List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Asia

This is a list of sovereign states and dependent territories in Asia. It includes both fully recognized states, states with limited recognition, and dependent territories of both Asian and non-Asian states. It lists 48 sovereign states and 6 dependent territories and other territories. Part of Russia is in Asia, but Russia is technically in Europe since its capital, Moscow, is there.

Geographical boundaries of Asia

The divisions between Asia and Europe occur at the Ural Mountains, Ural River and Caspian Sea in the east, the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea with its outlets, Bosporus and Dardanelles in the south. Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkey all have territory in both Asia and Europe. Armenia and Cyprus are entirely in Western Asia but are sociopolitically European countries.

The division between Asia and Africa is usually considered to be the Suez Canal, placing the Sinai peninsula in Asia, and therefore Egypt may be included as an Asian state.

National flag

A national flag is a flag that symbolises a country. The flag is flown by the government, but usually can also be flown by citizens of the country.

Both public and private buildings such as schools and courthouses may fly the national flag. In some countries, the national flags are only flown from non-military buildings on certain flag days.

History

Historically, flags originate as military standards, used as field signs. The practice of flying flags indicating the country of origin outside of the context of warfare emerges with the maritime flag, introduced during the age of sail, in the early 17th century. The origins of the Union Jack flag date back to 1603, when James VI of Scotland inherited the English and Irish thrones (as James I), thereby uniting the crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland in a personal union (which remained separate states). On 12 April 1606, a new flag to represent this regal union between England and Scotland was specified in a royal decree, according to which the flag of England (a red cross on a white background, known as St George's Cross), and the flag of Scotland (a white saltire on a blue background, known as the Saltire or St Andrew's Cross), would be joined together, forming the flag of Great Britain and first Union Flag.

Asia

Asia (ⁱ/ˈeɪʒə/ or /ˈeɪʃə/) is the Earth's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. Asia covers an area of 44,579,000 square kilometers, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area. It has historically been home to the world's first modern civilizations and has always hosted the bulk of the planet's human population. Asia is notable for not only overall large size and population, but unusually dense and large settlements as well as vast barely populated regions within the continent of 4.4 billion people. The boundaries of Asia are traditionally determined as that of Eurasia, as there is no significant geographical separation between Asia and Europe. The most commonly accepted boundaries place Asia to the east of the Suez Canal, the Ural River, and the Ural Mountains, and south of the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian and Black Seas. It is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean and on the north by the Arctic Ocean.

Music Inc.

Music Inc. is an album by American jazz trumpeter Charles Tolliver's Music Inc. with a Big Band recorded in 1970 and first released on the Strata-East label.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Jason Ankeny awarded the album 4½ stars stating "The remarkable Music, Inc. Big Band remains the apotheosis of trumpeter Charles Tolliver's singular creative vision. Rarely if ever has a big band exhibited so much freedom or finesse, while at the same time never overwhelming the virtuoso soloists on whom the performances pivots".

Track listing

All compositions by Charles Tolliver except as indicated

Personnel