The world’s largest continent – Asia – is spread over an area of 44,579,000 square kilometers which is divided into forty-eight sovereign states and seven others that are disputed. Each country varies in size and population. The continent consists of a changing topography with mountainous areas in some countries to gigantic rivers and river valleys in the others. The following discussion provides information about the ten largest countries in Asia.

Russian Federation

The world’s largest nation – the Russian Federation – ranks as the largest country of not only Asia but also the entire world. It covers an area of 17, 098, 242 square kilometers which is house to a population of around 144 million souls. The huge country is spread across two continents – Asia as well as Europe. It is, therefore, a country situated in Eurasia.

Have a look at the following informative and interesting information about the world’s largest country.

• Geography: The Russian Federation covers over one-eighth of the inhabited region of the entire world.The country is spread across the entire Northern Asia and covers forty percent of the area of Europe.
• Coastline: The coastline of Russia extends up to 37,653 kilometers.
• Time Zones: The large country covers nine time zones.
• Rank by Population: With its huge population, Russia ranks as the ninth most populous country of the world.
• First Inhabited: The East Slavs were the first ones to occupy the region which falls under Russia today.
• World Heritage Sites: The Russian Federation is home to twenty-three UNESCO World Heritage Sites and forty UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. In addition, there are forty-one national parks and a hundred and one natural reserves.
• Fresh Water Resources The country enjoys some of the largest surface water resources on the Earth as thousands of rivers flow through it. The world’s deepest and oldest lake, Lake Baikal, is the biggest source of fresh water in Russia.
• Highest Point: The highest point in the country is at Gora El’brus which is located at a height of 5,633 meters.

People’s Republic of China

The world’s largest nation in terms of population, China ranks as the second largest country of the Asian continent and the third largest in the world based on the extent of its area. It is located in East Asia and covers 9,596,961 square kilometers. The enormous country is house to a population of more than 1.3 billion.

Discover more information about the People’s Republic of China through the following facts.

• Earliest Civilizations: The earliest civilizations of the world began settling in China around five thousand years ago. The country has, therefore, played an important role in shaping the world’s history.
• Largest River: The largest river of Asia and the world’s third largest waterway, the Yangtze River, flows through the People’s Republic of China.
• Geography: The huge country is bordered by fourteen different Asian countries.
• Economy: China’s economy is the second largest in the world.
• Largest Man-made Structure: The country houses the world’s largest man-made structure: the Great Wall of China. It stretches up to 8,850 kilometers and is also visible from the moon.
• Highest Mountain: The world’s highest mountain, Mount Qomolangma is located in china. It rises to a height of 8,848 meters.
• National Treasure: The giant panda is deemed the country’s national treasure.
• Provinces: The large country is divided into twenty-three different provinces with two Administrative Regions, five autonomous regions and four municipalities.

Republic of India

The largest country of South Asia, India, covers an area of 3,287,590 square kilometers and ranks as the third largest country of the continent and the seventh largest on the globe. A population of over 1.2 million makes it the world’s largest democracy.

More facts about the country are given below.

• Geographical Status: India is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south. In addition, it shares land borders with six countries – Pakistan, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Burma.
• Largest Rivers: Some of the continent’s largest rivers – the Ganges, River Indus and the Brahmaputra – flow through India.
• Oldest Civilization: The country has been home to one of the world’s oldest and most intriguing civilizations, the Indus Valley Civilization.
• Independence Day: The modern-day Republic of India gained independence from British Rule on 15th August 1947.
• Highest Bridge: The world’s highest bridge, the Baily Bridge, has been built in India. It was built in 1982 in the Ladakh Valley.
• Highest Point: The highest geographical point in the country is located at Kanchenjunga at a height of 8,598 meters.
• Important Cities: The largest and most important cities of India are Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai.

Republic of Kazakhstan

Covering an area of 2,724,900 square kilometers, the Republic of Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country on the globe. It is a landlocked country of Central Asia and is bordered by five different countries. Kazakhstan is home to over seventeen million humans.

More facts about the country are discussed below.

• Largest Landlocked Country: The Republic of Kazakhstan is largest landlocked country of the world in terms of area.
• Geographical Features: The country houses various geographical features including rock canyons, steppes, deltas, taigas, desserts, hills and mountains covered with snow.
• Ethnic Groups: The population of the country consists of 131 different ethnic groups.
• The First Inhabitants: The first inhabitants of the country occupied the region during the Neolithic Age.
• Water Area: 25,200 square kilometers of the area of Kazakhstan is covered by water.
• The Last Soviet Republic It was the last Soviet Republic to gain independence in 1991.
• Neighboring Countries: The neighboring countries of Kazakhstan are China, Russia, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The fifth largest country of Asia is Saudi Arabia which ranks as the second largest in the Arab world. It spans over an area of 2,150,000 square kilometers and is located in the south western part of the continent.

More information about Saudi Arabia is provided through the following interesting facts.

• Rank in the World by Area: It is the world’s thirteenth largest country.
• Location: The country’s location is important as it falls at the crossroads between three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe.
• Birthplace of Islam: It is the birthplace of one of the world’s major religions, Islam.
• Geography: Seven different countries border Saudi Arabia.
• Climate: The country consists of sandy dessert area with a dry and harsh climate.
• Highest Point: Jabal Sawda is the highest point in the country which is located at a height of 3,133 meters.
• Mineral Resources: Only 0.11% percent of the land in Saudi Arabia is under cultivation. However, the country has huge reserves of petroleum and natural gas as well as minerals like iron, copper and gold.
• Largest Reserves: Saudi Arabia houses the world’s second largest reserves of petroleum.

Republic of Indonesia

Consisting of thousands of islands, the Indonesian archipelago covers an area of 1,904,569 square kilometers. It is located in Southeast Asia and houses a large population of more than 252 million people. Owing to its tropical landscape, the Indonesian islands serve as one the world’s hottest tourist resorts.

The following facts provide more interesting information about the Republic of Indonesia.

• Largest Archipelago: It is the largest archipelago on the Earth and consists of 13,677 islands.
• Earliest Civilization: The earliest civilizations of the region settled on the Java and Sumatra islands.
• Linguistic Communities: The country houses over 300 different ethnic groups with a diverse culture. The number of languages spoken in the region is 740.
• Volcanoes: Around seventy-five percent of the world’s active volcanoes are found in Indonesia. In addition, with a total of about 400 volcanoes, the islands of Indonesia form a part of the Pacific Rim.
• Capital: The capital of the Republic of Indonesia – Jakarta – is the world’s ninth most populated city.
• Largest Island: Sixty percent of the population of Indonesia is housed on the island of Java.

Islamic Republic of Iran

Seventh on the list of the largest countries in Asia is the Islamic Republic of Iran. It covers an area of 1,648,195 square kilometers in Western Asia and is the eighteenth largest country on the globe.

Here are some informative facts about the country.

• Geography: To the north of Iran is the Caspian Sea while the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman are to its South.
• Neighbouring Countries: Seven neighboring countries border the Islamic Republic of Iran.
• Historical Name: Before 1930s, the country was known as Persia by the rest of the world.
• Water Area: 116,600 square kilometers of the country’s land is covered by water.
• Coastline: The coastline of the country is 2,440 kilometers long.
• Climate: The climate of Iran is semi-arid. Along the Caspian coast, subtropical climatic conditions are experienced.
• Topography: The geography of the country consists of a rugged terrain, desserts, small discontinuous plains and mountains.

Mongolia

Mongolia covers an area of 1,566,000 square kilometers and stands as the nineteenth largest country on the map of the world. The country is situated in East Central Asia. Various empires have been in power in this region throughout the course of history, such as the Mongol Empire. Today, a population of around 3,000,000 lives in Mongolia of which ninety-five belong to the Mongol ethnicity.

Interesting facts about the country are listed below.

• Historical Significance: In 1206, the famous Genghis Khan established the Mongol Empire.
• Capital and Largest City: The country’s capital is Ulan Bator which is also its largest city. It is home to around forty-five percent population of Mongolia.
• Water Resources: Only 0.43 percent of the total land of the country consists of water.
• Wildlife: The country is home to a quarter of the world’s population of snow leopards.
• Oldest National Park: The Bogd Khan National Park in Mongolia, built in 1778, is the world’s oldest National Park.

Islamic Republic of Pakistan

The ninth largest Asian country is Pakistan which occupies an area of 803,940 square kilometers. Previously being a part of India, the country was officially founded in 1947. Today, it ranks as the world’s 9th greatest super power.

Discover more interesting facts about Pakistan.

• Second Highest Peak: The country is home to the world’s second highest peak, K2.
• Largest Irrigation System: Being an agro-based country, Pakistan harnesses the power of its rivers to form the largest irrigation system in the world.
• Islamic Nuclear Power: Pakistan became the first Islamic nuclear power in 1999.
• Largest Sea Port: The largest deep sea port of the world is at Gwadar, Pakistan.
• Skilled Manpower: The country has produced the seventh largest pool of engineering professionals and scientists.
• Rank by Population: Pakistan is the world’s sixth largest country based on population. It is home to around 199,085,847 people.
• Khewra Mines: Pakistan’s Khewra Mines are the world’s second largest salt mines.
• Sports Equipment Production: The country is famous as a large producer of sports equipment. About fifty percent of the footballs supplied to the world are manufactured in Pakistan.
• Milk Processing Plant: Nestlé’s milk processing plant in Pakistan is the largest in the world.
• Eighth Wonder of the World: The Karakoram Highway which connects northern Pakistan to China is deemed the Eighth Wonder of the World. The highway is the highest paved international road in the world.

Republic of Turkey

Last on the list of the top ten largest countries in Asia is the Republic of Turkey. It is located in the western part of Asia with some of the country’s portion extending to Southeastern Europe. Turkey covers an area of 783,562 square kilometers where a population of 77,695,904 resides.

Following are some informative facts about Turkey.

• Geography: Turkey shares its land border with eight different countries.
• Largest City: The largest city of the country is Istanbul which is the third most populated region in Europe.
• Important Ancient City: The historically important ancient city of Troy is situated in the present-day Turkey.
• Famous Tourist Resort: Ten famous World Heritage Sites in Turkey make the country a world-famous tourist resort.
• Earthquakes: The northern part of the country is prone to earthquakes owing to the fact that it is located over several plate boundaries.
• Highest Point: Mount Ararat is the highest point in the country which rises to a height of 5,137 meters.
• Famous Grand Bazaar: The famous Istanbul Grand Bazaar offers 4,000 shops in 64 streets.
• Oldest Underground Railway: Built in 1875, the Istanbul Tunnel is the second oldest underground railway in the world.

Each of these large Asian countries is marked by its own importance in terms of history, geographical features and areas of development. These countries contribute to the diversity of the continent’s culture and offer some of the most famous tourist resorts in the world.