Table notes[edit]

^ a: Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey are often considered to be transcontinental countries,

spanning both Asia and Europe. Many organisations, such as the BBC[28] place them in Europe, while
others such as the CIA[29] include them in Asia, West Asia and the Middle East to be precise. All are
included in European organisations such as the Council of Europe[30] and are considered to be
European, and thus eligible to join, by the European Union.[31]
^ b: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey are considered split by some between two continents:
Azerbaijan north of the Caucasus, Kazakhstan west of the Ural River and Turkey west of the
Bosphorus might be construed as in Europe. Only national data is presented. Splitting a nation
would be more problematic; for example, the Ural River is not a well-defined boundary in places;
moreover, some geopolitical units straddle it. The UN convention is followed here, which does not
define any transcontinental regions.
^ c: Indonesia is often considered a transcontinental country with territory in both Asia and Oceania,
and East Timor can be placed in either Asia or Oceania. Population and area figures for Indonesia
do not include Irian Jaya and Maluku Islands, frequently reckoned in Oceania.
^ d: Russia is considered a transcontinental country with territory in Eastern Europe and Northern
Asia; population and area figures are for the Ural Federal District, Siberian Federal District and Far
Eastern Federal District of Russia, which belong to Asia.
^ e: The island of Cyprus is located on the Asian Anatolian plate,[32] but is a member of European
organisations such as the Council of Europe[30] and the European Union.[31] Armenia is similarly
located fully within Asia, but is a member of the Council of Europe.[30]
^ f: Hong Kong and Macau are Special Administrative Regions (SAR) of China. Taiwan (officially the
Republic of China) is a de facto state claimed by the PRC. Figures given for China do not include
these areas.
^ g: The area of India includes Jammu and Kashmir, a disputed territory contested between
India, Pakistan, and China.
^ h: In 1980, Jerusalem was proclaimed Israel's united capital, following its annexation of Arab-
dominant East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War. The United Nations and many countries do
not recognize this claim, with most countries maintaining embassies in Tel Aviv instead.
^ i: Afghanistan is also considered to be a Central Asian country. It only joined the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation in 2007.

References[edit]

1. ^ The New York Times and Bartholomew, Edinburgh (1992).  The New York Times Atlas of
the World. New York: Times Books (Random House). p.  44.
2. ^ "Asia". Chambers World Gazetteer (5th  ed.). 1988.
3. ^ "Asia". The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia (2nd  ed.). 1989.
4. ^ Edgar Thorpe; Shawick Thorpe (2011). The Pearson General Knowledge Manual. India:
Dorling Kindersley. p.  A.25.
5. ^ "Asia: The Land".  The New Encyclopædia Britannica (15th ed.).
6. ^ Georg Autenrieth (1876). "ēpeiros".  A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges.
7. ^ J.B. Hofmann (1950). "ēpeiros".  Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Griechischen (in
German). München: Verlag von R. Oldenbourg.
8. ^ Histories, Book IV, Articles 37-40.
9. ^ Histories, Book IV, Article 42.
10. ^ Histories, Book !V, Article 45
11. ^ Geography, 2.5.26.
12. ^ Geography, Book I, Chapter 1.
13. ^ Geography, Book II, Prologue.
14. ^ Geography, Book V, Chapter 11.
15. ^ Geography, Book V, Chapter 8.