World Maps - Asia

Asia - Asia is spread over some 43.6 million km², in other words about a third of the globe's land area. The heart of Asia is made up of chains of mountains, plateaus and basins.
The highest plateau in the world, Tibet, is found at an average altitude of 4000 meters, Asia containing the longest mountain ranges in the world. Owing to its vast surface area, all sorts of climates can be found on this continent, ranging from tropical zones in the south to arid or semi-arid zones in the central regions. This is where the Gobi desert, the coldest of dry deserts, is found.
The Asian population, with its 3.59 billion inhabitants in 1998, houses more than 60% of the world's population.