Charity ActionAid has reported a surge in people wanting to sponsor a child in India following the awards won by Slumdog Millionaire. It is having to rush the contact details of scores of Indian children to its offices. You can sponsor a chid in India through Action Aid here

Even before gaining independence from French colonial rule in 1957, Vietnam was a divided country. You can sponsor a child in Vietnam through Action Aid here

Thailand, the only Asian country not to have been occupied by a European power, has suffered from ongoing internal tensions associated with a political movement led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

Formed amid religious and territorial conflict in 1947, Pakistan's disagreements with India over the contested territory of Kashmir have never been fully resolved. You can sponsor a child in Pakistan through Action Aid here

Cambodia has suffered many decades of civil war, foreign invasions, and failed elections. Sponsor a child in Cambodia here

During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, China experienced decline and stagnation, civil unrest, major famines, major military defeats, and even foreign occupation.

Nepal is one of the poorest, least developed countries in the world. Nearly one third of its people live below the poverty line. You can sponsor a child in Nepal here

Aside from Bangladesh's severe natural disadvantages, it has suffered from ineffective and corrupt governments ever since being established as a country in 1971.

Afghanistan is the poorest country in Asia, and perhaps the most war-torn, conflict-ridden country in the world. You can sponsor a child in Afghanistan here