How Many Countries in Asia?

As the largest continent in the world, the continent of Asia has 48 countries within its borders that are recognized by the United Nations. There are 5 additional dependent or unrecognized territories that are within the Asia continent as well which include Taiwan, Palestine, Hong Kong, and Macau among others.

Dividing Lines of Asia

The continent of Asia borders 3 other continents which can make defining its area difficult. Asia’s western border runs along the Ural Mountains, Caspian Sea, and Ural River separating it from the continent of Europe. Its southern border is marked by the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea. The line that separates Africa from Asia is generally understood to be the Suez Canal. The division between the continent of Australia (Oceania) and Asia is often disputed but is often described as the line between Java and New Guinea. The border in the north is defined by the Arctic Ocean in the North and the Pacific Ocean in the East.

The countries of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkey all have portions of their countries that fall within the continents of both Asia and Europe.

The countries of China and India are by far the largest in both economic terms and population in Asia but also the entire world. Keep in mind that the countries that represent the continent of Asia are always changing. Like any large geopolitical landscape, new countries are always in the making and old ones are breaking apart. This means that any country list of Asia is outdated nearly as soon as it is documented. But, we will do our best to keep this list updated with the changing number of countries in Asia!