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ASIA and MIDDLE EAST
Mini World Atlas

Includes surrounding Pacific and Indian Oceans. Use Edit >> Find, or scroll down,  to locate a country of your choice. Previous names for the country are shown in brackets. Alternate spelling for the country name are given if different than the English name. Where a different alphabet is used, a phometic transliteration is given, unless the name sounds the same as in English. "Intl Oval" = Oval sign or sticker used to designate vehicle origin, eg: or . Click on country location map for more detailed map.

To find more info about a country, use your favorite search engine with the country name followed by wiki or cia, for example: Canada wiki or Canada cia.

ABU DHABI     أبو ظبي‎   Abū Ẓabī

Abu Dhabi is an emirate and the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

          Colony

      Prptectorate		 ADEN      See also YEMEN
1914 - 1937 Aden (Bombay Presidency)
1937 - 1962 Aden Colony (British),
                  Aden Protectorate (sheikdoms)
1963 - 1967 South Arabian Federation
1967 - 1990 South Yemen
1990  Merged with North Yemen to form Yemen
AFGHANISTAN     افغانستان,   Afġānistā
Location Central Asia
Capital Kabul
Religion Islam (80% Sunni and 20% Shia)
Languages Dari, Pushtu
History British occupation ended 1919. Russian occupation 1979 - 1989. US+NATO occupation 2001 - 2015.
Intl Oval AFG
AJMAN      عجمان‎   Aǧmān

Ajman is an emirate of the United Arab Emirates.
ARMENIA    Hayastani Hanrapetut’yun
Location Caucasus
Capital Yerevan
Religion Christianity (93% Orthodox, 7% Other)
Language Armenian
History Armenia seceded from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Intl Oval ARM
AZERBAIJAN    Azərbaycan
Location Caucasus
Capital Baki (Baku)
Religion Islam (85% Shia, 15% Sunni)
Language Azerbaijani, Russian
History Azerbaijan seceded from the Soviet Union in 1991. .
Intl Oval AZ
BAHRAIN     ‏البحرين‎    al-Baḥrayn
Location Arabia
Capital al-Manamah [Manama]
Religion Islam (70% Shia and 30% Sunni)
Language Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu.
History British occupation ended 1971
Intl Oval BRN
BANGLADESH        বাংলাদেশ
(East Bengal, East Pakistan)
Location South Asia
Capital Dhaka (Dacca)
Religions 85% Islam (Sunni), 15% Hinduism
Languages Bengali, English
History Part of India until 1947. Joined Pakistan in 1947 as East Bengal province.,renamed East Pakistan seceded from Pakistan in 1971
Intl Oval BD
BHUTAN    འབྲུག་ཡུལ   Dru Ü,
Location South Asia
Capital Thimphu
Religions Buddhism, Hinduism
Languages Dzonghka, Tibetan, Nepalese.
History Indian occupation ended 1971
Intl Oval BHT
BRUNEI  نڬارا بروني دارالسلام    نڬارا بروني دارالسلام‎
Negara Brunei Darussalam  نڬارا برون
Location South Asia
Capital Bandar Seri Begawan
Religions Islam (Sunni), Buddhism,
Language Malay, English, Chinese.
History British occupation ended 1984
Intl Oval BRU
CAMBODIA       ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា
Preăh Réachéanachâk Kâmpŭchéa
(Kymer Republic)
Location South East Asia
Capital Phnom Penh
Religion Buddhism
Language Khmer
History French occupation ended 1954. US incursions 1964 - 1973. Vietnamese occupation 1979 - 1991.
Intl Oval K
CHINA      中国      中國      Zhōngguó
People's Republic of China  (PRC)
Location East Asia  
Capital Beijing
Religions Buddhism, folk beliefs
Language Chinese (Mandarin)
History Partial occupation by Japan 1937 - 1945. Taiwan seceded in 1949. Hong Kong reverted from British rule 1997, Macau from Portuguese rule 1999. Tibet occupied by China in 1950.
Intl Oval PRC
DUBAI      دبي‎        Dubayy

Dubai is an emirate of the United Arab Emirates.
FUJEIRAH       الفجيرة‎      Al Fuǧaira

Fujeirah is an emirate of the United Arab Emirates.
HONG KONG    香港 

Hong Kong reverted to China from British rule in 1997, Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945.
INDIA     Bhārat Gaṇarājya
Location South Asia
Capital New Delhi
Religions 80% Hinduism, 14% Islam (Sunni)
Languages Hindi, English, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Sanskrit.
History British occupation ended 1947. Partitioned into India, Pakistan and East Bengal (East Pakistan) in 1947.  Kashmir is disputed between India, Pakistan, China. Sikkin annexed in 1975, Portuguese Goa in 1961.
Intl Oval IND
INDONESIA       Republik Indonesia
 (Java, Netherlands India, Dutch East Indies
Location South East Asia
Capital Jakarta    
Religion 87% Islam (Sunni), 10% Christian
Language Bahasa Indonesia, Javanese.
History Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945. Dutch occupation ended 1949.
Intl Oval RI
IRAN     ایران     al-Irān‎                     (Persia)  
Location Central Asia
Capital Tehran  (Teheran)
Religion Islam (95% Shia, 5% Sunni)
Languages Farsi, Turkic languages, Kurdish
History Persia was renamed Iran in 1935
Intl Oval IR
IRAQ        لعراق‎             al-‘Irāq          Êraq
Location Central Asia
Capital Baghdad
Religion Islam (65% Shia, 35% Ssunni)
Language Arabic, Kurdish
History British occupation ended 1932. Kurdistan became self-governing region 1992. US + NATO occupation 2003 - 2011. Partial ISIL occupation 2011 - present.
Intl Oval IRQ
ISRAEL    מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל‎   Yisrā'el   دولة إِسرائيل‎
(Palestine)
Location West Asia  
Capital Yerushalayim  (Jerusalem)
Religions 80% Judaism, 16% Islam (Sunni)
Language Hebrew, Arabic
History British occupation ended 1948 with partition into Israel and Palestine. West Bank (part of Jordan), Gaza (part of Egypt), Golan Heights (part of Syria) occupied by Israel 1967.
Intl Oval IL
JAPAN        日本     Nippon or Nihon
Location East Asia
Capital Tokyo
Religion Shintoism, Buddhism
Language Japanese
History US occupation 1945 - 1952
Intl Oval J
JORDAN    الأردن‎   al-Urdun   (Transjordan) 
Location Asia
Capital Amman
Religion Islam (sunni)
Language Arabic
History British occupation ended 1946. Name changed 1949.
Intl Oval JOR
KAZAKHSTAN     Қазақстан    Qazaqstan,
Казахстан   Kəzɐxˈstan
Location Central Asia
Capital Astana
Religions 26% Christianity, 70% Islam (Sunni)
Languages Kazakh, Russian
History Russian occupation ended 1991.
Intl Oval KZ
KUWAIT      دولة الكويت‎)
Location Arabia
Capital al-Kuwait
Religion Islam (65% Sunni, 35% Shia)
Language Arabic
History British occupation ended 1961. Iraq occupation 1990 - 1991.
Intl Oval KWT
KYRGYZSTAN   Кыргызстан  Kyrgyzstan Киргизия or Кыргызстан),
Location Central Asia
Capital Bishkek
Religions 80% Islam (Sunni), 17% Christianity
Languages Kyrgyz, Russian
History Russian occupation ended 1991
Intl Oval KS
LAOS      ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ
Location East Asia
Capital Vientiane
Religions 67% Buddhism, 30% local religions
Language Laotian
History French occupation ended 1954
Intl Oval LAO
LEBANON      لبنان‎      Libnān or Lubnān      לבנאנ;  Liban
Location West Asia
Capital Beirut
Religions 54% Islam (50:50 Sunni-Shia), 40% Christianity
Language Arabic
History French occupation ended 1943
Intl Oval RL
MACAU or MACAO       澳門         澳门   
(Portuguese Macao)

Portuguese occupation ended 1999, reverted to China. Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945.
MALAYA  Persekutuan Tanah Melayu
 ڤرسكوتوان تانه ملايو)
British controlled federation of 9 Malay states and two of the British Straits Settlements (Penang and Malacca), 1948 - 1963. British control ended 1957. Renamed as Malaysia 1963. See below.

 
MALAYSIA                (Malaya+Sabah+Sarawak)
Location South East Asia
Capital Kuala Lumpur
Religions 60 % Islam, 20% Buddhist, 10% Christian
Languages Malay, Chinese
History Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945. British occupation ended 1957. Malaya merged with British North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak, Singapore into Malaysia in 1963. Singapore seceded from Malaysia in 1965.
Intl Oval MAL
MONGOLIA     ᠮᠤᠩᠭᠤᠯ ᠤᠯᠤᠰ   Monggol Ulus
Монгол Улс
Location Central Asia
Capital Ulaan Bataar
Religion Buddhism, shamanism
Language Mongolian
History Mongolia seceded from China in 1923
Intl Oval MGL

     Old ^   New v
 		MYANMAR      Myăma    (Burma, Burmah)
Location South East Asia
Capital Yangon (Rangoon)
Religion Buddhism, (Islam suppressed)
Language Burmese
History British occupation 1824 - 1948. Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945.
Intl Oval MYA
NEPAL       नेपाल       Neˈpal
Location South Asia
Capital Kathmandu
Religions Hinduism, Buddhism
Languages Nepalese, Maithili, Bhojpuri
History Kingdom from 1779, now a Republic
Intl Oval NEP
NORTH BORNEO   (British North Borneo, Sabah)

Bristish colony 1882. Japanese occupatopn 1942 - 1945. British control ended 1963. Joined Malaysia 1963.

 
NORTH KOREA  조선민주주의인민공화국
 Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk
Location East Asia
Capital Pyongyang
Religions Buddhism, officially non-religious
Language Korean
History Japanese occupation 1910 - 1945. Split into North Korea and South Korea 1948. US intervention 1950 - 1953+
Intl Oval none
NORTH YEMEN

 Turkish occupation ended 1918. Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen 1918–1962. Yemen Arab Republic 1962–1990. Merged in 1990 with South Yemen to become unified Yemen. Civil war still in progress.
OKINAWA     沖縄本島     Okinawa-hontō
Ryukyu Islands    Senkaku Islands

Okinawa Prefecture is Japan's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1,000 km long, extending southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. The disputed Senkaku Islands are also administered as part of Okinawa Prefecture.
OMAN        عمان‎         ʻUmān
Location Arabia
Capital Muscat
Religion Islam (75% Ibadi)
Language Arabic
History Muskat and Oman became an independent state in 1744
Intl Oval OM
PAKISTAN     پاكستان‎       Pākistān
(British India)
Location Central Asia
Capital Islamabad
Religion Islam (80% Sunni, 20% Shia)
Languages Punjan, Urdu, Pushtu, Sindh
History British occupation ended 1947. Created by partition of India 1947.  East Pakistan seceded from Pakistan in 1971 and became Bangladesh.
Intl Oval PK
KASHMIR   کٔشِیر   कॅशीर   कश्मीर   کشمیر‎  کشمیر  

 Kashmir is disputed between India, Pakistan, China. Sikkin annexed in 1975,


 

 PALESTINE     فلسطين‎   Filasṭīn or Falasṭīn  Παλαιστίνη     פלשתינה            See also Israel
Location West Asia      Click map for detail view
Capital Ramallah
Religions Islam (Sunni)
Language Arabic
History British occupation ended 1948 with partition into Israel and Palestine. Israeli occupation 1962 - present. Palestinian National Authority established 1994 controls West Bank and Gaza.
Intl Oval IL
PARACEL ISLANDS     Xisha Islands
Hoang Sa Archipelago

The Paracel Islands are a group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea administered by the People's Republic of China but also claimed by Vietnam
PORTUGUESE GOA    Portuguese India
Estado Português da Índia

Portuguese Goa was annexed in the 15th century by Portuguese merchants. It was annexed by India in 1961, but was not recognized by Portugal until 1973.
PHILIPPINES         Pilipinas
Location East Asia
Capital Manila
Religion 85% Christianity, 11% Islam (Sunni)
Languages Philipino, Tagalog, Cebuano. English
History Spanish occupation ended 1898. US occupation 1898 - 1941. Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945. US occupation ended 1946
Intl Oval RP
QATAR     قطر‎         Qatar
Location Arabia
Capital Doha
Religion Islam (90% Sunni, 10% Shia)
Language Arabic
History British occupation 1916 - 1971
Intl Oval Q
RAS-AL-KHAIMAH    رأس الخيمة‎
Rā's al-Ḫaymah

Ras al Khaimah is an emirate of the United Arab Emirates.
RUSSIA      Россия     Rossiya
Russian Federation    (Soviet Union)
Location Eastern Europe and North Asia (Siberia)    
Capital Moskva  (Moscow)
Religion 70% Christianity, 30% Islam (Sunni)
Language Russian. Many others
History Russia was formed in 1521, became the main constituent part of the Soviet Union 1922, which broke up 1991.
  Russian Federation includes the following autonomous republics:
Adygeya, Altai, Bashkortostan, Burjatia, Chakasia, Chechnia, Chuvasia, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Kalmukia, Karacha-Cherkesia, Karelia, Komi, Mari El, Mordovia, North-Ossetia, Sacha (Jakutia), Tatarstan, Tuva and Udmurtia. Chechnia and Tatarstan did not sign the federation treaty. Tatarstan (Tatar Republic) declared independence 1994.
Intl Oval RUS
SARAWAK

Autonymous to 1941. Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945. British control 1946 - 1963. Joined Malaysia 1963.

 
SAUDI ARABIA    المملكة العربية السعودية 
al-Arabiyah as-Sa'ūdiyah
(Nedjed,  Nedjed and Asir,  Hedshas)
Location Arabia
Capital Riyadh
Religion Islam (80% Sunnu, 20% Shia)
Language Arabic
History British influence 1916 - 1927. Annexed Nedjed and Asir as Hedshas-Nedjed 1927. Renamed Saudi Arabia 1932.
Intl Oval KSA
SINGAPORE    新加坡共和国 
சிங்கப்பூர் குடியரசு 
Location South East Asia
Capital Singapore
Religions 33% Buddhism, 18% Christianity,
15% Islam
Languages Chinese, Malay, English
History Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945. British occupation ended 1963. Joined Malaysia 1963, seceded 1965.
Intl Oval SGP
SHARJAH      الشارقة‎      aš-Šāriqah

Sharjah is an emirate of the United Arab
Emirates.
SOUTH KOREA      대한민국    大韓民國
Daehan Minguk    Republic of Great Han
Location East Asia
Capital Seoul
Religions 30% Christianity, 22% Buddhism
Language Korean
History Japanese occupation 1910 - 1945, split into North Korea and South Korea 1948. US intervention 1950 - 1953+.
Intl Oval ROC
SOUTH YEMEN                               (Aden)

 1914 - 1937 Aden (Bombay Presidency)
1937 - 1962 Aden Colony (British),
                  Aden Protectorate (sheikdoms)
1963 - 1967 South Arabian Federation
1967 - 1990 South Yemen 1990  Merged with North Yemen to form Yemen
 
SOVIET UNION    (USSR, CCCP)            See RUSSIA
 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик
Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik
In 1991, the Soviet Union (USSR.) split into the following now independent countries: +Armenia, *Azerbaijan, +Belarus, +Estonia, +Georgia, *Kazakhstan, *Kyrgystan, +Latvia, +Lithuania, +Moldova, +*Russia, *Tajikistan, *Turkmenistan, +Ukraine, *Uzbekistan.
      * = Asia (This Page),  + = Europe
International Oval: SU
SPRATLY ISLANDS

The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 100 reefs and islands in the South China Sea between the Philippines and Vietnam. Various claims by all surrounding nations.
 
SRI LANKA    සමාජවාදී ජනරජය 
சோசலிசக் குடியர         (Ceylon)
Location South Asia
Capital Colombo
Religions 70% Buddhism, 13% Hinduism
Languages Sinhala, Tamil
History British occupation ended 1948, renamed 1972. Separatist Tamil state not recognized, now reunified.
Intl Oval CL
SYRIA   سوريا‎ or سورية,  Sūriyā or Sūrīyah
Location West Asia
Capital Damascus
 Religion Islam (60% Sunni, 13% Shia)
Language Arabic
History French occupation ended 1941. 
Partial ISIL occupation 2011 - present.
Intl Oval SYR
TAIWAN     中華民國  Zhōnghuá Mínguó
Republic of China (ROC)
Location East Asia
Capital Taipeh
Religions 35% Buddhism, 33% Daoism
Language Chinese
History De-facto independence from China (PRC) 1949. Claimed by China.
Intl Oval RC
TAJIKISTAN     Тоҷикистон  Таджикистан
Location Central Asia
Capital Dushanbe
Religions Islam (95% Sunni, 5% Shia), Christianity
Languages Tadzhik, Russian
History Russian occupation ended 1991
Intl Oval TJ
THAILAND     ประเทศไทย     Prathet Thai
(Siam)
Location South East Asia
Capital Bangkok
Religion Buddhism
Language Thai
History Renamed to Thailand 1939.
Intl Oval T
TIBET      藏区    藏區     Zàngqū
Location Central Asia
Capital Lhasa
Religion Buddhism
Languages Tibetan, Chinese
History Chinese occupation 1950 - present.
Intl Oval none

      Portuguese
 		TIMOR LESTE
(East Timor,  Portuguese Timor)
Location South East Asia
Capital Dili
Religion Christianity
Languages Tetum, Portuguese
History Portuguese occupation ended 1976, Indonesian occupation ended 1999, independent as Timor Leste 2002.
Intl Oval TL
TURKEY           Türkiye     (Ottoman Empire)
Location Europe (Thrace) and Asia Minor (Anatolia)
Capital Ankara
Religion Islam (95%Sunni, 5% Shia)
Language Turkish, Kurdish.
History Independent since 1327.
Intl Oval TR
TURKMENISTAN     Туркмения    Turkmeniya
Location Central Asia
Capital Ashgabat
Religion Islam (Sunni)
Language Turkmenian
History Russian occupation ended 1991
Intl Oval TM
Umm al-Quwain          أمّ القيوين‎ 

Umm al Qaiwain is an emirate of the United Arab Emirates.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES    (UAE)
  الإمارات العربية المتحدة     (Trucial Oman)
 al-Imārāt al-‘Arabīyah al-Muttaḥhidah
Location Arabia
Capital Abu Dhabi
Religion Islam (85% Sunni, 15% Shia)
Language Arabic
History Federation of absolute monarchies: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujeirah, Ras al Khaimah, Sharjahi, Umm al Qaiwain.
Intl Oval UAE
UZBEKISTAN        Oʻzbekiston
Location Central Asia
Capital Tashkent
Religions Islam (15% Sunni, 1% Shia, 84% non-denominational), Christianity
Languages Uzbek, Russian
History Russian occupation ended 1991
Intl Oval UZ
VIETNAM        Việt Nam
Location South East Asia
Capital Hanoi
Religions 15% Buddhism, 45% indiginous
Language Vietnamese
History French occupation ended 1945, US intervention 1963 - 1976. Partitioned into North and South Vietnam 1961, reunited 1976.
Intl Oval VN
YEMEN      اليَمَن‎    al-Yaman
 (North Yemen + South Yeman)
Location Arabia
Capital Sana'a
Religion Islam (60% Sunni, 40% Shia)
Language Arabic
History Turkish occupation ended 1918, British ended 1967. North and South Yemen became unified Yemen 1990. Civil war 2008 - present and Saudi intervention 2014 - present.
Intl Oval YE
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)
 لدولة الإسلامية في العراق والشام 
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS)

This is not a country but an extremist Sunni Muslim group that controls territory in Iraq and Syria and also has terrorist-style operations in eastern Libya, Sinai Peninsula, and other areas of the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. As a Caliphate, it claims religious, political, and military authority over all
Muslims worldwide. Not accepted by most Muslims.