Asia–Pacific Facts for Kids

Member nations of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

The Asia–Pacific (often called APAC) is a huge part of the world. It includes countries and territories that are close to the western side of the Pacific Ocean.

The exact borders of the Asia-Pacific region can change depending on who is talking about it. But usually, it includes places in Australasia (like Australia and New Zealand), East Asia (like China and Japan), and Southeast Asia (like Indonesia and Vietnam).

Sometimes, the term is used even more widely. It can include parts of Central Asia, North Asia, and many Pacific Islands. It might even include countries in the Americas that are on the Pacific coast, like Canada, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and the United States. For example, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group includes these American countries.

The name "Asia–Pacific" became very popular in the late 1980s. People use it a lot when talking about business, money, and politics. Even though the economies in this region are very different, many of the countries are "emerging markets." This means their economies are growing very quickly. Sometimes, people talk about "Asia–Pacific excluding Japan" (APEJ) to focus on the other fast-growing economies.

What Countries Are in Asia-Pacific?
Economy of the Asia-Pacific Region
See Also

What Countries Are in Asia-Pacific?

Asia and the Pacific region, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) says the Asia-Pacific region has 51 countries and seven territories. They are grouped into five main areas:

East and North East Asia

North and Central Asia

South and South West Asia

South East Asia (ASEAN)

The Pacific (Oceania)

American Samoa (United States)
Australia
Cook Islands
Fiji
French Polynesia (France)
Guam (United States)
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Micronesia (Federated States of)
Nauru
New Caledonia (France)
New Zealand
Niue
Northern Mariana Islands (United States)
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu

Other Countries Sometimes Included

In a broader sense, some other countries and territories are also sometimes considered part of the Asia–Pacific region:

In Asia

Bahrain
British Indian Ocean Territory (United Kingdom)
Cyprus
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Oman
Palestine
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
United Arab Emirates
Yemen

In North America

In Oceania

In South America

Economy of the Asia-Pacific Region

The Asia-Pacific region is very important for the world's economy. In 2024, experts from the World Bank expect the economies in this region (not including China) to grow a bit faster than before. This shows that the region is strong, even with challenges around the world.

Global trade, which means countries buying and selling goods to each other, is also expected to get better. This is good news for Asia-Pacific countries, as many of them rely on selling their products to other nations.

However, there are still some challenges. Businesses are not investing as much money as they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. This is partly because countries have more debt and interest rates are higher. This means it costs more to borrow money.

The region also faces problems like rising prices (inflation) and political uncertainties. These things can make it harder for economies to grow. Also, if big economies like the US or China slow down, it can affect the growth of other countries in Asia-Pacific.

Some countries, especially G-20 nations, have been putting in place more rules to protect their own industries. This is called "protective industrial policies." While this trend has grown, most other East Asia-Pacific countries have not been as involved in these measures, except for China and Indonesia.

Asia–Pacific facts for kids

Contents