Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn, -stɑːn/ Afganistán (noun/adjective Afghan /ˈæfgæn/ afgano,-na): Afghanistan is the world’s largest producer of opium.

Armenia /ɑːˈmiːniə/ Armenia (noun/adjective Armenian armenio,-nia): Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its state religion.

Azerbaijan /ˌæzəbaɪˈʤɑːn/ Azerbaiyán (noun/adjective Azerbaijani azerbaiyano,-na): The historic Silk Road, the ancient trading route that connected China with Europe and the Middle East, ran through Azerbaijan.

Bangladesh /ˌbæŋgləˈdeʃ/ Bangladesh (noun/adjective Bangladeshi bangladesí): The capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, is known as “The City of Mosques”, as there are numerous gorgeous mosques in the town.

Bhutan /buːˈtɑːn, -ˈtæn/ Bután (noun/adjective Bhutanese /ˌbuːtəˈniːz/ butanés,-nesa): Bhutan is the only nation in the world where the sale of tobacco is banned.

Cambodia /ˌkæmˈbəʊdiə/ Camboya (noun/adjective Cambodian camboyano,-na): The flag of Cambodia is the only one in the world with a building on it. ^ Funerals are of great importance in Cambodian culture.

China China (noun/adjective Chinese chino,-na) [idiom not for all the tea in China por nada del mundo]: In China, every year is represented by one of 12 animals. ^ Mandarin, a Chinese dialect, is spoken by two-thirds of the population.

Georgia /ˈʤɔːʤə/ Georgia (noun/adjective Georgian georgiano,-na): Georgia is one of the most ecologically diverse countries on the planet. ^ Joseph Stalin was born in Georgia, at the time part of the Russian Empire.

India India (noun/adjective Indian indio,-dia): Cows are considered sacred in India. ^ The Taj Mahal is India’s most famous and widely recognized building.

Iraq Irak (noun/adjective Iraqi iraquí): Iraq has two major rivers: the Tigris and the Euphrates. ^ Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, was the largest multicultural city of the Middle Ages.

Israel /ˈɪzreɪəl, -riəl/ Israel (noun/adjective Israeli /ɪzˈreɪli/ israelí): Israel was founded in 1948. ^ Israeli banknotes have braille writing on them so the blind can accurately identify them.

Jordan Jordania (noun/adjective Jordanian jordano,-na): Jordan is part of the Holy Land. ^ The ancient city of Petra is located in Jordan.

Kazakhstan /ˌkæzækˈstɑːn, ˌkɑːzækˈstɑːn/ Kazajistán, Kazajstán (noun/adjective Kazakh /ˈkæzæk/ kazajo,-ja): The border between Russia and Kazakhstan is the longest continuous land border in the world (7,512 km) ^ Horses were first domesticated on the territory of the present Kazakhstan.

Kurdistan /ˌkɜːdɪˈstɑːn, -ˈstæn/ Kurdistán (noun/adjective Kurdish /ˈkɜːdɪʃ/ noun Kurd kurdo,-da): Kurdistan means “Land of the Kurds”. ^ Kurdish identity includes many religions.

Kuwait /kuːˈweɪt, kjuː-/ Kuwait (noun/adjective Kuwaiti /kuːˈweɪti/ kuwaití): Kuwait holds 8% of the world’s oil reserves. ^ In 1990, Kuwait was invaded by one of its neighbouring countries, Iraq.

Kyrgyzstan /ˌkɜːgɪˈstɑːn/ Kirguistán (noun/adjective Kyrgyz /ˈkɜːgɪz/ [also Kirghiz] habitante de Kirguistán): The country of Kyrgyzstan is sparsely populated. ^ Handshaking among men is a very important part of Kyrgyz culture.

Laos /ˈleɪɒs, laʊs/ Laos (noun/adjective Laotian /leɪˈəʊʃən, ˈlaʊʃən/ laosiano,-na): The lush jungles of Laos are home to a stunning abundance of wildlife. ^ During the Vietnam War, the US dropped more than two million tons of bombs across Laos.

Lebanon Líbano (noun/adjective Lebanese libanés,-nesa): Lebanon has one of the highest rates of public holidays in the world. ^ It’s estimated that a third of the Lebanese population speaks French – a legacy of France’s colonial rule.

Malaysia /məˈleɪziə, məˈleɪʒə/ Malasia (noun/adjective Malaysian malasio,-sia): Malaysia is home to one of the world’s largest populations of king cobras. ^ Malaysian law permits caning as a form of punishment.

Maldives (also the Maldives) /ˈmɔːl.diːvz, -dɪvz, -daɪvz/ (Las) Maldivas (noun/adjective Maldivian habitante de Maldivas): Maldives is the flattest country in the world, with an average altitude of 1.8 metres above sea level. ^ Maldives adopted Islam in 1153 AD, which now is the official religion of the country.

Mongolia /mɒŋˈgəʊliə/ Mongolia (noun/adjective Mongolian mongol,-la): Genghis Khan is considered the founding father of Mongolia. He established the largest empire in the world, exceeded only by the British Empire in the 19th century. ^ The endangered two-humped Bactrian camel is native to Mongolia.

Myanmar /ˈmjænmɑː, ˈmaɪænˌmɑː/ (formerly known as Burma) Myanmar (noun/adjective Burman/Burmese birmano,-na): It is believed that around 9 out of 10 rubies in the world come from Myanmar. ^ There are hundreds of kilometres of beautiful and pristine beaches in Myanmar.

Nepal /nəˈpɔːl/ Nepal (noun/adjective Nepalese /ˌnepəlˈiːz/ nepalés): Nepal is home to 8 of the 10 highest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest. ^ Nepal is the birthplace of Buddha.

Oman /əʊˈmɑːn/ Omán (noun/adjective Omani omaní): Oman is the oldest independent state in the Arab world.

Pakistan /ˌpɑːkɪˈstɑːn (AmE ˈpækɪstæn)/ Paquistán (noun/adjective Pakistani paquistaní): Pakistan is the only Muslim nuclear power country in the world.

Qatar /ˈkʌtɑː (AmE kəˈtɑːr)/ Catar (noun/adjective Qatari /kʌtˈɑːri/ habitante de Catar): 99% of the population of Qatar lives in cities.

Saudi Arabia Arabia Saudí/Saudita (noun/adjective Saudi Arabian saudí/saudita): Saudi Arabia has more oil than any other country in the world.

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (noun/adjective Sri Lankan esrilanqués,-quesa): Apart from being a large tea producer, Sri Lanka is famous for its cinnamon.

Syria Siria (noun/adjective Syrian sirio,-ria): Syria has six UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Thailand Tailandia (noun/adjective Thai tailandés,-desa): Thailand loves its King, and shows great respect for the monarchy. ^ Thai forests and jungles

Tajikistan /tɑːˈdʒiːkɪˌstɑːn/ Tayikistán (noun/adjective Tajik /tɑːˈdʒiːk/ [also Tadjik/Tadzhik]) habitante de Tayikistán: Sitting in a seismically active zone, Tajikistan is highly susceptible to earthquakes.

Turkmenistan /ˌtɜːkˌmenɪˈstɑːn (AmE tɜːrkˈmenɪstæn)/ Turkmenistán (noun/adjective Turkmen /ˈtɜːkmen/ habitante de Turkmenistán): The majority of Turkmenistan is home to the vast Karakum Desert.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) /ˈemɪrəts (AmE ˈemɪreɪts)/ Emiratos Árabes Unidos (noun/adjective Emirati /emɪˈrɑːtiː/ habitante de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos): Although many residents speak English, the official language of the UAE is Modern Standard Arabic. ^ There are seven Emirates in the United Arab Emirates.

Uzbekistan /ʊzˌbekɪˈstɑːn/ Uzbekistán (noun/adjective Uzbek uzbeko,-ka): Cotton is known as “white gold” in Uzbekistan.

Vietnam /ˌvjetˈnæm/ Vietnam (noun/adjective Vietnamese /ˌvjetnəˈmiːz/ vietnamita): Vietnam is home to the largest cave in the world: Son Doong Cave. ^ The Vietnam War ended in 1975.

Yemen Yemen (noun/adjective Yemeni yemeni): The Arabian Desert covers most of Yemen.