Major and Prominent Cities of Asia Continent

1. Basra/Al-Basrah - Located along the Persian Gulf and the confluence of Tigris-Euphrates Rivers. It is Iraq’s only and the most important port. It is the country’s major commercial and cultural centre. From here petroleum and date palm are exported in large amount.

2. Izmir - Located on Aegean Sea coast, it is the major port of Turkey and country’s third largest city. Clothes, cotton, dry fruits, tobacco, animals etc. are exported from here. This city has Mediterranean climate so tourists come here in large numbers.

3. Jeddah - Located on Red Sea coast. It is the major port city of Saudi Arabia. It is also called ‘Gateway of Saudi Arabia’. Here is a big international airport located. Its population is around 13 lakhs. The pilgrims coming from other countries deboard at the airport here and move to Mecca for their pilgrimage trip.

4. Mosul - Located in northern part of Iraq, this is the country’s major manufacturing centre. Industrial centres of petrochemicals, electric and food processing industries are located here. From here, oil is transported to Mediterranean Sea through pipeline.

5. Mandalay - Located on the coast of River Irrawaddy, it is a major city of Myanmar. It is considered to be a major Buddhist town. It is famous for ‘Viharas’ and Pagodas’. Also famous for tea processing and cloth industry.

6. Ho-Chi-Minh City - Located in southern Vietnam on the coast of River Mekong. Earlier it was known as ‘Saigon’. This is the country’s largest city. Famous for food processing industry and timber. 

7. Bandung - Situated on Java Island on a volcanic plateau. It is the country’s major industrial and cultural city. Bandung is the world’s largest supplier of Chinchona which is used for making medicine for Malaria. 

8. Nagoya - Located on Honshu Island, it is a major industrial city of Japan. Due to concertration of auto mobile industry, it is knowns as ‘Detroit of Japan’. It is a major centre for silk cloth industry which is based on local silk. 

9. Shanghai - Located on the bank of River Yangtse Kiang and is China’s major port city. It is world’s largest non-capital city. It is a centre of cloth industry, chemical industry, ship-building and engineering goods. Its urban development is an ideal for the world. In the last 20 years only, it has become full of skyscrapers buildings. 

10. Aqaba - Located at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba in southern Jordan. It is a seaport and popular resort. This seaport was developed after creation of Israel in 1948. In fact, it is only seaport of Jordan through which most of the import and export to the European, America, African and Asian countries is carried out. 

11. Kyoto - Located on Honshu Island, it is the traditional capital of Japan. Japan’s royal palace is located here. Famous for handicraft industry. Many summits related to environment protection have been held here. 

12. Canton (Guangzhou) - Located  at the mouth of River Sikiang and it is China’s major port. It is ancient historical city which is centre of Chinese culture. Iron and steel, cotton cloth industry, wine making, chemicals, craft, food processing are the major industries. 

13. Istanbul - Located on Balkan Peninsula, it is Turkey’s largest city. It is ancient historical and cultural city. It is Turkey’s major tourist centre and old capital city. It is a cosmopolitan city. Sofia mosque located here is a wonderful example of architect. It is a bridge between Europe and Asia. Istanbul has the world’s largest covered bazaar. 

14. Abadan - Located along the Persian Gulf coast, it is Iran’s major port town. The oil refinery located here is one of the world’s largest oil refinery. Oil is exported in large quantities from here. Therefore, it is also called ‘Oil Port’. Abadan developed from a small village after the discovery of oil in 1908. 

15. Kirkuk - Located in Iraq’s Kurd region, it is a major oil production centre. From here, crude oil is sent through pipeline to Baniyas city in Syria for oil refining. It has a petroleum refinery and petrochemical complex.

16. Aden - Located on the coast of Gulf of Aden, it is major port city of Yemen. The ships going towards eastern countries take fuel from here. It is an ‘Entreport’ and a commercial centre for leather and Coffee. 

17. Banigya - Located on the Mediterranean Sea coast, it is Syria’s major port. There are many big oil refineries located here which take crude oil from Kirkuk. 

18. Osaka - Situated on Honshu Island and it is Japan’s major city and port. It is Japan’s largest city
for cotton cloth industry which is also called ‘Manchester of Japan’. It is amongst the world’s centres for ship-building industry. 

19. Kobe - Situated on Honshu Island, it is Japan’s major industrial town. Kobe is considered as Japan’s extremely busy port which is major centre of ship-building industry, oil refining and petrochemical industry. 

20. Wuhan - It is located in the middle or Yangtse Kiang River coast. Wusang, Hungang and Hankou form conurbation with Wuhan. It is centre of minerals and heavy industries. 

21. Ajman - Having an area of only 250 Sq. Km, it is the smallest of the seven emirates of the ‘United Arab Emirates’. It is lies along the southwest coast of the Persian Gulf. Petrochemical, engineering, ship-repairing, fishing, pearling and dhow building are its main industries. 

22. Sharm-el-Sheikh - Located on the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, it is a famous sea-resort of Egypt. The W.T.O. conference was held in this city in 2009. 

23. Macau - It had been a colony of Portugal for 441 years. Now it is under China as a special administrative unit. It is located at the month of River Pearl and is a port city. It is famous for Casinos. In Eastern world has major centre of Portuguese civilization and culture. 

24. Pusan - Located on Japan Sea coast, it is the largest port city of South Korea. It is also the country’s major industrial city and a major tourist spot. 

25. Ulsan - It is a major port town of South Korea. A petrochemical plant is located here and it is amongst the world’s largest shipyards. 

26. Yokohoma - Situated on Honshu Island, 34 km south of Tokyo, it is an important port. Famous for micro engineering and ship building industry. 

27. Nanking - Located an Yangtse Kiang River coast, it is China’s industrial town. It is an major centre of cotton industry. It is amongst the Asia’s largest centres for cotton cloth industry. 

28. Ipoh - Located in Kinta Valley on Malay Peninsula, it is a Malaysian town. Tin mining is the major activity in area near this valley. Here limestone landforms is completely developed. 

29. Tel-Aviv, Haifa, Jaffa - These three are Israel’s major commercial, industrial and cultural cities. Oil refining is done at Haifa. All three cities have Mediterranean type of climate. Jaffa is famous for the production of Eoranges. 

30. Hong Kong - City located along Pacific Ocean coast, which was earlier a British colony. Now it is a major port and industrial city of China. It is China’s special administrative zone. There are many financial institutions. In Eastern world it is a centre of modern lifestyle. 

31. Netanz - This town near Tehran in Iran. Iran’s main Atomic plant is located here. 

32. Yawata - Located on Honshu Island, it is Japan’s major industrial town. It is world famous for ship-building. Very large ships are built here. 

33. Sharjah - Situated along the coast of the Gulf of Oman, it is the third largest of the member states of the United Arab Emirates. 

34. Medina - Located in western Saudi Arabia, it is one of the holiest cities of the Muslims. It is lies in an oasis. Prophet Mohammad stayed here from 622 AD to 630 AD. 

35. Mecca - Located to the east of Jeddah, Mecca is the holiest city of the Muslims. It was the birthplace of Prophet Mohammed and the place of his early teaching before he migrated to Medina in 622 AD.

36. Shiraz - Situated in the southern parts of the Zagros Mountains, it is a historical, cultural and industrial centre of Iran. It is the capital of Far (Persia) Province of Iran. It is a major Islamic education centre.