Geography and Climate of Asia

Asia, as the world's largest continent, covering about 9% of the total land area on Earth. Meanwhile, Asia has the longest coastline, about 62,800 kilometers. It is located to the east of the Suez Canal and the Ural Mountains, and south of the Caucasus Mountains (or the Kuma–Manych Depression) and the Caspian and Black Seas. Read on to know more information about the geography and climate of Asia.

Geography of Asia

Asia is the continent with the widest latitude and the longest east-west distance in the world, with a longitude of about 165° for the west to east, and a latitude of 90° from the north to south. Asia can mainly be divided into 6 regions, which are Central Asia, East Asia (Far East), South Asia, Southeast Asia, Western Asia (The Middle East/Near East), and North Asia (Siberia). 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.

Asia mainly consists of plateaus and mountain areas, with an undulating terrain, high in the middle, and low in the surroundings. The central part of Asia is the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Pamir Plateau, with an average elevation of more than 4,000 meters.



Mount Everest is the highest point in Asia and in the world, which is 8848 meters above sea level. Actually, both the world's highest and lowest points of land are in Asia. The Dead Sea, as the lowest point in the world, is located at the border of Israel and Palestine and Jordan, which is 430.5 meters below sea level.

There are the West Siberian Plain and the Mongolian Plateau in the north, the Northeast Plain and the North China Plain in the east, the Indus Plain, the Ganges Plain, and the Degan Plateau on the south, and the Iranian Plateau on both sides.

Climate of Asia

Asia is massive with characteristic geographic features, and that's why Asia has diverse climates throughout the continent. Generally speaking, climates range from arctic and subarctic in Siberia to tropical in southern India and Southeast Asia. Continental climate is widely distributed in Asia, with cold winters and warm summers.

The temperature in spring is higher than that in autumn, and the annual temperature difference is large. In winter, the average temperature in January is below 2 ℃ in 2/3 areas of Asia. Siberia is one of the coldest places in the Northern Hemisphere. Climates in areas of Southern Asia are mild to hot, while Eastern Asia has a temperate climate. West-central Asia experiences some of the largest diurnal temperature ranges on Earth.

Climate in Different Regions of Asia

The climate of Asia is complex and diverse, with the remarkable monsoon climate, and the continental climate is widely distributed in Asia. There are different climates in the 6 main regions of Asia.

►Eastern and Southern Asia

The monsoon climate is significant in both eastern and southern Asia. The Indochina Peninsula and the Indian Peninsula mainly have a tropical monsoon climate. In these areas, there is high temperature throughout the year, the southwest monsoon prevails in summer, and precipitation is scarce. The southern part of the Malay Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago are hot and rainy all year round, the climate here is the tropical rainforest climate.

Eastern China, North Korea and Japan have a temperate monsoon climate and a subtropical monsoon climate. The southerly wind prevails in summer, with high temperature and rain, and the northerly wind prevails in winter, cold and dry.

►Central and Western Asia

Central and Western Asia, located inland, have a dry temperate continental climate, less affected by the ocean.

►Northern Asia

Winter is long, with a low temperature; summer is short but mild. The world's largest boreal forest is located in this region, so that most of the areas in Northern Asia have a subtropical coniferous forest climate. Only the islands along the northern coast of Siberia and the Arctic Ocean are cold all year round and have a polar climate.

►Areas of Arabian Peninsula and Indus Plain

The areas in the Arabian Peninsula in the southwest of Asia and the Indus Plain in the south are hot all year round, with small precipitation and large evaporation, forming a tropical desert climate. The Mediterranean coast region is affected by the westerly wind in winter and the subtropical high pressure in summer, which has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters.

►High Mountain Areas

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and some high mountain areas in Central Asia have an altitude of more than 4,000 meters. The temperature is very low all year round. The snowy peaks and glaciers have a high mountain climate.