Countries

Defining Asia

Defining the countries of Asia is a contested matter. Teachers and students might use this topic as the basis for research and discussion.

‘Asia’ can be defined in geographical terms, but it can also be described in terms of cultural, religious, historical and linguistic boundaries or commonalities.

In Australian schools, studies of Asia are likely to cover the sub-regions of:

• North-East Asia including China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan
• South-East Asia including Indonesia, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, East Timor, the Philippines and Cambodia
• South Asia including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics includes the countries known as the Middle East in its definition. Some schools extend the definition of Asia to the Asia-Pacific region.