All About Asia

Question: When was the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) founded?

Answer: The South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) is an organization of South Asian nations that was founded in 1985 and is dedicated to economic, technological, social, and cultural development emphasizing collective self-reliance. Its seven founding members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka; Afghanistan joined in 2007.

Question: In which country is Dhivehi the official language?

Answer: The official language of Maldives is an Indo-European language called Dhivehi (or Maldivian); Arabic, Hindi, and English are also spoken there.

Question: Which Asian country was formerly called Siam?

Answer: Thailand was officially called Siam until 1939.

Question: What is the world’s largest inland body of water?

Answer: The Caspian Sea is the world’s largest inland body of water. It lies to the east of the Caucasus Mountains and to the west of the vast steppe of Central Asia. The sea contains some 63,400,000,000 acre-feet or 18,800 cubic miles (78,200 cubic km) of water—about one-third of Earth’s inland surface water.

Question: Tsai Ing-wen was the first female president of which country?

Answer: In 2016 Tsai Ing-wen became the first female president of Taiwan.

Question: Who was the first Pakistani to win the Nobel Prize?

Answer: Pakistani nuclear physicist Abdus Salam was the corecipient with Steven Weinberg and Sheldon Lee Glashow of the 1979 Nobel Prize for Physics for their work in formulating the electroweak theory. Salam was the first Pakistani and the first Muslim scientist to win a Nobel Prize.

Question: Which temple complex appears on the flag of Cambodia?

Answer: Angkor Wat, the temple complex at Angkor, near Siĕmréab, Cambodia, was built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II (reigned 1113–c. 1150). Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious structure, covering some 400 acres (160 hectares), and marks the high point of Khmer architecture. It appears on the Cambodian flag.

Question: When did Buddhism arrive in Japan?

Answer: During the Yamato period, about 400 CE, Buddhism came to Japan from Korea. For many centuries the Japanese also borrowed heavily from Chinese culture, using Chinese characters to write down the Japanese language.

Question: In which country is the Kamchatka Peninsula situated?

Answer: The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula located in far eastern Russia, lying between the Sea of Okhotsk on the west and the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea on the east. It is about 750 miles (1,200 km) long north-south and about 300 miles (480 km) across at its widest; its area is approximately 140,000 square miles (370,000 square km).

Question: When was the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) established?

Answer: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an international organization that was established by the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand in 1967 to accelerate economic growth, social progress, and cultural development and to promote peace and security in Southeast Asia. ASEAN replaced the Association of South East Asia (ASA), which had been formed by the Philippines, Thailand, and the Federation of Malaya (now part of Malaysia) in 1961.

Question: What is the oldest existing freshwater lake on Earth?

Answer: Lake Baikal, located in the southern part of eastern Siberia, is the oldest existing freshwater lake on Earth (20 million–25 million years old), as well as the deepest continental body of water, having a maximum depth of 5,315 feet (1,620 metres).

Question: What is the longest river in Southeast Asia?

Answer: The Mekong River is the longest river in Southeast Asia, the 7th longest in Asia, and the 12th longest in the world. It has a length of about 2,700 miles (4,350 km). Rising in southeastern Qinghai province, China, the Mekong River flows through the eastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan province, after which it forms part of the international border between Myanmar (Burma) and Laos, as well as between Laos and Thailand.

Question: "Spice Islands" is the alternative name for which of these islands of Indonesia?

Answer: The Moluccas, also known as the Spice Islands, are Indonesian islands of the Malay Archipelago, lying between the islands of Celebes to the west and New Guinea to the east. The Philippines, the Philippine Sea, and the Pacific Ocean are to the north; the Arafura Sea and the island of Timor are to the south.

Question: What is the only Southeast Asian landlocked country?

Answer: Laos is a landlocked country of northeast-central mainland Southeast Asia. It is bounded to the north by China, to the northeast and east by Vietnam, to the south by Cambodia, to the west by Thailand, and to the northwest by Myanmar (Burma).

Question: Which of these is not a Japanese city?

Answer: Taipei is the capital of and largest city in Taiwan.

Question: Which waterway connects the Andaman Sea and the South China Sea?

Answer: The Strait of Malacca connects the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) and the South China Sea (Pacific Ocean). It runs between the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the west and peninsular (West) Malaysia and extreme southern Thailand to the east and has an area of about 25,000 square miles (65,000 square km).

Question: What is Dunhuang, a city in northwestern China, famous for?

Answer: Dunhuang is a city in western Gansu sheng (province), northwestern China. The city is the site of the renowned Mogao Caves, which were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

Question: Which city hosted the 1964 Olympic Games?

Answer: The 1964 Olympic Games were held in Tokyo and took place October 10–24, 1964. The Tokyo Games were the 15th occurrence of the modern Olympic Games. The 1964 Olympics introduced improved timing and scoring technologies, including the first use of computers to keep statistics.

Question: Which economist is the founder of the Grameen Bank, an institution that provides microcredit?

Answer: Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus founded the Grameen Bank, an institution that provides microcredit (small loans to poor people possessing no collateral) to help its clients establish creditworthiness and financial self-sufficiency. In 2006 Yunus and Grameen received the Nobel Prize for Peace.

Question: Which entrepreneur was the head of the Alibaba Group?

Answer: Chinese entrepreneur Jack Ma was head of the Alibaba Group, which comprised several of China’s most popular Web sites, including the business-to-business marketplace Alibaba.com and the shopping site Taobao.com.

Question: What imperial palace complex was commissioned in 1406 by the Yongle emperor of the Ming dynasty?

Answer: The Forbidden City, an imperial palace complex at the heart of Beijing (Peking), China, was commissioned in 1406 by the Yongle emperor of the Ming dynasty. The 178-acre (72-hectare) compound was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

Question: Which road links Myanmar with China?

Answer: The Burma Road is a highway that links Lashio, in eastern Burma (now Myanmar), with Kunming, in Yunnan province, China, a distance of 1,154 km (717 miles).

Question: Which of these is the largest freshwater lake in Japan?

Answer: Lake Biwa is the largest freshwater lake in Japan, located in Shiga ken (prefecture), west-central Honshu. Approximately 40 miles (64 km) long from north to south, the lake covers an area of 259 square miles (672 square km).

Question: Which ancient trade route linked the Western world with Asia?

Answer: The Silk Road was an ancient trade route that linked China with the West, carrying goods and ideas between the two great civilizations of Rome and China. Silk went westward, and wools, gold, and silver went east.

Question: Which of following bodies of water separates Asia from the African continent?

Answer: The Suez Canal is a sea-level waterway running north-south across the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt to connect the Mediterranean and the Red seas. The canal separates the African continent from Asia, and it provides the shortest maritime route between Europe and the lands lying around the Indian and western Pacific oceans.

Question: Which is the holiest of cities in Islam?

Answer: Mecca, located in the Ṣirāt Mountains, inland from the Red Sea coast, is the holiest of Muslim cities. Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was born in Mecca, and it is toward this religious center that Muslims turn five times daily in prayer. Because it is sacred, only Muslims are allowed to enter the city.

Question: Which summit in Indonesia is the highest in the southwestern Pacific and the highest island peak in the world?

Answer: Jaya Peak is the highest peak on the island of New Guinea, in the Sudirman Range, western central highlands. Located in the Indonesian province of Papua, the 16,024-foot (4,884-metre) summit is the highest in the southwestern Pacific and the highest island peak in the world.

Question: Which famous conqueror consolidated tribes into a unified Mongolia and then extended his empire across Asia to the Adriatic Sea?

Answer: Mongolian warrior-ruler Genghis Khan was one of the most famous conquerors of history, who consolidated tribes into a unified Mongolia and then extended his empire across Asia to the Adriatic Sea. He brought all the nomadic tribes of Mongolia under the rule of himself and his family in a rigidly disciplined military state.

Question: What mythical monster supposedly inhabits the Himalayas?

Answer: The Abominable Snowman, a mythical monster resembling a large, hairy, apelike being, is supposed to inhabit the Himalayas at about the level of the snow line. Though reports of actual sightings of such a creature are rare, certain mysterious markings in the snow have traditionally been attributed to it.

Question: What is the largest port city in South Korea?

Answer: Pusan, also spelled Busan, is a metropolitan city and port in South Korea, located at the southeast tip of the Korean peninsula. Pusan is the country’s largest port and second largest city.

Question: Which of these cities lies on the Saigon River?

Answer: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, was once called Saigon and was the capital of South Vietnam. When the Vietnam War ended, the country unified.

Question: What country does the Mekong River not flow through?

Answer: The Mekong River flows through China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam before emptying into the South China Sea.

Question: Who was the world's first woman prime minister?

Answer: Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the world’s first woman prime minister upon her party’s victory in the 1960 general election in Ceylon (later Sri Lanka). She left office in 1965 but returned to serve two more terms (1970–77, 1994–2000) as prime minister.

Question: Where in Sri Lanka is the world's fifth largest natural harbor located?

Answer: Trincomalee is a town and port on Sri Lanka's northeastern coast. The port's natural harbor is one of the finest in the world, and it is the world's fifth largest natural harbor.

Question: In what country is Sichuan found?

Answer: Sichuan is a province in central China. It is famed for its spicy cuisine.

Question: Name the mountain ridge east of the Old City of Jerusalem that is frequently mentioned in the Bible and is holy to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Answer: The Mount of Olives is a multi-summit limestone ridge just east of the Old City of Jerusalem and separated from it by the Kidron Valley. Frequently mentioned in the Bible and later religious literature, it is holy to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Question: Where is the Buddhist monument known as Borobudur located?

Answer: Borobudur is a massive Buddhist monument in central Java, Indonesia, 26 miles (42 km) northwest of Yogyakarta. The Borobudur monument combines the symbolic forms of the stupa, the temple mountain, and the mandala. The style of Borobudur was influenced by Indian Gupta and post-Gupta art. The monument was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1991.

Question: Which of these is the largest freshwater body in Southeast Asia?

Answer: Tonle Sap is a natural floodplain reservoir in central Cambodia. The lake is the largest freshwater body in Southeast Asia, and it supports a large carp-breeding and carp-harvesting industry, with numerous floating fishing villages inhabited largely by ethnic Vietnamese. In 1997, UNESCO designated Tonle Sap a World Network Biosphere Reserve.

Question: Who was the first Iranian to win the Nobel Peace Prize?

Answer: Iranian lawyer, teacher, and writer Shirin Ebadi received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2003 for her efforts to promote democracy and human rights. She was the first Muslim woman and the first Iranian to receive the award

Question: What is the main color of China’s flag?

Answer: China’s flag is a large red field with yellow stars and a hammer and sickle device.

Question: The name of which ancient Indus civilization site is reputed to mean "the mound of the dead"?

Answer: Mohenjo-Daro is a group of mounds and ruins situated on the right bank of the Indus River in southern Pakistan. The name Mohenjo-Daro is reputed to signify "the mound of the dead." The site contains the remnants of one of two main centres of the ancient Indus civilization (c. 2500–1700 BCE), the other one being Harappa, some 400 miles (640 km) to the northwest in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

Question: Who was the first Chinese citizen to receive the Nobel Peace Prize?

Answer: In 2010 Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese literary critic, professor, and human rights activist, became the first Chinese citizen to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Question: Which country's name means "two seas" in Arabic?

Answer: Bahrain's name is from the Arabic term al-baḥrayn, meaning "two seas."

Question: Which river is often called the "cradle of Chinese civilization"?

Answer: The Yellow River is the principal river of northern China. It is often called the cradle of Chinese civilization. With a length of 3,395 miles (5,464 km), it is the country’s second longest river—surpassed only by the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang)—and its drainage basin is the third largest in China, with an area of some 290,000 square miles (750,000 square km).

Question: What is the capital of Bangladesh?

Answer: Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, lies on the Buriganga River in the center of the country.

Question: Which country was formerly known as Ceylon?

Answer: Sri Lanka was formerly known as Ceylon. Ancient Greek geographers called the island Taprobane, whereas Arabs referred to it as Serendib. Later European mapmakers called it Ceylon, a name still used occasionally for trade purposes.

Question: Which mountain pass connects Kābul with Peshāwar?

Answer: The Khyber Pass is the most northerly and important of the passes between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It connects Kābul with Peshāwar.

Question: In what ocean does Indonesia lie?

Answer: The islands of Indonesia lie along the Equator between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

Question: What ancient university and Buddhist monastic center is located in Bihar, India?

Answer: Nalanda was an ancient university and Buddhist monastic center located in Bihar state, northeastern India. Nalanda’s traditional history dates to the time of the Buddha (6th–5th centuries BCE) and Mahavira, the founder of the Jaina religion. Nalanda flourished as a centre of learning under the Pala dynasty (8th–12th centuries), and it became a centre of religious sculpture in stone and bronze. Nalanda was probably sacked during Muslim raids in Bihar (c. 1200) and never recovered. In 2016 the ruins were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Question: Which of these rivers does not flow through Bangladesh?

Answer: The Yangtze flows through China. Many rivers flow through Bangladesh, including the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, and the Sangu.

Question: Which structure in China constituted one of the largest building-construction projects ever undertaken?

Answer: The Great Wall of China, an extensive bulwark erected in ancient China, was one of the largest building-construction projects ever undertaken. The most extensive and best-preserved version of the wall dates from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and runs for some 5,500 miles (8,850 km) east to west from Mount Hu near Dandong, southeastern Liaoning province, to Jiayu Pass west of Jiuquan, northwestern Gansu province. The Great Wall was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

Question: What body of water separates India from Sri Lanka?

Answer: The waterway separating Sri Lanka from India is called the Palk Strait.

Question: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was president of which of these Southeast Asian countries?

Answer: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was president of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010.

Question: Which Chinese actor's original name is Chan Kong-sang?

Answer: Jackie Chan, the Hong Kong-born Chinese stuntman, actor, and director, was originally called Chan Kong-sang. Chan's perilous acrobatic stunts and engaging physical humor made him an action-film star in Asia and helped to bring kung fu movies into the mainstream of American cinema.

Question: In which city were the first Asian Games held?

Answer: The Asian Games are regional games sponsored by the Olympic Council of Asia for men and women athletes from Asian countries affiliated with the International Olympic Committee. The first games were held in 1951 in New Delhi, India. Athletes from 11 nations participated in the inaugural games, which featured six sports (association football, athletics, basketball, cycling, swimming, and weight lifting).

Question: The ringgit is the currency of which Asian country?

Answer: The ringgit was established as the official monetary unit of Malaysia in 1946. The ringgit, also known as the Malaysian dollar, is divided into 100 sen.

Question: What is the principal river and most important commercial waterway of Myanmar?

Answer: The Irrawaddy River is the principal river of Myanmar (formerly Burma), running through the center of the country. Myanmar’s most important commercial waterway, it is about 1,350 miles (2,170 km) long. Its valley forms the historical, cultural, and economic heartland of Myanmar.

Question: Which volcano in Japan last erupted in 1707 but is still classified as active by geologists?

Answer: Mount Fuji, also called Fujiyama, is the highest mountain in Japan. It rises to 12,388 feet (3,776 meters) near the Pacific Ocean coast in Yamanashi and Shizuoka ken (prefectures) of central Honshu, about 60 miles (100 km) west of the Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area. Mount Fuji has been dormant since its last eruption in 1707 but is still generally classified as active by geologists.

Question: The art of folding objects out of paper to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional subjects is called:

Answer: Origami, also called paper folding, is the art of folding objects out of paper to create both two-dimensional and three-dimensional subjects.

Question: What is the lowest body of water on the surface of Earth?

Answer: The Dead Sea, a landlocked salt lake between Israel and Jordan in southwestern Asia, has the lowest elevation and is the lowest body of water on the surface of Earth. For several decades in the mid-20th century the standard value given for the surface level of the lake was some 1,300 feet (400 metres) below sea level. Beginning in the 1960s, however, Israel and Jordan began diverting much of the Jordan River’s flow and increased the use of the lake’s water itself for commercial purposes. The result of those activities was a precipitous drop in the Dead Sea’s water level. By the mid-2010s measurement of the lake level was more than 100 feet (some 30 metres) below the mid-20th-century figure—i.e., about 1,410 feet (430 metres) below sea level.