East Asian Countries: Full List, Capitals, and Map

East Asia is a geographic subregion of the Asian continent, located in the eastern portion of Asia along the Pacific Ocean.

As with other world regions, its exact boundaries can vary in cultural or historical discussions.

For clarity and consistency, this page follows the United Nations (UN) geoscheme, which defines East Asia as a distinct subregion used in international statistics and global datasets.

Under the UN geoscheme, East Asia consists of five sovereign states and two special administrative regions.

List of countries in East Asia

According to the United Nations geoscheme, East Asia includes the following sovereign countries:

• China
• Japan
• Mongolia
• North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)
• South Korea (Republic of Korea)

In addition, the UN classification recognizes two special administrative regions within East Asia:

• Hong Kong (China)
• Macau (China)

These territories are not sovereign states but are commonly included in East Asian regional data and analysis.

Political map of the East Asian region

East Asian countries table

The table below lists East Asian countries along with their capitals, population estimates, and land area, based on international data sources.

For broader context, you can also explore how these nations compare in size and population across the continent.

East Asia and regional overlap

East Asia borders several other Asian subregions, which can lead to overlap in non-UN definitions:

• Russia’s Far East is sometimes associated with East Asia in cultural or economic contexts but is classified as Eastern Europe under the UN geoscheme.
• Taiwan is frequently discussed in East Asian contexts but is not classified separately as a sovereign state under the UN system.

Despite these overlaps, the UN geoscheme treats East Asia as a clearly defined geographic unit.

Geographic characteristics of East Asia

East Asia is characterized by a combination of continental and island geography, including:

• Large continental landmasses and coastal plains
• Extensive Pacific coastlines
• Island chains such as the Japanese archipelago
• Mountain systems, plateaus, and river basins

Why East Asia matters in global statistics

East Asia is widely used as a regional category by:

• The United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD)
• International development and economic agencies
• Demographic, health, and environmental datasets

Using a fixed geographic definition ensures consistency across global comparisons and avoids the ambiguity of cultural or political labels.

East Asia also forms a core component of broader regional groupings such as the Asia-Pacific region, where it plays a central role in economic, demographic, and geopolitical analysis.

United Nations geoscheme for Asia

Under the UN geoscheme, Asia is divided into several subregions:

• Central Asia
• Western Asia
• Southern Asia
• Eastern Asia
• South-Eastern Asia

The UN framework assigns every member state to a single geographic subregion, allowing for standardized international reporting.

Antarctica is excluded, as the system applies only to UN member states.