About This Quiz
Asia is perhaps one of the most eclectic continents in the world, primarily because of the historical development of the region throughout the centuries.
Since the continent technically covers many subregions, there are varied cultures that thrived and evolved in these different areas. Of course, all countries -- even before they officially became countries -- had many indigenous people living in them, and many of them were able to adapt and adopt to the changing times and eras. Some were also able to assimilate nuances of other cultures, especially those that made them colonies. In fact, this is one distinct factor of Asia: the unmistakable "East meets West" character, borne out of centuries of colonization by different European countries. As soon as these countries declared independence, the growth and development of these subregions led to more developments that affected their cultures.
So this is the Asia we get now: a region that highly values their traditions and old cultural practices, preserving old ways while adapting to modernization that also enhances their way of life.
So, you think you can identify these places of interest in Asia? Go ahead and explore!
Asia is technically subdivided into five distinct regions: South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Western Asia, and East Asia. The countries that make up East Asia are China, Hong Kong, Macao, Tibet, Japan, North and South Korea, Mongolia, and Taiwan, and Afghanistan belongs somewhere in South Asia.
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Riyadh is the capital city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, one of the oldest monarchies in the world -- and also one of the richest. While they may have a kind of high end economic culture, human rights advocates criticize the country for lagging behind in its recognition of basic human rights, such as giving more equal rights for women.
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Hanoi, in Vietnam, has come a long way in its development since being affected heavily during the Vietnam War of the '60s-'70s. Tourists now flock different places of interest there, such as the famed Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where their former leader is entombed, the majestic Opera House, the cute Lenin Park, the Hanoi Botanical Garden, and the very interesting Vietnamese Women's Museum.
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People can backpack their way to the Taj Mahal by landing in New Delhi first, the capital of India, then head on over to the city of Agra where the majestic structure is located. But you can also visit other places of interest in this very intriguing country, such as the Ganges River, the City Palace in Jaipur, the UNESCO Heritage Site of the Ajanta Caves, and Bandipur National Park, to name a few.
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If mountain sightseeing is not your thing, then you can forego the visit to Mount Fuji and head on over to other places of interest in the country of Japan. Animation lovers can spend a day touring the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, go bar-hopping and clubbing in Roponggi, or shop 'til you drop at Shibuya where you can cross that famous scramble-type intersection of pedestrian lanes there.
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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, shortened as ASEAN, is a formal organization that is comprised of all Southeast Asian nations, which aims to guide the cultural and economic development of their subregion. The countries that belong to this association are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, so Bahrain is not one of them.
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Pyongyang is considered as North Korea's largest city, and it is also their capital city. The city touches upon the infamous DMZ or the demilitarized zone which serves as a border between the two Koreas.
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The ancient name of Iran is Persia, and it holds a very long record of history since Persia is considered to be the central location of one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Alexander the Great actually conquered these lands before, but rebellions changed this historical course, and other empires took over eventually.
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The Southeast Asian archipelago called the Philippines has 7,100+ islands, so it's only natural that many of those islands would have pristine clear-water and white sand beaches. Boracay is just one of the most popular beach areas in the country, but there are several more that's worth visiting, too, such as the beaches of Palawan.
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Russia, formally known as the Russian Federation, is actually situated in Northern Asia and Eastern Europe as well. It is technically the largest nation in the entire globe, due to its massive land size.
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Thailand is also home to many wonderful beaches, and this is where Leonardo DiCaprio actually shot the film The Beach. The country was formerly known as Siam, and it is still a kingdom up to now.
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Hong Kong Disneyland is one of the top destinations of families when they want to experience the Disneyland theme park magic in Asia. There are many Hong Kong-bound travel packages that offer a good discounted bundle of airfare, hotel accommodations, and entrance fees to Disneyland, so watch out for these in travel expos.
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Iraq is actually part of the wide historical region called Mesopotamia. This is said to be the "cradle of civilization" since, historically speaking, this area is where the oldest civilization arose. Iraq was the home of many great ancient empires, such as the Sumerian Empire, the Assyrian Empire, and the Babylonian Empire.
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The capital of Qatar is Doha, site of the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference back in 2001, where the Doha Development Round happened. This Doha Round was a trade-related WTO agenda discussed by nations, and a result of this world meeting was the Doha Declaration, which discussed patent rights for public health medicines and other trade-related aspects of intellectual property .
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The famed Petra, found in the country of Jordan, was already featured in several documentaries before, but its impact may have been extended when Hollywood blockbuster films featured them in their storylines. Two notable films that shot there were "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."
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People may know more about Singapore now, thanks to the popularity of the novel-turned-film called "Crazy Rich Asians," but they only presented one side of Singapore in that novel-film. Singapore is very diverse in nature, and it not only holds Chinese-descended people, but also Indian and Malay as well.
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Bali, Indonesia is known for its contemplative nature as well as its partying side. So visiting this place could give very different viewpoints of life, and it's best to set an itinerary and research ahead, so you will know what kind of trip you want your Bali visit to be.
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China has so many tourist spots that it's awfully hard to see many of them in a given timeframe of travel. It's best to come back several times to see what the country has to offer. Each big city also has its own vibe, so it's nice to experience them one at a time. Shanghai is very different from Beijing, so you can have a great time comparing and contrasting the cities of China.
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If you are a fan of the bubble tea, then it's best to head to the country where it was invented: Taiwan. In the capital of Taipei, they call this boba milk tea or pearl milk tea, and it's best to drink it up as you take a walking tour of the city.
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Kabul, Afghanistan is actually a beautiful and historically rich city, before modern-day war devastation hit the city and the country in general. While the bad news of terrorism tends to keep people away, there are still some tourists who visit the city; they just need to be smart about selecting the paths they need to take to visit the beautiful places there.
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The old Khmer Empire was the one responsible for the creation of the huge temple complex they call Angkor Wat, said to have been a Hindu temple to honor Vishnu. However, the empire also changed, and Buddhism took over, so the temple was also transformed to accommodate the newer faith.
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The Burj Khalifa is a very tall skyscraper seen on the skyline of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Tom Cruise and his "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" cast members partly shot that movie there, the one where he was hanging out the window and scaling it to go to the other floor.
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The Turkish city of Istanbul was once known as Constantinople in ancient times. The city's strategic location gave it an important part in the ancient trade routes network called the Silk Road.
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Technically speaking, the Gangnam District is but one of the several districts that comprise the South Korean capital city of Seoul. The district is a happening hub for media and entertainment, as well as a place of affluence and luxury. It is similar to the kind of high social stature that Beverly Hills has in California, as evident in the high-end shopping districts and brands that shoppers can find here.
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Since the USSR dissolved, many people in the world had never heard so much about Kazakhstan, let alone its capital city of Astana, until Sacha Baron Cohen made a stand-up comic character hailing from this country. His 2006 film "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" earned accolades and criticisms as well, but it highlighted the nation in global pop culture for a while there.
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Mongolia is actually a very cold country but it is also very picturesque, and nature lovers would appreciate the various natural attractions they have. History buffs would also appreciate tracing the various influences of the Mongol Empire leaders Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan there.
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The former Portuguese colony of Macau is now under China, and it is known for gambling today. It even earned the nickname "The Las Vegas of Asia," since many gamblers really come here to play.
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Kuala Lumpur is where you will see the famed Petronas Twin Towers, but that's not the only attraction you can enjoy here. Shopaholics better go straight to KL's Bukit Bintang district, where you can find international and local brands for sale.
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Nepal is generally a generous country, especially since they know that their capital city of Kathmandu is flocked by tourists who want to visit and trek the Himalayas, particularly Mount Everest. The country offers tourists a visa-on-arrival deal, where you pay a fixed price for a temporary tourist visa, the amount of which will be determined by the length of your stay (e.g. 15 days for 25 USD, 30 days for 40 USD, etc.).
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Since the military government took over in 1989, the country of Burma became known as Myanmar. Its former capital of Rangoon was also renamed into Yangon, and its capital now is Naypyidaw.
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Did you know that a good chunk of the tea sold worldwide comes from Sri Lanka, the country formerly known as Ceylon? Thus, if you see "Ceylon Tea," you know where that came from, since the country ranks as the fourth country in the world that produces the largest amount of tea, and they're also the number two major exporter of tea worldwide.
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Muscat is the capital city of Oman, which is a sultanate. They also count as the 25th largest producer of petroleum in the world, which says a lot about their economic standing and importance in the region.
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The country is usually known as Laos, but Lao people prefer that the country be called Lao PDR, short for Lao People's Democratic Republic. The country touches upon the famed Mekong River, so it belongs to the Greater Mekong Subregion as well.
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Make sure you pack a lot of liquids when backpacking through Pakistan, because it could get quite hot there. This country is bordered by India, so you may want to cross borders and explore there as well.
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Maldives is somewhere in the Indian Ocean, which means that it's near other South Asian countries like India. But it's a bit closer to Sri Lanka, since that country is at the southernmost tip of the subcontinent of India.
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