Welcome to our quiz on geography of Asia.
Asian Landmass
Asia is the largest continent on Earth with a territory of almost 45 million square kilometers. Its largest state is Russia, spanning over its entire northern part, taking up about 30% of its landmass. Topography of Asia is very diverse and includes extensive steppes, woodlands, rainforest, hot and cold deserts, plateaus, highlands and very high mountain ranges. Asia's lowest point is the Dead Sea at 430 meters below the sea level. Its highest is the world's highest peak, Mount Everest with the elevation of 8,848 meters. The continent is surrounded by the Artic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. It is separated from Europe by the Ural Mountains and the Caucasus, and from Africa by the Suez Canal.
Asian Population
Asia is home to four and a half billion people, more than all other continents combined. Its numerous populations, historically separated by great distances and major geographical boundaries, have developed very unique identities and cultures. These distinct ethnicities still thrive today and Asia is the second most diverse continent on the planet, after Africa. India and China are the continent's most populous states with populations of a billion and a half, each. Other populous and diverse states in Asia include: Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan and the Philippines. The median age in Asia is estimated at 32 years. The fertility rate on the continent differs significantly between regions but overall remains above the replacement rate and Asian population is expected to continue to increase steadily towards the five-billion mark.
Asian Flora and Fauna
The immense and diverse territory of Asia provides a habitat for a great variety of plant and animal life. The vast expanse of the Siberian tundra is covered with shrubs, sedges, grasses, mosses, and lichens, while the mostly coniferous taiga is dominated by larch, pine and spruce but also features aspen, birch, maple, ash, elm and linden. Further south the rainforests and swamps of southern Asia are home to a rich biodiversity equal to that of the Congo and the Amazon with thousands of plant species. Asian fauna is equally diverse with thousands of species of fish, mammals, birds, reptiles and insects, many of them endemic and iconic of Asia including the tiger, orangutan and panda. Numerous national parks and nature reserves have been established to protect this rich biodiversity.
Invitation to Asia
We hope you will enjoy our quiz on Asia, further your interest in this diverse continent and maybe even embark on a trip for an in-person experience. Despite political instability in some regions, Asia is open to tourism and organized trips are generally considered safe. The continent receives hundreds of millions of visitors each year and this number is projected to continue to grow in the coming decades.
Gobekli Tepe may be the world's oldest sanctuary.
Gobekli Tepe is an archeological site near Urfa in southern Turkey, located on a large tell, a layered hill formed by thousands of years of human occupation. It is one of the most important archeological discoveries and one of the largest ongoing excavations. The site features 20 megalithic enclosures with 200 precisely arranged monoliths, some over seven meters tall. It appears to be part of a much larger complex, with similar discoveries regularly reported in the region.
Constructed more than ten thousand years ago, long before the advent of writing, the purpose of the site remains uncertain. Various theories have been presented with those pointing to ritual and ceremonial use receiving most acclaim. Remains of only wild plants and animals have been found, suggesting the site was built by a hunter-gatherer society. The characteristic T-shaped pillars are ornamented with anthropomorphic, animal and supernatural figures, possibly offering a glimpse into the belief system of the stone age culture.
Discovered in the 1990s, Gobekli Tepe was an immediate international sensation and fast became a top tourist destination in Turkey. Most of its secrets remain hidden and the site is a focus of continuing interest and research. To date, under 10% of the tell has been excavated and even with help of modern technology, archeologists have decades of painstaking work ahead of them. The project is expensive but close to a million visitors arrive each year, helping to cover the cost.
