Asia-Pacific


Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific, is the part of the world in or near the western Pacific Ocean. Asia-Pacific varies in area depending on context, but it generally includes East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania.
The term may also include parts of Russia and countries in the Americas which are on the coast of the eastern Pacific Ocean. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, for example, includes Canada, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Russia and the United States. Alternatively, the term sometimes comprises all of Asia and Australasia as well as the Pacific island nations — for example, when dividing the world into three large regions for commercial purposes: the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Asia-Pacific. Western Asia is almost never included.
On the whole, there is no clear-cut definition of "Asia-Pacific", and the regions included change depending on the context. The term has become popular since the late 1980s in commerce, finance and politics. Despite the heterogeneity of the regions' economies, most individual nations within the zone are emerging markets experiencing rapid growth and burgeoning economic prosperity.

Component areas

The Asia-Pacific region generally includes:

[Asia]

[East Asia]

[Australasia]