GeographyICSE Class 8 · Asia: The Largest Continent

Asia: Location, Extent, Regions and Physiography (ICSE Class 8 Geography)

Updated 17 October 2026 · Draft, not yet fact-checked

Asia is the largest continent, about 44.6 million sq km (roughly 30 per cent of the world's land area), lying mostly in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres. It is divided into East, North, Central, South-East, South-Central and Western Asia. Its physiography has northern lowlands, central highlands around the Pamir Knot, large plateaus, great river basins and many islands.

Understand Asia: Location, Extent, Regions and Physiography

1. Location and extent. Area about 44.6 million sq km, roughly 30 per cent of the world's land area, home to about 60 per cent of the world's people. Mainland latitudes: about 1 degree N (Malay Peninsula) to nearly 78 degrees N (Cape Chelyuskin, Russia); island groups such as Indonesia extend south of the Equator. Longitudes: about 26 degrees E (Cape Baba, Turkey) to about 170 degrees W (Cape Dezhnev, Russia), a span of about 164 degrees. The Arctic Circle, Tropic of Cancer and Equator cross it. Boundaries: Arctic Ocean (north), Pacific Ocean (east), Indian Ocean (south); in the west the Ural Mountains, Ural River, Caspian Sea, Caucasus and Black Sea separate it from Europe, and the Red Sea and Suez Canal from Africa; the Bering Strait separates it from North America.

2. Six regions. East Asia (China, Japan, Mongolia, the Koreas, Taiwan); North Asia (Asian Russia, mainly Siberia); Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan); South-East Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei, Timor-Leste); South-Central (South) Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Afghanistan); Western Asia (Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan). Groupings differ between organisations. Region traits: East Asia's river plains and industry; North Asia's taiga and tundra; Central Asia's dry grasslands and deserts; South-East Asia's equatorial forests and islands; South Asia's monsoon; Western Asia's deserts and oil.

3. Northern lowlands. The vast West Siberian Plain. The Ob, Yenisei and Lena flow north to the Arctic Ocean; in spring the upper courses thaw first while the mouths are frozen, causing floods.

4. Central highlands. The Pamir Knot ('Roof of the World') is where ranges meet. East: Himalaya, Karakoram, Kunlun, Tien Shan. West: Hindu Kush continuing to the Elburz and Zagros of Iran. Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, is 8,849 m (the height announced by Nepal and China in 2020).

5. Plateaus. Tibetan Plateau (highest and largest), Mongolian, Iranian and Anatolian plateaus, and in the south the Arabian and Deccan plateaus. The Dead Sea has the lowest land surface on Earth, about 430 m below sea level.

6. River basins. Huang He (loess silt, 'China's Sorrow'); Chang Jiang (Yangtze), the longest river in Asia; Ganga-Brahmaputra (world's largest delta, Sundarbans); Indus; Mekong and Irrawaddy (rice deltas); Tigris and Euphrates (Mesopotamia); Ob, Yenisei and Lena.

7. Islands. Japan (four main islands), the Philippines, Indonesia (largest archipelagic country), Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Borneo (shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei). Many eastern islands lie on the Ring of Fire, with volcanoes and earthquakes.

Asia: Location, Extent, Regions and Physiography: key facts

Extent: Area about 44.6 million sq km
Latitude about 1 degree N to 78 degrees N
Longitude about 26 degrees E to 170 degrees W
Regions: $E a s t ∣ N or t h ∣ C e n t r a l ∣ S o u t h - E a s t ∣ S o u t h - C e n t r a l ∣ W es t er n$
Highlands and plateaus: Pamir Knot
Himalaya
Karakoram
Tibetan Plateau
Iranian Plateau
Deccan Plateau
Rivers: Ob, Yenisei, Lena north
Huang He, Chang Jiang east
Ganga, Indus south
Tigris, Euphrates west

Ob, Yenisei, Lena	north
Huang He, Chang Jiang	east
Ganga, Indus	south
Tigris, Euphrates	west

How to answer Asia: Location, Extent, Regions and Physiography questions

For extent questions, give area, latitude and longitude with units.

1For regions, name the region and two or three countries.
2For physiography, name the feature, a location and one example.
3Match rivers with direction and ocean.
4Add one fact about people or economy to link relief with life.

Asia: Location, Extent, Regions and Physiography in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

A flight over Asia

Suppose a traveller flies from Singapore to Moscow and notes the changing view: islands and equatorial forest, then high snow mountains, then dry plateaus, then a huge flat plain of frozen rivers.

Match the four views with regions or physiographic features of Asia.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Islands and equatorial forest: South-East Asia, for example Indonesia.
High snow mountains: the central highlands around the Himalaya and Pamir Knot.
Dry plateaus: Iranian, Tibetan or Arabian plateaus. Huge flat plain with northward rivers: the West Siberian Plain, with the Ob and Yenisei.

Answer: South-East Asian islands, central highlands, plateaus, northern lowlands.

Memory hook: South to north, island to plain.

Tricks to remember Asia: Location, Extent, Regions and Physiography

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

Pamir at the middle
All the highland ranges spread from the Pamir Knot like fingers from a palm.
Use it when: Central highlands.
Three northern rivers
Ob, Yenisei, Lena: north to the Arctic.
Use it when: Rivers.
Dead Sea is the bottom
Lowest land on Earth, about 430 m below sea level.
Use it when: Extremes.

Asia: Location, Extent, Regions and Physiography: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Extent · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

State the area of Asia and its share of the world's land area. Name the three oceans bordering it.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Area about 44.6 million sq km; roughly 30 per cent of the world's land area.
Arctic Ocean (north), Pacific Ocean (east), Indian Ocean (south).

Answer: 44.6 million sq km, about 30 per cent; Arctic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

Example 2: Regions · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

Name the six regions of Asia and give one country from each.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

East Asia: Japan; North Asia: Russia (Siberia); Central Asia: Kazakhstan.
South-East Asia: Thailand; South-Central Asia: India; Western Asia: Saudi Arabia.

Answer: Six regions with example countries as above.

Example 3: Longitudinal span · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Asia extends from about 26 degrees E to about 170 degrees W. Find the span in degrees of longitude and explain how it compares with a semicircle of 180 degrees.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

West limit 26 degrees E; east limit 170 degrees W.
Going from 26 degrees E eastwards to the 180th meridian is 154 degrees; from 180 to 170 degrees W is 10 degrees more.
Span = 154 + 10 = 164 degrees, less than the 180 degrees of a half circle.

Answer: 164 degrees, less than 180 degrees.

Example 4: Highlands and plateaus · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Describe the central highlands of Asia and name two plateaus. Why is the Pamir Knot called the "Roof of the World"?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Central highlands: a great mountain system in the middle of the continent.
Ranges radiate from the Pamir Knot: Himalaya, Karakoram, Kunlun and Tien Shan to the east; Hindu Kush towards the Elburz and Zagros in the west.
Plateaus: Tibetan Plateau and Iranian Plateau (also Mongolian, Anatolian, Arabian, Deccan).
The Pamir Knot is where several high ranges meet at very high altitude.

Answer: Mountain system radiating from the Pamir Knot; Tibetan and Iranian plateaus; a high meeting point of ranges.

Example 5: Rivers and people · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Explain why the Ob, Yenisei and Lena are of less use for transport than the Chang Jiang, and why the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin is densely populated.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The Ob, Yenisei and Lena flow north to the Arctic Ocean; their lower courses freeze in winter and the thaw floods the plains, so navigation is limited.
The Chang Jiang flows through a productive farming and industrial region and is the longest river in Asia.
The Ganga-Brahmaputra basin has fertile alluvial soil, water and a monsoon climate that support farming and a very large population.

Answer: Northern rivers freeze and flood; Chang Jiang serves an industrial basin; Ganga-Brahmaputra has fertile alluvium and water.

Where students lose marks in Asia: Location, Extent, Regions and Physiography

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Giving the wrong direction for river flow
Siberian rivers are said to flow south.
Do this: Ob, Yenisei and Lena flow north to the Arctic Ocean.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Listing countries without the region
Region names are skipped.
Do this: Write the region first, then two or three countries.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Wrong span of longitude
West and east limits are added instead of crossing 180 degrees.
Wrong working
170 + 26 = 196 degrees
Right working
154 + 10 = 164 degrees
Do this: Count from 26 degrees E to 180 degrees, then add 10 degrees.
Usually costs: 2 marks.
Mistake: Missing units in extent figures
Area is written without sq km.
Do this: Give units: 44.6 million sq km, degrees N/E.
Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

Learn extent as a short table: area, latitudes, longitudes.
Draw a quick sketch map in the margin to place regions.
Use correct names: Chang Jiang (Yangtze), Huang He (Yellow River).
Mention Everest's 8,849 m only with the note that it is the height announced in 2020.

Practice questions on Asia: Location, Extent, Regions and Physiography

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
The silt-laden river of China that earned the name "China's Sorrow" is the:
(a) Huang He
(b) Chang Jiang
(c) Mekong
(d) Indus
Hint
Also called the Yellow River.
Answer
(a) Huang He (Yellow River).
Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerBoard level
Which strait separates Asia from North America?
Hint
In the north-east.
Answer
The Bering Strait.
Q3 · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level
Name two river basins of Asia that are known for rice-growing deltas.
Hint
South-East Asia.
Answer
Mekong and Irrawaddy.
Q4 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Name the plateau of Asia that is the highest and largest, and one plateau in the south of the continent.
Hint
Tibet; Deccan or Arabia.
Answer
Tibetan Plateau; the Deccan Plateau (or the Arabian Plateau) in the south.
Q5 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level
Assertion (A): Indonesia is called the world's largest archipelagic country.
Reason (R): It consists of thousands of islands, including Sumatra and Java.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.
Hint
What is an archipelago?
Answer
(a).
Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Why do the rivers Ob, Yenisei and Lena cause floods in spring?
Hint
Direction of flow and thaw.
Answer
They flow north. In spring the upper courses thaw first while their mouths near the Arctic Ocean are still frozen, so the water cannot drain and spreads over the plain as floods.
Q7 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Write short notes on (a) Mesopotamia and (b) the Huang He, stating one feature of each.
Hint
Early civilisation; yellow silt.
Answer
(a) Mesopotamia is the land between the Tigris and Euphrates in Western Asia and saw one of the earliest civilisations. (b) The Huang He (Yellow River) carries yellow loess silt and has caused destructive floods, hence 'China's Sorrow'.
Q8 · 3 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency
A student says that Asia lies entirely in the Northern Hemisphere. Evaluate this claim using the facts of its extent.
Hint
Think of Indonesia.
Answer
Almost all of Asia lies in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, but island groups such as Indonesia extend south of the Equator, so the claim is not fully correct. Also the mainland ends at about 1 degree N, but islands cross the Equator.
Q9 · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Explain how the location of the Himalaya and the Pamir Knot has influenced the drainage of Asia.
Hint
High ranges separate drainage.
Answer
The central highlands act as a water divide: rivers flow north from them across Siberia to the Arctic Ocean, east and south-east to the Pacific and Indian oceans (Huang He, Chang Jiang, Mekong, Irrawaddy), south to the Indian Ocean (Ganga, Indus) and west to Western Asia (Tigris and Euphrates).

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Area of Asia?Show answer
About 44.6 million sq km.
2.What is the Pamir Knot called?Show answer
Roof of the World.
3.Lowest land surface on Earth?Show answer
The Dead Sea, about 430 m below sea level.
4.Largest delta in Asia's south?Show answer
The Ganga-Brahmaputra delta (Sundarbans).
5.Which sea separates Asia from Africa?Show answer
The Red Sea (with the Suez Canal).

Asia: Location, Extent, Regions and Physiography: frequently asked questions

How many regions is Asia divided into in the syllabus?

Six: East, North, Central, South-East, South-Central and Western Asia.

Which is the highest peak of Asia?

Mount Everest, 8,849 m by the 2020 announcement of Nepal and China.

Why are regional groupings different in different books?

Different organisations group some countries differently; learn the core countries of each region.

What is the Ring of Fire?

A belt of volcanoes and earthquakes around the Pacific; many eastern Asian islands lie on it.