Asia is made up of 50 countries. Some on the mainland, some islands.
Total land mass: 44.6 million square kilometres or 17.2 square miles.
Asia covers 8.7% of the earth’s surface and 30% of the earth’s landmass.
As of 2017 there are about 4.4 billion people living in Asia.
59.3% of the world’s population live in Asia.
Asia sits across the equator and the climate is very varied across the continent.
The main landmass is bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the east, the Indian Ocean in the south and the Arctic Ocean in the north. The landmass of Europe borders the west.
In the 19th Century European countries (notably Great Britain and Portugal) conquered some areas of Asia, mainly for trade.
During the 20th Century nearly all Asian nations gained independence.
Some of Asia is unpopulated whereas some is densely populated.