Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific (abbreviated as Asia-Pac, Asia Pac, Apac, APAC, APJ, JAPA or JAPAC) is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean. The region varies in size depending on context, but it typically includes at least much of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania.
The term may also include Russia (on the North Pacific) and countries in North and South America which are on the coast of the Eastern Pacific Ocean; the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, for example, includes Canada, Chile, Russia, Mexico, Peru, and the United States.
Alternatively, the term sometimes comprises all of Asia and Australasia as well as small Pacific island nations, e.g. when dividing the world into large regions for commercial purposes (e.g. into Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific).
Even though imprecise, the term has been popular since the late 1980s in commerce, finance and politics because, though the economies within the region are heterogeneous, they are mostly emerging markets experiencing rapid growth.
