South Asia is a region located on the southern peninsula of Hindustan, with several small coral and volcanic islands in the Indian Ocean, the Indo-Gangetic Valley, the Himalayas. This is a remarkable part of the planet that attracts tourists and exists according to its own customs and rules.

AT South Asia includes seven countries:

1. Bangladesh;
2. Nepal;
3. Butane;
4. India;
5. Sri Lanka;
6. Pakistan;
7. Maldives.

Square southern region makes up 4% of the entire earth, but the density is quite high and is determined by about 20% of the total population of the planet.

In the southern part, the region is surrounded by seas and bays. indian ocean. Of all the states, only two countries, Bhutan and Nepal, are not provided with access to the sea.
The population fluctuates around 1.2 billion people.

Bangladesh

A relatively poor state with a rapidly increasing population. Located on an area of ​​about 144,000 km2, the number is 142 million.
Most of the country is flat lowland. The Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers form one channel a little west of the capital Dhaka and flow into the Bay of Bengal. The state is almost regularly exposed to floods, which cause the loss of many lives.
About 20% of the total population of the country lives in the cities of Bangladesh. Since it is problematic to find work here, people live by farming (tea, sugar cane, jute) and fishing.

State of Bangladesh

Capital of Bangladesh– Dhaka with a population of 6.97 million. It is located on the Buriganga (Ganges) river. Seems major port and concentration of aquatourism.

Capital Dhaka

The main share of industrial enterprises is located in the capital and suburbs:

• production of jute fiber,
• lightweight and cotton.

Almost 90% of the population are Muslims.

Nepal

Federal Democratic Republic Nepal is located between two neighbors: from the north it borders Tibet, from the south, west and east - India.

The highest mountain state is located on an area of ​​140,800 km2. The population of Nepal is almost 30.4 million people, they profess Hinduism.

Countryside Nepal

There are three high-altitude zones in Nepal: flat area- 17% of the total area, the mountainous part - 64% of the area and the high Himalayan ranges.

A large number of rivers: Karnali, Arun through the slopes of the Himalayas flow south and fall into the Ganges.

The capital of the country is Kathmandu.. It is home to about 1 million people.

In the city there are various craft workshops and small enterprises: textile, leather, pottery.

Butane

The Kingdom of Bhutan is located on the slopes of the Eastern Himalayas. On the one hand, it borders on China, on the other, its neighbor is India. Its territory is 47,000 km2. The population practicing Buddhism is 770 thousand people.

Cities of Bhutan

The capital is Thimphu- most Big City states. It is home to 40 thousand people.
For the rest of the world Bhutan long time remained a closed state, and only in 1974 the veil was slightly opened. For 80% of the inhabitants, the rural and forest industries are the main source of livelihood. The industry is undeveloped, there are a number of woodworking enterprises and the food industry.

Bhutan surprises with its contrasts. On the plain, near India, bananas grow, and on a hill, in the central part of the state, oaks grow. From the north, Bhutan is surrounded by the Himalayan mountains.

India

Republic of India It is the seventh largest state in the world and the second largest in terms of population. The country is located on the Hindustan Peninsula, the Himalayan mountains and the Indo-Gangetic plain. The most significant height is Kanchenjunga (5898 meters). The number is 1.3 billion. India borders on the west with Pakistan, eastern neighbors- Bangladesh and Myanmar, from the northeast - China, Nepal, Bhutan. Almost 80% of the inhabitants practice Hinduism.

Holy city of India

major rivers, flowing from the Himalayan mountains and flowing into the Bay of Bengal are the Brahmaputra and the Ganges. Several rivers: Krishna, Mahanadi, Godavari serve as the main source of irrigation. India has no large lakes.

Capital of India - New Delhi. It is located in the northern part of the country, in seismic zone and occupies almost the entire area of ​​the Indo-Gangetic plain.

City in India New Delhi

New Delhi is official capital state and one of the districts of the city of Delhi. The buildings of the government of India and various historical sights are located here.
Since 1997, Delhi has been territorially divided into 9 districts, and each of them is divided into 3 districts.

New Delhi has a population of around 295,000 while the city of Delhi is home to over 13 million people. It is one of the most developed economic terms districts.

The economy of the capital consists of industries: tourism, telecommunications, information technologies. Industry includes the manufacture of products for mass consumption. In Delhi, in comparison with other cities in India, transport and infrastructure are best developed. In this regard, in the suburbs of the capital are developing international corporations, automotive manufacturing.
Energy, healthcare and various services for the population make up a significant share in the economy.

Sri Lanka

Democratic socialist republic. It is located on the island of the same name off the coast of Hindustan. The area of ​​the country is small - approximately 65,000 km2. Along and across the island, small rivers cross: Nai-Aru, Kalu.

The majority of the population professes Buddhism - 69%, while adherents of Hinduism make up 15%. The total population is 21.7 million people.

tea plantations in countryside Sri Lanka

The country got its name from the Sanskrit "Shri" - glorious and "Lanka" - land. Familiar to the whole world under another one - Ceylon. The state is proud of its huge tea plantations and rice fields.

The capital of Sri Lanka in 1982 was transferred from Colombo to the nearby suburb of Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte. Here is the state parliament and Supreme Court. The process of transferring the capital to the end is not yet completed. The population of Kotte is 150,000 inhabitants. In fact, the capital continues to be Colombo - the most Big city in the country (there are almost 600 thousand people). Colombo has a deep-water harbor, and the city center is located near the port. The port of Colombo is the largest in South Asia. Several industries are developed here: chemical, glass, woodworking, textile and oil refining.

Pakistan

The country arose as a result of the division british india in 1947 and is officially known as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It borders with countries: Iran, India, China, Afghanistan.

City and slums of Pakistan

In the south is the outlet to the Arabian Sea. It is noted relatively high density population. In terms of the number of residents, it ranks sixth in the world - almost 194 million people with an available territory of 803,940 km2. The majority of the population professes Islam - more than 97%. Most of the region is the Indus Plain and the mountains located from the north and west, belonging to the Iranian plateau.

The capital of the country is Islamabad. It was founded in 1967. The population is 1150000 people. In the west of the capital, the Indus River flows, the Himalayas stretch east of the city.
Since Islamabad was originally built as a capital, there is practically no industry in the city.

City of Islamabad

The exception is:

• light, food industry, handicrafts.
• The financial sector and telecommunications industries are developing.

Maldives

The state is located on several small islands in the Indian Ocean. Closest countries: India, Sri Lanka. The Republic of Maldives includes 1196 islands, the length from east to west is 130 km, from south to north - 823 km. Islands of volcanic origin, form a paired necklace of 26 large coral patches (atolls). From total Only 202 islands are inhabited. The longest island is eight kilometers long. Due to the gradual melting of glaciers, the Maldives is threatened with flooding.

City in the Maldives

The population living on the archipelago is 400,000 people. The population professes Islam.

Capital Male located on the neighboring islands of Villingili and Male. The territory is 5.8 km2, the number of inhabitants is about 105 thousand people.
The absence of industry determined the occupation of the population: fishing, resort business.

The article contains information about the region. The material tells about the countries that are part of the region. Available short description each state.

General information about the countries of South Asia

The region consists of seven states geographically located on the mainland of Eurasia.

The area of ​​the region is equal to 4% of the entire earth, but the population density level is only 20% of the world's population. AT southern tip the territory is surrounded by the seas and bays of the Indian Ocean. Of all the powers in the region, only two are landlocked - Bhutan and Nepal.

Rice. 1. Region on the map.

The countries are dispersed in the direction of the southern borders of the Himalayas. The population in the region exceeds the value of one billion people.

All the powers of South Asia are characterized by historical similarities on the path of development.

TOP 4 articleswho read along with this

The list of South Asian countries is as follows:

• Nepal;
• Butane;
• India;
• Sri Lanka;
• Pakistan;

Countries and capitals of South Asia

poor state with a growing population. The main territory of the country lies on a flat lowland. The state regularly suffers from floods. Approximately two tens of percent of the total population of the country lives in the cities of Bangladesh.

Rice. 2. Bangladesh.

The capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, is located on the Ganges River. The city belongs to the category of ports.

Nepal - mountain power of the region. About 1 million people live in the capital of the country - Kathmandu.

Kingdom of Bhutan. The capital of the kingdom - Thimphu - the largest locality in the kingdom.

India - oldest public education peace. For almost two hundred years it was a colony of England. The capital of the state is the city of New Delhi.

India is the seventh largest state in the world. It ranks second in terms of population.

Republic of Sri Lanka located on the island of the same name. The state got its name from a combination of the words "Shri" - glorious and "Lanka" - land. The capital of the state in 1982 was moved from Colombo to the suburb of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Pakistan It was formed during the partition of British India in 1947. The capital city of the country is Islamabad. There is no industry in the city, because The city was originally built as a capital.

Rice. 3. Maldives.

An island-type state arose on islands of volcanic origin. The islands form a paired necklace of 26 atolls. The capital Male is located on the neighboring islands of Villingili and Male. Due to the regular melting of glaciers, the state is at risk, because. it is in danger of flooding.

What have we learned?

We found out where the region is territorially localized. Got brief information on the composition of the population of the states of South Asia. We learned about the dangers that threaten the Maldives.

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On the territory of Asia there are several dozen countries with different political system and standard of living, with surprising and dissimilar cultures. Russia also partially belongs to Asian countries. What states does Overseas Asia include? The countries and capitals of this part of the world will be listed in the article.

What is called overseas Asia?

Foreign territory is called the territory of this part of the world that does not belong to Russia, that is, these are all Asian countries except Russia. In the geographical literature, foreign Asia is divided into four large regions. So, they distinguish Central, Eastern, Southern and Front (Western). North Asia is Russian territory, and, of course, does not apply to it overseas Asia. The countries and capitals of this part of the world are absolutely different from each other, they are unique and inimitable.

The table below gives alphabetical list countries of foreign Asia with names of capitals.

Developed countries of foreign Asia and their capitals

Among the most highly developed countries in the world is Singapore (capital - Singapore). This is a small island nation high level life of the population, which is mainly engaged in the production of electronics for export.
Japan (the capital of Tokyo), also engaged in the creation of electronic equipment, is among the ten most prosperous countries in the world. Almost all countries of foreign Asia and their capitals are rapidly developing. For example, Qatar, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan are among the five fastest growing (in terms of GDP growth) economies in the world.

Not everyone needs to be ahead...

Least the developed countries foreign Asia and their capitals: Bangladesh (capital - Dhaka), Bhutan (capital - Thimphu), Nepal (capital - Kathmandu). These and some other countries cannot boast of either a high standard of living or special achievements in industry. And yet foreign Asia (countries and capitals are listed in the table above) plays important role in the global economy. The largest financial centers located in the largest part of the world on the planet: Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore.

We continue to get acquainted with the origin of the names of the capitals of the world. Previously, a page about European capitals was prepared. On this page we are talking about the capitals of Asian states, as well as states partially located in Europe or Oceania, but mostly in Asia.

Abu Dhabi. Capital of the United United Arab Emirates. The city was founded in 1760. In most cases, the name of the city is translated from Arabic as "father of the gazelle". There is a legend about a gazelle that led the hunters to the oasis on which the city was founded. However, there is an opinion that the toponym Abu Dhabi associated not with the name of the animal, but with a personal name from this name.

Amman. Capital of Jordan. The city has existed for several thousand years. ancient name – Rabat-Amon"City of Amon" (Amon is the god of the sun of the ancient Egyptians).

Ankara. Capital of Turkey. The city has been known since the 7th century BC. e. The toponym goes back to the Phrygian word anchor"anchor", the meaning of which developed into "parking, stopping place on the way."

Astana. Capital of Kazakhstan. The city was founded in 1830 as a Cossack outpost. Until 1961 it was called Akmolinsk. In 1961–1992 - Tselinograd. In 1992–1998 - Akmola. Since May 6, 1995 - Astana. Toponym Akmola (Akmolinsk- Russified form) translated from Kazakh - " white grave"," white shrine. Tselinograd was named in memory of the development of virgin and fallow lands of Kazakhstan. The modern name comes from Kazakh word astana- "capital".

Ashgabat. Capital of Turkmenistan. Founded in 1881 and named after a nearby village Askhabad, which means “beloved city” in Turkmen. In 1919–1927 called Poltoratsk in memory of the Commissar of Labor of the Turkestan Republic. In 1927–1991 it was called Ashgabat(refined form of toponym Ashkhabad). Since 1991 - Ashgabat, which is more in line with the Turkmen pronunciation. In Russian, the older form is still used Ashgabat.

Baghdad. Capital of Iraq. The city was founded in 763. The toponym is of Iranian origin. Means "given by God". called in Arabic Dar es Salaam- "abode of peace."

Baku. Capital of Azerbaijan. It is located in the southern part of the Absheron Peninsula. The toponym has been known since the 5th century, but its etymology has not been fully clarified. There are several versions. Explanations such as "blown by the wind" (from Arabic through Persian) or "mountain wind" are not recognized as scientific. The explanation from the Iranian abad"city" + ku"fire" (in connection with the religion of fire worshipers). More plausible is either the derivation of the name of the city from Lak (one of Turkic languages) Baku"hill", or from the ethnonym cormorants (bagans) – ancient inhabitants Apsheron Peninsula.

Bangkok. Capital of Thailand. Derived from the Bengali language. There is no consensus on the etymology of the toponym. Among the translations are “city of wild plum”, “forest village”, “olive thickets”. Toponym Bangkok used only outside of Thailand. In Thailand itself, the capital is usually called Krung Thep- "City of the Gods"

Bandar Seri Begawan. Capital of Brunei. Until 1970 the city was called Brunei, or Brunei town. Presumably derived from Sanskrit varuṇ- either "ocean", or "lord of the ocean". According to another version, translated from Malay - "plant". In 1970, the capital was renamed in honor of the former Sultan of Brunei in Bandar Seri Begawan. Translated from Malay - "the city of his excellency."

Beirut. Capital of Lebanon. The city has been known since the 15th BC. e. The toponym is of Phoenician (according to others - Semitic) origin and means "well".

Bishkek. Capital of Kyrgyzstan. The city grew out of the Kokand fortress built in 1825. It was called Pishpek. The name of the fortress passed to the city, which received this status in 1878. From 1926 to February 1991 it was called Frunze, in honor of Mikhail Frunze, a native of Pishpek, a famous Bolshevik and Soviet commander. Since February 1, 1991 wears modern name Bishkek, which is considered more accurate in terms of norms Kyrgyz language form former name Pishpek. Regarding the etymology of the toponym Bishkek there is no unity of opinion. According to one version, it comes from the name of the Bishkek batyr (he lived in the 18th century). According to another version, it translates as "club, club."

Vientiane. Capital of Laos. From an ancient Khmer word meaning "fortification, walled city". The city has been known since the 13th century.

Dhaka. Capital of Bangladesh. The most common explanation is on behalf of the Hindu goddess of fertility Durga. But it has been suggested that this is not the case.

Damascus. Capital of Syria. The origin of this ancient toponym is not entirely clear. One of the versions: the name goes back to Semitic languages and means "business (useful)".

Delhi. Capital of India. In ancient times the city was called Indraprastha, or Indrabara(according to one version, the name of the king of the gods Indra + "great"). Later, the city began to be called by the name of Raja Dilla from the Mauryan dynasty.

Jakarta. Capital of Indonesia. Explanation from Sanskrit Jaya Kerta- "the place of victory" is recognized as unreliable. During the period of Dutch rule (from the 18th century to 1945), the city was called Batavia(according to the ancient Roman name for Holland).

Doha. Capital of Qatar. The city has existed since 1825. At first it was called Al Bida. Toponym Doha- Arabic origin. Its etymology is "big tree".

Dushanbe. Capital of Tajikistan. The city emerged from the village Dyushambe in 1925. The name translated from Tajik means “Monday” (the day on which the market took place here). was called Stalinabad("city of Stalin").

Yerevan. Capital of Armenia. The year of foundation is considered to be 782 BC. e. Several explanations for this toponym have been proposed, most of which do not have scientific justification. For example, and Persian ravan"fast current", from the name of a certain founder khan Revan, from the Urartian Erebuni- "the abode of the god Aru" or as "the brilliant descendant of the eagle." Ancient name of the fortress Erebuni(on the site of present-day Yerevan) is also derived from the name of the nationality or tribal union.

Jerusalem. The capital of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The city has been known since the 19th–18th centuries. BC e. The most common is the etymology "the city of the god Shalim". Explanations "house (people) of the world", "house of stone" are considered later folk etymology. The Arabs call this city Al-Quds- "sacred".

Islamabad. Capital of Pakistan. This is new town, built as a capital in the 60s. 20th century The official religion of Pakistan is Islam. Accordingly, this capital was given the name - "City of Islam".

Kathmandu. Capital of Nepal. The city was founded in 723, but the oldest archaeological finds on its territory date back to 185. Until the 16th century. was called Kantipur, which means "city of beauty" in Sanskrit. The most common toponym Kathmandu derived from the name of the temple Kastamandap (“tree” + “hidden shelter”), built in 1596. According to another explanation, the components of the toponym means “house, village, city” (Indo-European word) + “temple” (translated from Hindi) , i.e. "city of temples". Another proposed etymology is "place of boundary".

Kuala Lumpur. Capital of Malaysia. The city was founded in 1857. The name is Malay. The first part is translated as "mouth", the second - "silt, muddy". The latter is a characteristic of the Gombak and Klang rivers, at the mouth of which the city is located.

Lefkosha. The name of the northern part of Nicosia, which is the capital of the self-proclaimed Republic of Turkey Northern Cyprus. Is the Turkish form of a Greek place name Levkosia(see Nicosia).

Male. Capital of the Republic of Maldives. The city is over 800 years old. Unambiguous interpretation there is no toponym. According to one version - from the same Indo-European root as the toponym Maldives and means “to stand out in relief”, “to rise”, “to grow”. According to another version, it consists of two Sanskrit bases, which are translated as "big" + "blood".

Manama. The capital of Bahrain (an island nation in the Persian Gulf). The city has been known since 1345. The name is Arabic in origin. Means either "place of rest" or "place of dream".

Manila. Capital of the Philippines. The city was founded in 1571 by the Spaniards. Toponym contains a prefix ma-, which in Tagalog indicates abundance of something, and stems nile- "Manila indigo" (a type of tree).

Muscat. Capital of the Sultanate of Oman. People lived in the area of ​​the city as early as the 6th millennium BC. e. The etymology of the toponym has not been fully elucidated. There are known attempts at interpretation based on Arabic- “inflated skin”, “anchorage”, “fall site”. They also suggest a Persian origin - "strong aroma".

Muzaffarabad. Administrative center Pakistani territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The city is named after Sultan Muhammad Muzaffar Khan (the first Muslim ruler in Kashmir). Translated from Arabic name Muzaffar means "winner, victorious". On the local language the city was called Udabhanda.

Naypyidaw. The capital of Myanmar (formerly Burma). Translated from Burmese means "royal capital", "royal city of the sun" ( literal translation). Until November 2005, the capital was Yangon, whose name is translated as "the end of strife." English placename imitation Yangon on one of local dialects – ragoon(under this name the city has long been known throughout the world).

Nicosia. The capital of the Republic of Cyprus and the partially self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Founded in the 11th century. BC e. In antiquity, the city-state of Ledra existed on this site. During the period approx. 280 BC e. - IV century. n. e. called Leucotheon Three etymologies are given for this toponym. According to one version, it comes from the name of Leucus, the son of Ptolemy I Lag. According to another version, the toponym is associated with white poplar. Also associated with the name of the goddess Levkothea ("white goddess"). From 348 called Levkosia(phonetic transformation of toponym Leucotheon). Toponym used outside of Cyprus Nicosia- that's the name Levkosia uttered by the Franks-Crusaders.

New Delhi. The capital of India (since 1911, before that - Calcutta). It occupies the southern part of Delhi. Literally "new Delhi". On the site of Delhi in ancient times was the city of Indrabar ("great Indra"). The toponym Delhi is associated with the name of Raja Dilli from the Mauryan dynasty, who founded his capital here.

To be continued

Sources

Nikonov V. A. Brief Toponymic Dictionary. M., 1966.

Pospelov E. M. School toponymic dictionary. M., 1988.

Asia from A to Z: countries, cities and resorts of Asia. Map, photo and video, Asian peoples. Descriptions and opinions of tourists.

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The most most of light, washed by three oceans and containing 53 states, Asia on the world map is like a motley carpet of cultures, languages, nationalities. Perhaps there is no region on Earth that is more diverse and rich in all sorts of curiosities. From Israel to the Philippines, from Mongolia to India, its mercilessly scorched lands stretched. Although man originated from Africa, it was here that he learned to sow and reap, invented the wheel, writing and philosophy. Over the millennia, Asia has seen a lot: the rise of great civilizations and bloodthirsty hordes of nomads, magnificent pearls of creativity and primitive cruelty, devastation and fertility, wars of millions and the birth of religions. It is not surprising that today Asia is the subject of the closest tourist interest. Here are such pillars of the industry as Turkey, Thailand, Maldives, India, Israel, UAE and a lot of countries developing in the tourism sense - Vietnam, South Korea, Oman, etc.

What is he, a portrait of an "Asian" tourist? Let's start with the fact that the main thing that people go to Asia for is, of course, exotic, moreover, exotic is its own, authentic and not at all similar to, say, African. Whether it's the temple complexes of India or the fiery tom yum soup at a Pattaya diner, calls to prayer pouring from the minarets of Damascus, or Orthodox Jews marching in the July heat in fur hats through the streets of Jerusalem - everything is permeated with Asian flavor: bright, always unexpected, a little discouraging and remaining in memory like a frozen frame from a movie. Pictures of Asia - a whirlwind of colorful colors, a combination of incongruous, crazy beauty and an excess of lines, shades, shapes.

By the way, in terms of climate, Asia is more than diverse: on its territory you can find weather for every taste. I wanted snow - welcome to the northern coast of Mother Russia, I like the heat - please proceed to the July Emirates, I want the humid tropics - you have a direct road to the Philippines. In addition, God himself ordered climbers to go to Asia - to Everest and for those who prefer more than calm sea ​​spaces- to the Dead Sea. And for those who want to stand in the very center of Asia, we recommend going to Irkutsk: it is this city that bears the title of the geographical "navel" of the region.

In addition, Asia is visited in order to touch spirituality. The largest world religions once arose on its territory: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam. So the quantity religious monuments here the corresponding: and numerous Buddhist monasteries, pagodas and stupas, and places associated with the earthly life of Christ, and the most significant mosques.

Last but not least, it is worth mentioning the "idle" advantages of Asia, which include the coasts of several oceans and numerous seas at once, the cleanest beaches with fine sand and other amenities near the beach - in the form of hotels, restaurants, discos and other developed infrastructure. And, of course, gourmets will not be left without vivid impressions: the world has never seen so many spices, aromatic plants and hot peppers that Asian housewives use! Whether it will be Rajasthani chicken with curry sauce or Tajik khash - an unforgettable experience is guaranteed!

• Western Asia: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Qatar, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon, UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey
• South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
• Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia
• East Asia: China, Taiwan, Japan, North Korea, Republic of Korea and Mongolia
• Central Asia (aka Central or Front): Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan