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Countries in Asia: flags, capitals and fun facts
GeoSilhueta has 49 countries in Asia. The largest by area is Russia (17,098,246 km²) and the smallest is the Maldives (298 km²). See each flag and capital, a fun fact, and open the page with the silhouette.
Afghanistan — capital: Kabul
The Buddhas of Bamiyan were carved into cliffs in the 6th century and stood until they were destroyed in 2001.
Armenia — capital: Yerevan
Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its state religion, in the year 301.
Azerbaijan — capital: Baku
The country has hundreds of mud volcanoes, many of them near Gobustan, not far from Baku.
Bahrain — capital: Manama
Bahrain is an archipelago of more than 30 islands in the Persian Gulf, linked to Saudi Arabia by a causeway.
Bangladesh — capital: Dhaka
The Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, shelters Bengal tigers and extends into India.
Bhutan — capital: Thimphu
The country measures progress by Gross National Happiness, a concept popularized by its king in the 1970s.
Brunei — capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
The country consists of two separate pieces on Borneo's north coast, surrounded by Malaysia's Sarawak state.
Cambodia — capital: Phnom Penh
Angkor Wat is the only building shown on a national flag anywhere in the world.
China — capital: Beijing
Paper, gunpowder, the compass and printing are known as the Four Great Inventions of ancient China.
Cyprus — capital: Nicosia
According to Greek mythology, Aphrodite, goddess of love, was born from the sea foam near Cyprus.
Georgia — capital: Tbilisi
Georgia is considered a cradle of wine, with traces of winemaking dating back about 8,000 years.
Indonesia — capital: Jakarta
Indonesia has about 17,000 islands, and the country spans three time zones.
Iran — capital: Tehran
Qanats, underground water channels created thousands of years ago, still irrigate arid parts of Iran.
Iraq — capital: Baghdad
Iraq covers much of ancient Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Israel — capital: Jerusalem
The Dead Sea, with shores more than 400 meters below sea level, is among the lowest points on land on Earth.
Japan — capital: Tokyo
The archipelago has over 6,800 islands, and Mount Fuji, at 3,776 m, is its highest point.
Jordan — capital: Amman
Petra, the Nabataean city carved into rose-colored sandstone, was rediscovered by the West in 1812.
Kazakhstan — capital: Astana
The Baikonur Cosmodrome, where Gagarin launched in 1961, lies in Kazakh territory.
Kuwait — capital: Kuwait City
Kuwait sits at the head of the Persian Gulf and is one of the Middle East's smallest countries.
Kyrgyzstan — capital: Bishkek
Lake Issyk-Kul, whose name means 'hot lake', barely freezes even in icy winters.
Lebanon — capital: Beirut
The Lebanon cedar appears on the national flag and was used by the Phoenicians to build ships.
Malaysia — capital: Kuala Lumpur
The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004.
Maldives — capital: Malé
The highest natural point is about 2.4 m above sea level, the lowest of any country.
Mongolia — capital: Ulaanbaatar
Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire in 1206, which would become the largest contiguous empire in history.
Myanmar — capital: Naypyidaw
In Bagan, a plain with thousands of temples and pagodas, structures were built between the 11th and 13th centuries.
Nepal — capital: Kathmandu
Nepal has eight of the world's fourteen mountains above 8,000 meters, including Everest.
North Korea — capital: Pyongyang
Mount Paektu, a volcano on the Chinese border, has a crater lake and is sacred in Korean culture.
Oman — capital: Muscat
The Land of Frankincense in the south is a UNESCO site tied to ancient frankincense production and trade.
Pakistan — capital: Islamabad
K2, the second highest mountain on Earth, lies on the border between Pakistan and China.
Palestine — capital: Ramallah
Jericho is often cited as one of the world's oldest cities, with over 10,000 years of settlement.
Philippines — capital: Manila
The country has over 7,600 islands, and its name honors King Philip II of Spain.
Russia — capital: Moscow
Lake Baikal in Siberia is the deepest lake on Earth and holds about a fifth of its liquid surface fresh water.
Saudi Arabia — capital: Riyadh
The Rub' al Khali, in the south, is one of the world's largest continuous sand deserts.
Singapore — capital: Singapore
Singapore is a city-state on one main island and dozens of islets, and has been gaining land from the sea through reclamation.
South Korea — capital: Seoul
The Korean alphabet, hangul, was created in 1443 by King Sejong and even has a national holiday in its honor.
Sri Lanka — capital: Colombo
Sri Lanka is among the world's leading tea exporters, and Ceylon tea is known worldwide.
Syria — capital: Damascus
Damascus is often cited among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
Tajikistan — capital: Dushanbe
The Pamirs, in the east of the country, are called the 'Roof of the World' for their peaks above 7,000 m.
Thailand — capital: Bangkok
The country was called Siam until 1939, and the name still inspires the term Siamese twins.
Timor-Leste — capital: Dili
Timor-Leste occupies the eastern half of Timor island and has been independent only since 2002.
Turkey — capital: Ankara
Istanbul is one of the few major cities in the world on two continents, Europe and Asia.
Turkmenistan — capital: Ashgabat
The Door to Hell, at Darvaza, is a natural gas crater that has been burning since the 1970s.
Uzbekistan — capital: Tashkent
It is one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world, along with Liechtenstein.
Vietnam — capital: Hanoi
Ha Long Bay has about 2,000 limestone islets and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Yemen — capital: Sana'a
Socotra Island is home to the dragon's blood tree, with an umbrella-shaped crown and red sap.
Frequently asked questions
How many countries are in Asia?
GeoSilhueta lists 49 countries in Asia.
What is the largest country in Asia?
Russia is the largest by area, at 17,098,246 km².