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Asia (/ˈeɪʒə/ ^ⓘ AY-zhə, UK also /ˈeɪʃə/ AY-shə) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometers, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which has long been home to the majority of the human population, was the site of many of the first civilizations. Its 4.7 billion people constitute roughly 60% of the world's population.

Asia shares the landmass of Eurasia with Europe, and of Afro-Eurasia with both Europe and Africa. In general terms, it is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean, and on the north by the Arctic Ocean. The border of Asia with Europe is a historical and cultural construct, as there is no clear physical and geographical separation between them. A commonly accepted division places Asia to the east of the Suez Canal separating it from Africa; and to the east of the Turkish straits, the Ural Mountains and Ural River, and to the south of the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian and Black seas, separating it from Europe.

Since the concept of Asia derives from the term for the eastern region from a European perspective, Asia is the remaining vast area of Eurasia minus Europe. Thefore, Asia is a region where various independent cultures coexist rather than sharing a single culture, and the boundary between Europe is somewhat arbitrary and has moved since its first conception in classical antiquity. The division of Eurasia into two continents reflects East–West cultural differences, some of which vary on a spectrum. (Full article...)

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Featured article

The Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident took place in Tiananmen Square in central Beijing, on the eve of Chinese New Year on 23 January 2001. There is controversy over the incident; Chinese government sources say that five members of Falun Gong, a new religious movement that is banned in mainland China, set themselves on fire in the square. Falun Gong sources disputed the accuracy of these portrayals, and claimed that their teachings explicitly forbid violence or suicide. Some journalists have claimed that the self-immolations were staged.

According to Chinese state media, a group of seven people had travelled to Beijing from Henan province, and five set themselves on fire on Tiananmen Square. In the Chinese press, the event was used as proof of the dangers of Falun Gong, and was used to legitimise the government's campaign against the group. (Full article...)

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Selected Country

Armenia (/ɑːrˈmiːniə/ ^ⓘ ar-MEE-nee-ə), officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan to the south. Yerevan is the capital, largest city and financial center.

Armenia is a unitary, multi-party, democratic nation-state with an ancient cultural heritage. The Armenian Highlands has been home to the Hayasa-Azzi, Shupria and Nairi. By at least 600 BC, an archaic form of Proto-Armenian, an Indo-European language, had diffused into the Armenian Highlands. The first Armenian state of Urartu was established in 860 BC, and by the 6th century BC it was replaced by the Satrapy of Armenia. The Kingdom of Armenia reached its height under Tigranes the Great in the 1st century BC and in the year 301 became the first state in the world to adopt Christianity as its official religion. Armenia still recognises the Armenian Apostolic Church, the world's oldest national church, as the country's primary religious establishment. The ancient Armenian kingdom was split between the Byzantine and Sasanian Empires around the early 5th century. Under the Bagratuni dynasty, the Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia was restored in the 9th century before falling in 1045. Cilician Armenia, an Armenian principality and later a kingdom, was located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea between the 11th and 14th centuries. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Akhter Hameed Khan (Urdu: اختر حمید خان, pronounced [ˈəxt̪ər ɦəˈmiːd̪ xaːn]; 15 July 1914 – 9 October 1999) was a Pakistani development practitioner and social scientist. He promoted participatory rural development in Pakistan and other developing countries, and widely advocated community participation in development. His particular contribution was the establishment of a comprehensive project for rural development, the Comilla Model (1959). It earned him the Ramon Magsaysay Award from the Philippines and an honorary Doctorate of law from Michigan State University.

In the 1980s he started a bottom-up community development initiative of Orangi Pilot Project, based in the outskirts of Karachi, which became a model of participatory development initiatives. He also directed many programmes, from microcredit to self-finance and from housing provision to family planning, for rural communities and urban slums. It earned him international recognition and high honours in Pakistan. Khan was fluent in at least seven languages and dialects. Apart from many scholarly books and articles, he also published a collection of poems and travelogues in Urdu. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various Asia-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 2Some henges at Göbekli Tepe in Turkey were erected as far back as 9600 BC, predating those of Stonehenge, by over seven millennia. (from History of Asia)
Image 3Korean peninsula in 476 AD. There are three kingdoms and Gaya Union in the picture. This picture shows the heyday of Goguryeo (from History of Asia)
Image 4Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 5Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 6Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 7Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 8The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 9Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 10Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 11The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 12The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 13Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 14Detail of Chinese silk from the 4th century BCE. The characteristic trade of silk through the Silk Road connected various regions from China, India, Central Asia, and the Middle East to Europe and Africa. (from History of Asia)
Image 15Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 16Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 17Map of Asia for early 20th century (from History of Asia)
Image 18A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 19The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 20The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 21The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 22Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 23The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 24Political map of Asia in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 25The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 26A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 27Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 28The Delhi Sultanate. (from History of Asia)
Image 29Detail of the Dragon Throne used by the Qianlong Emperor of China, Forbidden City, Qing dynasty. Artifact circulating in U.S. museums on loan from Beijing (from Culture of Asia)
Image 30A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 31Projected GDP of 7 largest economies in 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 32The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 33The global contribution to world's GDP by major economies from 1 AD to 2003 AD according to Angus Maddison's estimates. Before 18th century, China and India were the two largest economies by GDP output. (from Asian Century)
Image 34East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 35The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 36Hinduism expansion in Asia, from its heartland in Indian Subcontinent, to the rest of Asia, especially Southeast Asia, started circa 1st century marked with the establishment of early Hindu settlements and polities in Southeast Asia. (from History of Asia)
Image 37Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 38India's middle-class population of 300 million is growing at an annual rate of 5%. Shown here is an upmarket area in South Mumbai. (from Asian Century)
Image 39British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 40Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 41Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 42Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 43Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 44Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 45The third Inter-Korean Summit, which was held in 2018, between South Korean president Moon Jae-in and North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un. It was a historical event that symbolized the peace of Asia. (from History of Asia)
Image 46Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 47Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 48Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 49Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 50Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 51Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 52Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 53A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 54The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 55Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 56Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 57Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 58Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 59The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 60The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 61The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 62Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 63Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 64Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 65Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 66The Syriac Orthodox Saint Ahoadamah Church was a 7th-century church building in the city of Tikrit, one of the oldest in the world until its destruction by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on 25 September 2014. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 67Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 68the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 69Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 70The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)

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Featured picture

Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park

Credit: [Tycho]

Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Bố Trạch and Minh Hóa districts of central Quảng Bình Province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. The park was created to protect one of the world's two largest karst regions with 300 caves and grottoes and also protects the ecosystem of limestone forest of the Annamite Range region in North Central Coast of Vietnam.

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Did you know...

... that although he was a former Indonesian prime minister, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo was not arrested during a political purge as he was considered a non-threat?
... that Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, India's second Muslim president, was also the second Indian president to die in office?
... that the Empire of Japan turned a Korean royal cemetery at what is now Hyochang Park into a golf course?
... that Levantine Arabic is often written in Hebrew characters online by Bedouin, Arab Christians, and Druze in Israel?
... that Ein Samiya, which provides the water for Taybeh, the first beer brewed in Palestine, was depopulated in 2023 after harassment by neighboring Israeli settlers?
... that the popularity of "10 Minutes" by Korean singer Lee Hyori led to 2003 being dubbed the "year of Hyori" by domestic media?
... that Sun Haiyan is the first Chinese ambassador to Singapore who was not a member of the Foreign Ministry of China?
... that University of Nebraska alumnus M. Khalid Roashan helped draft the 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan?
... that the Pakistani film Shehr e Tabassum was the first animated cyberpunk film to be made by an Urdu development team?
... that the Te'omim Cave in Israel was home to a Bronze Age alabaster quarry, a refuge cave during the Jewish–Roman wars, and a possible center for necromantic activity in late antiquity?

Updated: 6:33, 14 February 2024

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In the news

19 September 2024 – Israel–Hezbollah conflict: 2024 Lebanon pager explosions; The death toll from yesterday's walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah militants increases to 25, with more than 600 others injured. A total of 37 people have been killed and more than 3,000 others injured in explosions over the last two days. (The Independent); United States officials report that U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was pre-warned by Israel about the military operation in Lebanon occurring later that day, and claim that they received no prior details about the nature of the attack. (AP); The Israeli Air Force strikes more than 100 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, destroying multiple rocket launch systems and weapons depots. Lebanese security forces say the raids are the most intense since the conflict began. Israeli fighter jets are also reported over Beirut. (Reuters); Two Israeli soldiers are killed and eight others are injured in Hezbollah drone and anti-tank missile attacks on the Israel–Lebanon border. (The Times of Israel)
19 September 2024 – Israel–Hamas war: Israeli incursions in the West Bank during the Israel–Hamas war

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Related portals

Major Religions in Asia

Middle East

Central Asia and Surroundings

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

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Selected panorama

Credit: Guillaume Piolle

Baalbek is a town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon situated east of the Litani River. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, then known as Heliopolis, was one of the largest sanctuaries in the Empire.

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