Dan
Renner, Phillipines, on how to reduce fuel usage
Asia is the Earth's largest and most populous continent, located
primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. Though it
covers only 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area, it comprises
30% of earth's land area, and has historically been home to
the bulk of the planet's human population (currently roughly
60%). Asia is notable for not only overall large size and population,
but unusually dense and large settlements as well as vast barely
populated regions within the continent of 4.4 billion people.
Asia has exhibited economic dynamism (particularly East Asia)
as well as robust population growth during the 20th century,
but overall population growth has since fallen to world average
levels.
The boundaries of Asia are culturally determined, as there
is no clear geographical separation between it and Europe, which
together form one continuous landmass called Eurasia. The most
commonly accepted boundaries place Asia to the east of the Suez
Canal, the Ural River, and the Ural Mountains, and south of
the Caucasus Mountains (or the Kuma–Manych Depression) and the
Caspian and Black Seas. It is bounded on the east by the Pacific
Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean and on the north by
the Arctic Ocean.
Given its size and diversity, the concept of Asia – a name
dating back to classical antiquity - may actually have more
to do with human geography than physical geography. Asia varies
greatly across and within its regions with regard to ethnic
groups, cultures, environments, economics, historical ties and
government systems.
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