Country Profiles

Country profiles provide a quick guide to the history, politics and economic background of Asian and Asia-Pacific countries. To read, select a country below or from the left navigation menu.

Indonesia The Indonesian islands are home to the world's largest Muslim population. more	Iran Iran's location and energy resources make it a vital player in regional affairs. more
Japan The island nation Japan has the world's second biggest economy. more	Kazakhstan Kazakhstan is the richest and stablest of the Central Asian nation states. more
Kiribati Kiribati, formally known as the Gilbert Islands, is comprised of 33 atolls. more	Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan is a mountainous nation home to many ethnic groups. more
Laos One of few communist states remaining, Laos is a poor East Asian nation. more	Malaysia One of Asia's most vibrant economies, Malaysia consists of two regions. more
Maldives The Maldives consists of about 1,200 mostly uninhabited islands. more	Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands are made up of two coral atoll chains and many islets. more
Mongolia Once a communist state, Mongolia has since made political reforms. more	Myanmar Myanmar is ruled by an all-powerful military junta that quashes dissent. more
Nauru The world's smallest republic, Nauru faces financial problems. more	Nepal One of the poorest nations, Nepal struggled with insurgency for a decade. more
New Caledonia Tensions between New Caledonian natives and the French led to violence. more	New Zealand A wealthy Pacific nation, New Zealand is actively involved in the region. more