Western Asia, middle part
6 countries

Western Asia has 17 countries, too many for one sitting, so it is split into 3 parts from north to south. This is the middle part. Start with Jordan, which touches 3 of the others, then work outwards.
Memory hooks to start you off
- Bahrain
  A small island in the Persian Gulf, just off the coast of Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
- Jordan
  A stubby country wedged between Saudi Arabia, Israel and Iraq, with a tiny toe of coast at the bottom.
9
Western Asia, southern part
5 countries

Western Asia has 17 countries, too many for one sitting, so it is split into 3 parts from north to south. This is the southern part. Start with Saudi Arabia, which touches 4 of the others, then work outwards.
Memory hooks to start you off
- Qatar
  A thumb sticking up into the Persian Gulf from the side of Saudi Arabia, its only land neighbour.
- Yemen
  A blunt thumb at the south-west corner of the Arabian Peninsula, with Saudi Arabia above it and Oman to the east.

Territories and disputed areas

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