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21 Surprising Facts About Asia

Batul Nafisa Baxamusa
The largest continent in the world in terms of size and population is none other than Asia. It is located mainly in the Eastern and Northern hemispheres of the earth.
There are many fun facts about Asia that will surprise you regarding this continent that is modern yet balancing its age old traditions beautifully.

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1. It is the Largest Continent
About a third of the world’s land is in Asia, making it the largest continent. Due to more land mass, it is also the most populous. For every 10 people in the world, 6 of them will be living in Asia.
2. Population Mark Crosses a Billion
From all the countries in the world, two of the only countries, India and China, with over a billion populations are from Asia.
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3. Busiest Countries in Asia
Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017
When you compare the number of people living per square kilometer, Singapore, Bangladesh, and Bahrain are the busiest countries located in Asia.
4. Toughest Place to Live
One of the toughest places to survive on earth, the Gobi Desert is located in Asia. It receives less than 8 inches of rainfall annually and in winter the temperature drops to -40°C.
5. Home to the Sandiest of Desert
Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017
Asia is also home to the largest continuous sandy desert, the Arabian Desert. This desert is located in southern Saudi Arabia.
6. Highest Peak in the World
World’s highest peak on the border of Nepal and China at 8,848 meters above sea level, Mount Everest is located in Asia.
7. World’s Largest Inland Water Body
Caspian Sea, the world’s largest lake, and endorheic basin is located between Europe and Asia. It has about a third of salinity of most seawater and is known for its caviar.
8. Third Longest River in the World
The Yangtze or Chang Jiang river is the 3rd longest river in the world that is 6,300 km long located in another Asian country, China.
9. Smallest Asian Country
Maldives is the smallest Asian country by land area and population. It is located in the Arabian Sea, southwest of Sri Lanka and India.
10. Thousands of Languages
Asia has over a thousand languages and their dialects spoken by different people in different regions. Some of the prominent languages and their dialects include Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Arabic, Indonesian, etc.
11. More than 2,000 Religious Places in Kyoto, Japan
Kyoto is home to 1,600 Buddist temples and 400 Shinto shrines of which many are regarded as historical sites and historical buildings.
12. Global Financial Hubs
Asia is home to many global financial cities that includes Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, Mumbai, etc.
13. World’s Largest Flower
Rafflesia, or the ‘corpse flower’ or ‘stinking lily’, is the world’s largest flower growing in the forests of Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.
14. World’s Smallest Mammal
The world’s smallest mammal and the smallest species of bat, the bumblebee bat or Kitti's hog-nosed bat is found in Western Thailand in Asia.
15. Third Largest Island of the World
Borneo, a south-east Asian country is the world’s 3rd largest island and the largest island in Asia.
16. Different Religions
Asia is home to some of the many different and major religions of the world. These include Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, as well as Christianity and Judaism.
17. Wonders of the World
Of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Wall of China as well as the Taj Mahal are located in Asia.
18. Popular Tourist Destinations
There are many popular tourist destinations located in Asia which include Hagia Sophia (Turkey), Petra (Jordan), Grand Palace (Thailand), Petra (Jordan), Gardens by the Bay (Singapore), Gateway of India (Mumbai).
19. Home to Endangered Animals
Asia is home to many exotic and endangered animals that includes tigers, lions, asian elephants, snow leopards, komodo dragons, chinese river dolphin, dugong, as well as orangutans.
20. Countries in Southern Hemisphere
East Timor is the only Asian country that is located entirely in the Southern Hemisphere. Indonesia is mostly located in the Southern Hemisphere and Maldives is partially located in the Southern Hemisphere.
21. Longer Life Expectancy
Countries in Asia such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea have longer life expectancy as compared to the U.S. Of these, Japan has the longest life expectancy in the world.

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