Asian Countries Quiz

Type every country in Asia from memory.

Name every country in Asia — the largest continent by area and population, and the one with the most contested boundaries.

Around 48 countries, depending

Asia's count varies with where the Europe–Asia line is drawn and how transcontinental and partially recognised states are treated. Most quizzes use 48 or 49.

Russia, Turkey and Kazakhstan span both continents. Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan sit near the Caucasus boundary. Cyprus is geographically Asian and politically grouped with Europe. Taiwan's status is disputed. Every one of these moves the total.

The regional blocks

East Asia (6) — China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Mongolia, Taiwan.

Southeast Asia (11) — Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Timor-Leste.

South Asia (8) — India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan.

Central Asia (5) — Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan. The block most people score zero on.

West Asia / Middle East (~17) — Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Yemen, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, plus the Caucasus three.

Where the gaps are

Central Asia is the single biggest one. The five stans are unfamiliar to most people and have no shared shortcut — no colour family, no naming pattern beyond the suffix, nothing to reason from. They have to be learned individually, and they are worth the effort because they are five answers most people simply do not have.

Timor-Leste and Brunei are the two Southeast Asian states most often skipped.

The Gulf states blur together for people unfamiliar with the region — Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and the UAE are five distinct countries, not a block.

The scale worth grasping

Asia holds most of the world's population. China and India between them account for a very large share of all people alive, and Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh are each among the most populous countries in the world.

That means Asian geography covers more people per country learned than anywhere else, which is a good argument for prioritising it after Africa.

Where to go next

Asian Capitals and Asian Flags cover the same countries. The capitals are the harder half, because several have moved recently and quizzes disagree about them.

Frequently asked questions

How many countries are in Asia?

Around 48 or 49, depending on where the Europe–Asia boundary is drawn, how transcontinental states such as Russia, Turkey and Kazakhstan are counted, and how disputed cases like Taiwan are treated.

What are the five Central Asian countries?

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. They are the block most people score zero on, because there is no shared shortcut — each has to be learned individually.

Which is the largest country in Asia?

Russia by area, though most of its population lives in the European portion. China is the largest wholly Asian country by area, and China and India lead by population.

Which Asian countries are most often forgotten?

Timor-Leste and Brunei in Southeast Asia, the five Central Asian states, and the smaller Gulf countries — Qatar, Bahrain and Oman — which people tend to treat as a single block rather than as separate nations.

Play Asian Countries offline in the app

Asian Countries Quiz and the rest of the arcade are in the free Geography Quiz Arcade app: Get it on Google Play · Download on the App Store.