Asia is the largest continent on Earth. It is in the northern hemisphere. Asia is connected to Europe in the west (creating a supercontinent called Eurasia). Some of the oldest human civilizations began in Asia, such as Sumer, China, and India. Asia was also home to some large empires such as the Persian Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Mongol Empire, and the Ming Empire. It is home to at least 44 countries. Turkey, Russia, Georgia and Cyprus are partly in other continents.