Common Alternative Classification

In many geopolitical, academic, and business analyses, Asia is divided into five major regions, with the Pacific considered separately:

A) East Asia

China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Mongolia

B) South Asia

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan

C) Southeast Asia

Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, Timor-Leste

D) Central Asia

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, plus sometimes Afghanistan

E) The Pacific

Australia, New Zealand, and the island nations of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia