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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 kilometres, 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 civilisations. 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. Therefore, 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 2001 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 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

Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, lies between the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. It has an area of 35,808 square kilometres (13,826 square miles), with mountain ranges dominating the eastern two-thirds and plains in the western third, where its highly urbanized population is concentrated. The combined territories under ROC control consist of 168 islands in total covering 36,193 square kilometres (13,974 square miles). The largest metropolitan area is formed by Taipei (the capital), New Taipei City, and Keelung. With around 23.9 million inhabitants, Taiwan is among the most densely populated countries.

Taiwan has been settled for at least 25,000 years. Ancestors of Taiwanese indigenous peoples settled the island around 6,000 years ago. In the 17th century, large-scale Han Chinese immigration began under Dutch colonial rule and continued under the Kingdom of Tungning, the first predominantly Han Chinese state in Taiwanese history. The island was annexed in 1683 by the Qing dynasty of China and ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895. The Republic of China, which had overthrown the Qing in 1912 under the leadership of Sun Yat-sen, took control following the surrender of Japan in World War II. The immediate resumption of the Chinese Civil War resulted in the loss of the Chinese mainland to Communist forces, who established the People's Republic of China, and the flight of the ROC central government to Taiwan in 1949. The effective jurisdiction of the ROC has since been limited to Taiwan, Penghu, and smaller islands. (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-Bangladeshi development practitioner and social scientist. He promoted participatory rural development in West Pakistan, East 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 1The Delhi Sultanate. (from History of Asia)
Image 2The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 3Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 4Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 5India'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 6Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 7The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 8Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 9The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 10A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 11Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 12East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 13Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 14Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 15Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 16Detail 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 17Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 18Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 19Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 20The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 21Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 22A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 23The 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 24Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 25Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 26Some 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 27British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 28Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 29Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 30The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 31The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)
Image 32Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 33The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 34Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 35Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 36Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 37Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 38Detail 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 39Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 40A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 41the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 42Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 43The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 44The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 45Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 46Hinduism 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 47Map of Asia for early 20th century (from History of Asia)
Image 48Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 49The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 50The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 51Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 52Political map of Asia in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 53Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 54Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 55The 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 56Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 57The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 58Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 59Korean 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 60Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 61The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 62Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 63The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 64Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 65Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 66The 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 67Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 68A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 69The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)

Featured picture

Gosaikunda

Credit: Sergey Pesterev

Gosaikunda is an alpine freshwater oligotrophic lake in Nepal's Langtang National Park, located at an altitude of 4,380 m (14,370 ft) in the Rasuwa District with a surface of 13.8 ha (34 acres).

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Did you know...

... that in 1945, Kasman Singodimedjo lobbied other Islamist leaders not to implement sharia law in Indonesia?
... that the Empire of Japan turned a Korean royal cemetery at what is now Hyochang Park into a golf course?
... that James B. Tapp was the first United States Army Air Forces pilot to be recognized as a flying ace for flying very-long-range missions over Japan in P-51s during World War II?
... that the building housing the city council of Palembang, Indonesia, was claimed to be the "grandest" of its kind?
... that Nationalist China's own Northeastern Army captured Chiang Kai-shek to convince him to end the civil war against the Chinese Communist Party?
... that Oen Boen Ing, a doctor who often worked for free, was so popular that the Indonesian government was petitioned not to evacuate him during a period of violence against Chinese Indonesians?
... that witch-hunts in India are still prevalent?
... that the rebel al-Faddayni, a descendant of Caliph Uthman, led the last major attempt to reestablish Umayyad rule in Syria?
... that based on 19th-century local traditions and name preservation, it has been suggested that the archaeological site of Khirbet Kheibar was once inhabited by Jews expelled from Khaybar?
... that Patrick Tse's performance in the film Time won him the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor at the age of 85, making him the award's oldest recipient?

Updated: 21:05, 3 April 2025

In the news

4 April 2025 – Impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol: The Constitutional Court of Korea unanimously upholds former president Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment in an 8–0 vote, removing him from office. (The Korea Times)
3 April 2025 – Gaza war: Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip; The Israel Defense Forces retakes control of Rafah prompting thousands of Palestinians to flee the city. (Reuters)
3 April 2025 – Tariffs in the second Trump administration: A 25% tariff on all automotive imports into the United States enters force. No exemptions are announced despite requests from several major trade partners, including Japan and the United Kingdom. (Reuters)
3 April 2025 – Tornado outbreak of April 1–3, 2025: At least seven people are killed and thirteen others are injured by overnight severe weather including tornadoes, storms, hail and floods across Tennessee, Missouri, and Indiana in the United States. (NBC News)
3 April 2025 – Hungary–Israel relations: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lands in Budapest, Hungary, a signatory of the International Criminal Court (ICC), for a state visit in defiance of the international arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes. (The Jerusalem Post) (AP)

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Major Religions in Asia

Middle East

Central Asia and Caucasus

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

Selected panorama

Credit: Rangan Datta Wiki

The Buriganga River flows past the southwest outskirts of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Its average depth is 7.6 metres (25 ft) and its maximum depth is 18 metres (58 ft).

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