Asia is the largest and most diverse continent, covering an area of more than 44.5 million square kilometers (17.2 million square miles), approximately 30% of the Earth’s landmass. The countries in Asia are home to an estimated 4.7 billion people, which accounts for approximately 60% of the world’s population.
This remarkable continent is not only vast but also rich in cultural and religious heritage, being the birthplace of the world’s major religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam.
Geographically, the Arctic Ocean bounds Asia to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the east, and the Indian Ocean to the south. This positioning contributes to its diverse climates, ranging from the subarctic conditions found in Siberia to the tropical regions of Southeast Asia.
Asia comprises 49 sovereign states that are recognized by the United Nations, along with non-sovereign territories and transcontinental countries.
Countries in Asia in alphabetical order
Here is the alphabetical list of Asia country names and their capital cities. We have also included the countries’ regions, the international standard for country codes (ISO 3166), and continents, as they may extend over more than one continent. View their country flags here.
Country | Country Capital | Country Code | Region | Continent |
---|---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan | Kabul | AF | South-Central Asia | Asia |
Armenia | Yerevan | AM | Causcasus Region, Southwestern Asia | Asia |
Azerbaijan | Baku | AZ | Causcasus Region, Southwestern Asia | Asia, Europe |
Bahrain | Manama | BH | Arabian Peninsula, Middle East | Asia |
Bangladesh | Dhaka | BD | Southern Asia | Asia |
Bhutan | Thimphu | BT | Southern Asia | Asia |
Brunei | Bandar Seri Begawan | BN | Southeastern Asia | Asia |
Cambodia | Phnom Penh | KH | Southeastern Asia | Asia |
China | Beijing | CN | Eastern Asia | Asia |
Cyprus | Nicosia | CY | Middle East | Asia |
Egypt | Cairo | EG | Northeastern Africa, Southwestern Asia | Africa, Asia |
Georgia | Tbilisi | GE | Causcasus Region, Southwestern Asia | Europe, Asia |
India | New Delhi | IN | Southern Asia | Asia |
Indonesia | Jakarta | ID | Southeastern Asia | Asia |
Iran | Tehran | IR | Middle East | Asia |
Iraq | Baghdad | IQ | Middle East | Asia |
Israel | Jerusalem | IL | Middle East | Asia |
Japan | Tokyo | JP | Eastern Asia | Asia |
Jordan | Amman | JO | Middle East | Asia |
Kazakhstan | Astana | KZ | Central Asia, Eastern Europe | Asia, Europe |
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of | Pyongyang | KP | Eastern Asia | Asia |
Kuwait | Kuwait City | KW | Middle East | Asia |
Kyrgyzstan | Bishkek | KG | Central Asia | Asia |
Laos | Vientiane | LA | Southeastern Asia | Asia |
Lebanon | Beirut | LB | Middle East | Asia |
Malaysia | Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur | MY | Southeastern Asia | Asia |
Maldives | Malé | MV | Southern Asia | Asia |
Mongolia | Ulaanbaatar | MN | Central Asia | Asia |
Myanmar (Burma) | Naypyidaw | MM | Southeastern Asia | Asia |
Nepal | Kathmandu | NP | Southern Asia | Asia |
Oman | Muscat | OM | Arabian Peninsula, Middle East | Asia |
Pakistan | Islamabad | PK | Southern Asia | Asia |
Philippines | Manila | PH | Southeastern Asia | Asia |
Qatar | Doha | QA | Arabian Peninsula, Middle East | Asia |
Republic of Korea (South Korea) | Seoul | KR | Eastern Asia | Asia |
Russia | Moscow | RU | Eastern Europe, Northern Asia | Asia, Europe |
Saudi Arabia | Riyadh | SA | Arabian Peninsula, Middle East | Asia |
Singapore | Singapore | SG | Southeastern Asia | Asia |
Sri Lanka | Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital), Colombo (judicial capital) | LK | Southern Asia | Asia |
Syria | Damascus | SY | MIddle East | Asia |
Taiwan | Taipei | TW | Eastern Asia | Asia |
Tajikistan | Dushanbe | TJ | Central Asia | Asia |
Thailand | Bangkok | TH | Southeastern Asia | Asia |
Timor-Leste | Dili | TL | Maritime South-East Asia | Asia |
Türkiye (Turkey) | Ankara | TR | Southeastern Europe, Western Asia | Europe, Asia |
Turkmenistan | Ashgabat | TM | Central Asia | Asia |
United Arab Emirates, The | Abu Dhabi | AE | Arabian Peninsula, Middle East | Asia |
Uzbekistan | Tashkent | UZ | Central Asia | Asia |
Vietnam | Hanoi | VD | Southeastern Asia | Asia |
Yemen | Sana'a | YE | Arabian Peninsula, Middle East | Asia |
Related: How many countries are there in the world?
How many countries are in Asia?
There are 49 countries in Asia according to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Factbook: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Cyprus, Egypt, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea (Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of), Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea (Republic of Korea), Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Türkiye (Turkey), Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen.
Six of the 49 countries are located across more than one continent. Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Türkiye (Turkey) are also found in Europe. A significant part of Egypt lies in Africa.
The United States currently does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation. If your country officially recognizes Taiwan, there are 50 countries in Asia.
United Nations members in Asia
The United Nations (UN) recognizes the following 49 sovereign nations in Asia:
- Afghanistan
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Brunei Darussalam
- Cambodia
- China
- Cyprus
- Democratic People’s Republic of Korea/North Korea
- Egypt
- Georgia
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran (Islamic Republic of)
- Iraq
- Israel
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lao People’s Democratic Republic/Laos
- Lebanon
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mongolia
- Myanmar/Burma
- Nepal
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Republic of Korea/South Korea
- Russian Federation
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
- Syrian Arab Republic
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste/East Timor
- Turkmenistan
- Türkiye/Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
- Uzbekistan
- Viet Nam/Vietnam
- Yemen
Learn about the other continents here.