Asia-Pacific
Encyclopedia
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific (abbreviated as Asia-Pac, Asia Pac, Apac, APAC, APJ, JAPA or JAPAC) is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean
. The region varies in size depending on context, but it typically includes at least much of East Asia
, Southeast Asia
, and Oceania
.
The term may also include Russia
(on the North Pacific) and countries in North and South America which are on the coast of the Eastern Pacific Ocean
; the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
, for example, includes Canada
, Chile
, Russia, Mexico
, Peru
, and the United States
.
Alternatively, the term sometimes comprises all of Asia and Australasia as well as small Pacific island nations, e.g. when dividing the world into large regions for commercial purposes (e.g. into Americas
, EMEA
and Asia Pacific).
Even though imprecise, the term has been popular since the late 1980s in commerce, finance and politics because, though the economies within the region are heterogeneous, they are mostly emerging markets experiencing rapid growth.
' 2011 list of the world's billionaires, Asia Pacific has 332 billionaires worth $996 billion, while Europe
has 300 billionaires worth $1.3 trillion.
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The region varies in size depending on context, but it typically includes at least much of East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
, Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, and Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
.
The term may also include Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(on the North Pacific) and countries in North and South America which are on the coast of the Eastern Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
; the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim countries that seeks to promote free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region...
, for example, includes Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Russia, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Alternatively, the term sometimes comprises all of Asia and Australasia as well as small Pacific island nations, e.g. when dividing the world into large regions for commercial purposes (e.g. into Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, EMEA
Europe, the Middle East and Africa
Europe, the Middle East and Africa, usually abbreviated to EMEA, is a regional designation used for government, marketing and business purposes...
and Asia Pacific).
Even though imprecise, the term has been popular since the late 1980s in commerce, finance and politics because, though the economies within the region are heterogeneous, they are mostly emerging markets experiencing rapid growth.
Component areas
The Asia-Pacific region generally includes:Main Countries and territories data
| Country Country A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously... or territory |
Area km² |
Population | Population density per km² |
GDP millions of USD(2009) |
GDP per capita USD(2009) |
Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 American Samoa |
199 | 55,519 | 326 | 537 | 7,874 | Pago Pago |
 Australia |
7,617,930 | 22,462,842 | 3 | 920,000 | 41,500 | Canberra Canberra Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne... |
 Brunei |
5,765 | 407,000 | 70 | 14,700 | 36,700 | Bandar Seri Begawan Bandar Seri Begawan Bandar Seri Begawan, with an estimated population 140,000 , is the capital and largest city of the Sultanate of Brunei... |
 Myanmar |
676,578 | 50,496,000 | 74 | 26,820 | 500 | Naypyidaw Naypyidaw Naypyidaw is the capital city of Burma, also known as Myanmar. It is administered as the Naypyidaw Union Territory, as per the 2008 Constitution. On 6 November 2005, the administrative capital of Myanmar was officially moved to a greenfield 3.2 km west of Pyinmana, and approximately... |
 Cambodia |
181,035 | 14,805,000 | 82 | 10,900 | 800 | Phnom Penh Phnom Penh Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,... |
 Mainland China |
9,671,018 | 1,339,530,000 | 138 | 4,911,000 | 3,700 | Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... |
 East Timor |
14,874 | 1,171,000 | 76 | 599 | 500 | Dili Dili Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands.... |
| 1,104 | 7,055,071 | 6,390 | 210,730 | 30,000 | - | |
 India |
3,287,263 | 1,210,193,422 | 365 | 4,060,000 | 3,339 | New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is... |
 Indonesia |
1,904,569 | 237,556,363 | 126 | 514,900 | 2,200 | Jakarta Jakarta Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre... |
| 377,944 | 127,470,000 | 337 | 5,073,000 | 39,700 | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... |
|
 Laos |
236,800 | 6,320,000 | 27 | 5,721 | 900 | Vientiane Vientiane -Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the... |
| 29 | 541,200 | 18,662 | 21,700 | 39,800 | - | |
 Malaysia |
329,847 | 28,318,000 | 86 | 191,399 | 7,525 | Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million... |
| 1,564,116 | 2,736,800 | 2 | 4,212 | 1,500 | Ulan Bator | |
 New Zealand |
268,021 | 4,357,437 | 16 | 109,600 | 25,500 | Wellington Wellington Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range... |
| 120,540 | 23,906,000 | 198 | 27,820 | 1,200 | Pyongyang Pyongyang Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was... |
|
 Papua New Guinea |
462,840 | 6,732,000 | 15 | 8,200 | 1,200 | Port Moresby Port Moresby Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43... |
 Philippines |
299,764 | 91,983,000 | 307 | 158,700 | 1,700 | Manila Manila Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,... |
 Singapore |
710 | 4,987,600 | 7,023 | 177,133 | 35,500 | City of Singapore Downtown Core The Downtown Core is a 266-hectare urban planning area in the south of the city-state of Singapore. The Downtown Core surrounds the mouth of the Singapore River and southeastern portion of its watershed, and is part of the Central Area, Singapore's central business district... |
| 100,140 | 50,062,000 | 500 | 800,300 | 20,000 | Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... |
|
| 36,191 | 23,119,772 | 639 | 379,400 | 16,400 | Taipei Taipei Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean... |
|
 Thailand |
513,120 | 67,764,000 | 132 | 263,510 | 3,900 | Bangkok Bangkok Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom... |
 Vietnam |
331,210 | 88,069,000 | 265 | 97,119 | 1,100 | Hanoi Hanoi Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam... |
Billionaires
Based on ForbesForbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
' 2011 list of the world's billionaires, Asia Pacific has 332 billionaires worth $996 billion, while Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
has 300 billionaires worth $1.3 trillion.
See also
- Geography of AsiaGeography of AsiaGeography of Asia reviews geographical concepts of classifying Asia, the central and eastern part of Eurasia, comprising approximately fifty countries.-Boundary:...
- Geography of OceaniaGeography of OceaniaAs an ecozone, Oceania includes all of Micronesia, Fiji, and all of Polynesia except New Zealand. New Zealand, along with New Guinea and nearby islands, Australia, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia, constitute the separate Australasia ecozone...
- Asia-Pacific Economic CooperationAsia-Pacific Economic CooperationAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim countries that seeks to promote free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region...
(APEC) - South Asian Association for Regional CooperationSouth Asian Association for Regional CooperationThe South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is an organisation of South Asian nations, founded in December 1985 by Ziaur Rahman and dedicated to economic, technological, social, and cultural development emphasising collective self-reliance. Its seven founding members are Bangladesh,...
(SAARC) - East Asian Summit
- Miss Asia-Pacific
- Pacific CenturyPacific CenturyThe Pacific Century is a term that has been used to describe the 21st century through analogy with the term American Century...
- Asian CenturyAsian CenturyThe Asian Century is a term used to describe the belief that, if certain demographic and economic trends persist, the 21st century will be dominated by Asian politics and culture, as the 20th century is sometimes referred to as the American Century, and the 19th century the British...
- Asia-Pacific Scout Region (World Organization of the Scout Movement)
- Asia-Pacific Network Information CentreAsia-Pacific Network Information CentreThe Asia Pacific Network Information Centre is the Regional Internet Registry for the Asia Pacific region.APNIC provides number resource allocation and registration services that support the global operation of the Internet...
- Asia Pacific Foundation of CanadaAsia Pacific Foundation of CanadaThe Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, created by an Act of Parliament in 1984, is an independent, not-for-profit think-tank on Canada's relations with Asia.-Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada:...
- Asia SocietyAsia SocietyThe Asia Society is a non-profit organization that focuses on educating the world about Asia. It has several centers in the United States and around the world Hong Kong, Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, and Melbourne...
- Asia Pacific Games