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 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 the 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 the Turkic languages) Baku"hill", or from the ethnonym cormorants (bagans)- the most ancient inhabitants of the 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 military leader. Since February 1, 1991, it has a modern name Bishkek, which is considered more accurate from the point of view of the norms of the Kyrgyz language form of the 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 the 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 have no 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". The explanations "house (people) of the world", "house of stone" are considered to be a later folk etymology. The Arabs call this city Al-Quds- "sacred".

Islamabad. Capital of Pakistan. This is a new city 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 Turkish Republic of 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. There is no unambiguous interpretation of the 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 to interpret on the basis of the Arabic language - "inflated skin", "anchorage", "falling place". They also suggest a Persian origin - "strong aroma".

Muzaffarabad. The administrative center of the Pakistani territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The city is named after Sultan Muhammad Muzaffar Khan (the first Muslim ruler in Kashmir). Name translated from Arabic Muzaffar means "winner, victorious". In 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 in one of the 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.

April 17, 2016

Asia is the most populous part of the world. On its territory there are some of the most developed cities in the world - these are, of course, the capitals of Asia. At the same time, there are extremely poor regions here. This is the side of contrasts, where luxury and poverty coexist, huge cities and small villages, ancient historical monuments and modern megacities, the highest mountains and the deepest depressions.

Asia is a unique part of the world

Asia is recognized as the largest part of the world. Its territory is so large that it occupies from north to south climatic zones from the Arctic to the equatorial, from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean, from east to west - from the Pacific Ocean to the seas of the Atlantic, that is, Asia touches all the oceans of the Earth. From the point of view of geography, Asia is also interesting in that about two-thirds of its territory is occupied by mountains and plateaus. The uniqueness of this part of the world also lies in the extraordinary diversity of its fauna: polar bears and pandas, seals and elephants, Ussuri tigers and Borneos, snow leopards and Gobi cats, loons and peacocks. The geography of Asia is unique, as are the peoples living on its territory. The countries and capitals of Asia are multinational and multicultural.

Asia: countries

The list of Asian countries varies depending on the criteria by which the classification is carried out. Thus, Georgia and Azerbaijan belong either to Europe or to Asia, which is associated with different variants of the border between the two parts of Eurasia. Russia is both a European country and an Asian one, since the main part of the population lives in the European part, and most of the territory is located in the Asian part. The debatable countries of Asia and their capitals, the list of which is given in the table, are located on the border of the two cardinal points.

On the territory of Asia, there are countries that are partially recognized (North Ossetia, the Republic of China, Palestine, Abkhazia and others) or unrecognized (the State of Shan, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Waziristan), there are territories dependent on other states (Cocos Islands, Christmas Island, Hong Kong, Macau and others).

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Asian countries and their capitals: list

There are 57 states on the territory of Asia, of which 3 are not recognized, 6 are partially recognized. A generalized list of countries with different status is given in the table below, where the capitals are listed in alphabetical order.

Capitals and countries of Asia

Foundation date	Asian countries
Abu Dhabi	18th century AD	United Arab Emirates
Amman	13th c. BC.	Jordan
Ankara	5th c. BC.	Turkey
Astana	19th century AD	Kazakhstan
Ashgabat	19th century AD	Turkmenistan
Baghdad	8th c. AD	Iraq
Baku	5th-6th century AD	Azerbaijan
Bangkok	14th c. AD	Thailand
Bandar Seri Begawan	7th c. AD	Brunei
Beirut	15th c. BC.	Lebanon
Bishkek	18th century AD	Kyrgyzstan
Van	19th century AD	Waziristan (unrecognized)
Vientiane	9th c. AD	Laos
Dhaka	7th c. AD	Bangladesh
Damascus	15th c. BC.	Syria
Jakarta	4th c. AD	Indonesia
Dili	18th century AD	East Timor
Doha	19th century AD	Qatar
Dushanbe	17th century AD	Tajikistan
Yerevan	7th c. BC.	Armenia
Jerusalem	4 thousand BC	Israel
Islamabad	20th century AD	Pakistan
Kabul	1 in. BC.	Afghanistan
Kathmandu	1 in. AD	Nepal
Kuala Lumpur	18th century AD	Malaysia
Lefkosa	11th c. BC.	Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (partially recognized)
Male	12th century AD	Maldives
Manama	14th c. AD	Bahrain
Manila	14th c. AD	Philippines
Muscat	1 in. AD	Oman
Moscow	12th c. AD	the Russian Federation
Muzaffarabad	17th century AD	Azad Kashmir (partially recognized)
Naypyidaw	21st century AD	Myanmar
Nicosia	4 thousand BC	Cyprus
New Delhi	3 in. BC.	India
Beijing	4th c. BC.	People's Republic of China
Phnom Penh	14th c. AD	Cambodia
Pyongyang	1 in. AD	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Ramallah	16th century AD	Palestine (partially recognized)
Sana'a	2 in. AD	Yemen
seoul	1 in. BC.	Korea
Singapore	19th century AD	Singapore
Stepanakert	5th c. AD	Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (unrecognized)
Sukhum	7th c. BC.	Abkhazia (partially recognized)
Taipei	18th century AD	Republic of China (partially recognized)
Taunjdi	18th century AD	Shang (unrecognized)
Tashkent	2 in. BC.	Uzbekistan
Tbilisi	5th c. AD	Georgia
Tehran	12th c. AD	Iran
Tokyo	12th century AD	Japan
Thimphu	13th c. AD	Butane
Ulaanbaatar	17th century AD	Mongolia
Hanoi	10th c. AD	Vietnam
Tskhinvali	14th century AD	South Ossetia (partially recognized)
Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte	13th c. AD	Sri Lanka
El Kuwait	18th century AD	Kuwait
Riyadh	4th-5th century AD	Saudi Arabia

Ancient cities of Asia

Asia is the side of the world where ancient civilizations actively developed. And the territory of Southeast Asia, presumably, is the ancestral home of ancient man. Ancient documents testify to the prosperity of some cities as early as several millennia BC. So, the city on the Jordan River was founded approximately in the 8th millennium BC, and it was never empty.
The city of Byblos on the Lebanese coast of the Mediterranean Sea dates back to the 4th millennium BC. Asia is called mysterious for a reason: many Asian capitals keep ancient history and exceptional culture.

Major cities and capitals

Asia is not only exceptional ancient civilizations. These are the leading modern industrial centers.
The most developed and largest cities and capitals of Asia, the list of which is given below, are important points in the global financial industry. These are Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Moscow, Tokyo, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangkok, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Riyadh and some others. All of these largest cities in Asia are cities with a population of many millions.

Asia- the largest part of the world, forms the mainland of Eurasia together with Europe. The area (together with the islands) is about 43.4 million km². Population - 4.2 billion people. (2012) (60.5% of the world's population). Asia is now the largest developing region in the world.

There are 48 countries in Asia. China is not only the largest country by area in Asia, but also by the number of inhabitants in the world. India confidently ranks second in the world in terms of population and is predicted to overtake China in a couple of decades. Indonesia ranks fourth in terms of population and in the next 20-30 years may reach third place, overtaking the United States.

Japan is one of the G8 and is now one of the leading countries in the world financially.

The role of Asia in the world economy and politics has grown significantly in recent years. The economies of China and Japan are now among the largest in the world. India is showing rapid growth.

Countries and capitals of Asia

• Azerbaijan (capital - Baku)
• Macao (capital - Macao) (Portugal)
• Armenia (capital - Yerevan)
• Afghanistan (capital - Kabul)
• Bangladesh (capital - Dhaka)
• Bahrain (capital - Manama)
• Brunei (capital - Bandar Seri Begawan)
• Bhutan (capital - Thimphu)
• East Timor
• Vietnam (capital - Hanoi)
• Hong Kong (capital - Hong Kong)
• Georgia (capital - Tbilisi)
• Israel (capital - Tel Aviv)
• India (capital - Delhi)
• Indonesia (capital - Jakarta)
• Jordan (capital - Amman)
• Iraq (capital - Baghdad)
• Iran (capital - Tehran)
• Yemen (capital - Sanaa)
• Kazakhstan (capital - Astana)
• Cambodia (capital - Phnom Penh)
• Qatar (capital - Doha)
• Cyprus (capital - Nicosia)
• Kyrgyzstan (capital - Bishkek)
• China (capital - Beijing)
• North Korea (capital - Pyongyang)
• Kuwait (capital - El Kuwait)
• Laos (capital - Vientiane)
• Lebanon (capital - Beirut)
• Malaysia (capital - Kuala Lumpur)
• Maldives (capital - Male)
• Mongolia (capital - Ulaanbaatar)


• Myanmar (capital - Yangon)
• Nepal (capital - Kathmandu)
• United Arab Emirates (capital - Abu Dhabi)
• Oman (capital - Muscat)
• Pakistan (capital - Islamabad)
• Saudi Arabia (capital - Riyadh)
• Singapore (capital - Singapore)
• Syria (capital - Damascus)
• Tajikistan (capital - Dushanbe)
• Thailand (capital - Bangkok)
• Turkmenistan (capital - Ashgabat)
• Turkey (capital - Ankara)
• Uzbekistan (capital - Tashkent)
• Philippines (capital - Manila)
• South Korea (capital - Seoul)
• Japan (capital - Tokyo)

Asian countries with their capitals

West Side:

Central part:

• Tajikistan (Dushanbe),
• Kazakhstan (Ankara),
• Afghanistan (Kabul),
• Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek),
• Turkmenistan (Ashgabat),
• Uzbekistan (Tashkent),

South Asia (countries):

• Nepal (Kathmandu),
• Sri Lanka (Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte - official, Colombo - fact.),
• Bhutan (Thimphu),
• Pakistan (Islamabad),
• India (New Delhi),
• Bangladesh (Dhaka),
• Maldives (Male),

East End:

• Japan Tokyo),
• Democratic People's Republic of Korea - North Korea or North Korea (Pyongyang),
• Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar),
• Republic of Korea or South Korea (Seoul),
• China - China (Beijing).

Countries of Southeast Asia (list):

Northern part:

• Russia and all its Asian republics (Moscow).

States not recognized by the world community and not fully recognized

Unrecognized states of the region:

• Waziristan (Vana),
• Shan State (Taunggyi),
• Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Stepanakert),

Partially recognized states of the region:

• State of Palestine (Ramallah),
• Abkhazia (Sukhum),
• Republic of South Ossetia (Tskhinvali),
• Azad Kashmir (Muzaffarabad),
• Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (Lefkosa),
• Taiwan Island - Republic of China (Taipei).

Controlled territories:

• British Indian Ocean Territory (Diego Garcia)
• Akrotiri and Dekeria (Episkopi),
• Christmas Island (Flying Fish Cove),
• Macau - Macau (Macao - Macau),
• Cocos Islands (West Island),
• Hong Kong - Hong Kong (Hong Kong - Hong Kong).

Conclusion

Now the reader has an idea of ​​what diverse and dissimilar states there are in Asia, where their capitals are located and how many there really are.

And if suddenly you decide to visit one of these states, then approach the choice of a place of further stay with special care, because Asia is not only beautiful and amazing, but also dangerous! Many customs and traditions of the peoples living there may contradict the ideas about the norm and morality of a European inhabitant, and vice versa, an act that seems harmless to you and me, in the East can be regarded as immoral and even illegal. Therefore, be vigilant and attentive.

All Asian countries on the maps

Asia world map:

Political map of overseas Asia:

Physical map of Asia:

Countries and capitals of Asia:

List of Asian countries and their capitals

A map of Asia with countries gives a clear idea of ​​their location. The list below is the capitals of Asian countries:

1. Azerbaijan, Baku.
2. Armenia - Yerevan.
3. Afghanistan - Kabul.
4. Bangladesh - Dhaka.
5. Bahrain - Manama.
6. Brunei - Bandar Seri Begawan.
7. Bhutan - Thimphu.
8. East Timor - Dili.
9. Vietnam - Hanoi.
10. Hong Kong - Hong Kong.
11. Georgia, Tbilisi.
12. Israel - Tel Aviv.
13. India - Delhi.
14. Indonesia - Jakarta.
15. Jordan - Amman.
16. Iraq - Baghdad.
17. Iran - Tehran.
18. Yemen - Sana'a.
19. Kazakhstan, Astana.
20. Cambodia - Phnom Penh.
21. Qatar - Doha.
22. Cyprus - Nicosia.
23. Kyrgyzstan - Bishkek.
24. China - Beijing.
25. North Korea - Pyongyang.
26. Kuwait - El Kuwait.
27. Laos - Vientiane.
28. Lebanon - Beirut.
29. Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur.
30. Maldives - Male.
31. Mongolia - Ulaanbaatar.
32. Myanmar - Yangon.
33. Nepal - Kathmandu.
34. United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi.
35. Oman - Muscat.
36. Pakistan - Islamabad.
37. Saudi Arabia - Riyadh.
38. Singapore - Singapore.
39. Syria - Damascus.
40. Tajikistan - Dushanbe.
41. Thailand - Bangkok.
42. Turkmenistan - Ashgabat.
43. Turkey - Ankara.
44. Uzbekistan - Tashkent.
45. Philippines - Manila.
46. Sri Lanka - Colombo.
47. South Korea - Seoul.
48. Japan Tokyo.

In addition, there are partially recognized countries, for example, Taiwan separated from China with the capital Taipei.

Attractions of the Asian region

The name is of Assyrian origin and means "sunrise" or "east", which is not surprising. Part of the world is distinguished by rich relief, mountains and peaks, including the highest peak in the world - Everest (Chomolungma), which is part of the Himalayas. All natural zones and landscapes are represented here, on its territory there is the deepest lake in the world - Baikal. The countries of foreign Asia in recent years have been confidently leading in terms of the number of tourists. Traditions mysterious and incomprehensible to Europeans, religious buildings, the interweaving of ancient culture with the latest technologies attract inquisitive travelers. Not to list all the iconic sights of this region, you can only try to highlight the most famous.

Taj Mahal (India, Agra)

A romantic monument, a symbol of eternal love and a magnificent building, in front of which people freeze in a daze, is the Taj Mahal Palace, listed as one of the new seven wonders of the world. The mosque was erected by a descendant of Tamerlane Shah Jahan in memory of his deceased wife, who died in childbirth, giving birth to the 14th child. Taj Mahal is recognized as the best example of the Great Mughals, including Arabic, Persian and Indian architectural styles. The walls of the building are made of translucent marble and inlaid with gems. Depending on the lighting, the stone changes its hue, becoming pink at dawn, silvery at dusk, and dazzling white at noon.

Mount Fuji (Japan)

This is a landmark place for Buddhists who practice Sintaism. The height of Fujiyama is 3776 m, in fact, it is a dormant volcano, which should not wake up in the coming decades. It is recognized as the most beautiful in the world. Tourist routes are laid on the mountain, operating only in summer, since most of Fujiyama is covered with eternal snow. The mountain itself and the 5 Lakes of Fuji area around it are part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

The largest architectural ensemble of the world stretches across Northern China for 8860 km (including branches). The construction of the Wall went on in the 3rd century BC. and had the goal of protecting the country from the Xiongnu conquerors. The construction dragged on for a decade, about a million Chinese worked on it and thousands died from exhausting labor in inhuman conditions. All this served as a pretext for the uprising and the overthrow of the Qin dynasty. The wall is extremely organically inscribed in the landscape; it repeats all the curves of the spurs and depressions, encircling the mountain range.

Borobudur Temple (Indonesia, Java)

Among the rice plantations of the island rises an ancient giant structure in the form of a pyramid - the largest and most revered Buddhist temple in the world 34 m high. Steps and terraces surrounding it lead upstairs. From the point of view of Buddhism, Borobudur is nothing more than a model of the universe. Its 8 tiers mark 8 steps to enlightenment: the first is the world of sensual pleasures, the next three are the world of yogic trance that has risen above base lust. Rising higher, the soul is cleansed of all vain things and gains immortality in the heavenly sphere. The upper step represents nirvana - a state of eternal bliss and peace.

Buddha Golden Stone (Myanmar)

A Buddhist shrine flaunts on Mount Chaittiyo (Mon State). It can be shaken by hands, but no forces can throw it off its pedestal, for 2500 years the elements have not brought down a stone. In fact, it is a granite block covered with gold leaf, and its top is crowned by a Buddhist temple. Until now, the riddle has not been solved - who dragged him up the mountain, how, for what purpose and how he has been balancing on the edge for centuries. Buddhists themselves claim that the stone is held on the rock by the hair of the Buddha, immured in the temple.

Asia is a fertile land for laying new routes, knowing oneself and one's destiny. You need to go here meaningfully, tuning in to thoughtful contemplation. Perhaps you will discover yourself from a new side and find answers to many questions. When visiting Asian countries, you can make a list of sights and shrines yourself.

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

• Tours for May all over the world
• Hot tours all over the world

The largest part of the world, washed by three oceans and containing 53 states, Asia on the world map is like a motley carpet of cultures, languages, and 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 the 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, the United Arab Emirates and a lot of developing countries in the sense of tourism - 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 in 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 permeates 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 expanses - 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 number of religious monuments here is appropriate: 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

On the territory of Asia there are several dozen countries with different political systems and living standards, with amazing and dissimilar cultures. Russia also partially refers to Which states does Foreign 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). - this is Russian territory, and foreign Asia, of course, does not belong to it. The countries and capitals of this are absolutely different from each other, they are unique and unrepeatable.

The table below gives an alphabetical list with the names of the capitals.

The country	Asia region	Capital	Official language
Abkhazia	Western	Sukhum	Abkhazian, Russian
Azerbaijan	Western	Baku	Azerbaijani
Armenia	Western	Yerevan	Armenian
Afghanistan	Western	Kabul	Dari, Pashto
Bangladesh	South	Dhaka	Bengal
Bahrain	Front	Manama	Arab
Brunei	South	Bandar Seri Begawan	Malay
Butane	South	Thimphu	dzongkha
Vietnam	South	Hanoi	Vietnamese
Georgia	Front	Tbilisi	Georgian
Israel	Front	Tel Aviv	Hebrew, Arabic
India	South	New Delhi	Hindi, English
Indonesia	South	Jakarta	Indonesian
Jordan	Front	Amman	Arab
Iraq	Front	Baghdad	Arabic, Kurdish
Iran	Front	Tehran	Farsi
Yemen	Front	Sana'a	Arab
Kazakhstan	Central	Astana	Kazakh, Russian
Cambodia	South	Phnom Penh	Khmer
Qatar	Front	Doha	Arab
Cyprus	Front	Nicosia	Greek, Turkish
Kyrgyzstan	Central	Bishkek	Kyrgyz, Russian
China	Eastern	Beijing	Chinese
Kuwait	Front	El Kuwait	Arab
Laos	South	Vientiane	Laotian
Lebanon	Front	Beirut	Arab
Malaysia	South	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysian
Maldives	South	Male	Maldivian
Mongolia	Eastern	Ulaanbaatar	Mongolian
Myanmar	South	Yangon	Burmese
Nepal	South	Kathmandu	Nepali
United Arab Emirates	Front	Abu Dhabi	Arab
Oman	Front	Muscat	Arab
Pakistan	South	Islamabad	urdu
Saudi Arabia	Front	Riyadh	Arab
North Korea	Eastern	Pyongyang	Korean
Singapore	South Asia	Singapore	Malay, Tamil, Chinese, English
Syria	Front	Damascus	Arab
Tajikistan	Central	Dushanbe	Tajik
Thailand	South Asia	Bangkok	Thai
Turkmenistan	Central	Ashgabat	Turkmen
Turkey	Front	Ankara	Turkish
Uzbekistan	Central	Tashkent	Uzbek
Philippines	South Asia	Manila	Tagalog
Sri Lanka	South Asia	Colombo	Sinhalese, Tamil
South Korea	Eastern	seoul	Korean
South Ossetia	Front	Tskhinvali	Ossetian, Russian
Japan	Eastern	Tokyo	Japanese

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 state with a high standard of living of the population, which is mainly engaged in the production of electronics for export.

Tokyo, also engaged in the creation of electronic equipment, is one of 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...

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 overseas Asia (countries and capitals are listed in the table above) plays an important role in the global economy. The largest financial centers are located in the largest part of the world on the planet: Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore.