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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. It is somewhat arbitrary and has moved since its first conception in classical antiquity. The division of Eurasia into two continents reflects East–West cultural, linguistic, and ethnic differences, some of which vary on a spectrum rather than with a sharp dividing line. 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.

China and India traded places as the largest economies in the world from 1 to 1800 CE. China was a major economic power for much of recorded history, with the highest GDP per capita until 1500. The Silk Road became the main east–west trading route in the Asian hinterlands while the Straits of Malacca stood as a major sea route. Asia has exhibited economic dynamism as well as robust population growth during the 20th century, but overall population growth has since fallen. Asia was the birthplace of most of the world's mainstream religions including Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Jainism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, as well as many other religions. (Full article...)

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Front side of the main complex

Angkor Wat (/ˌæŋkɔːr ˈwɒt/; Khmer: អង្គរវត្ត, "City/Capital of Temples") is a Hindu-Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia. Located on a site measuring 162.6 hectares (1,626,000 m²; 402 acres) within the ancient Khmer capital city of Angkor, it is considered the largest religious structure in the world by Guinness World Records. Originally constructed in 1150 CE as a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Vishnu, it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the century.

Angkor Wat was built at the behest of the Khmer king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura (present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple-mountain and the later galleried temple. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology and is surrounded by a moat more than 5 km (3.1 mi). Enclosed within an outer wall 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west with scholars divided as to the significance of this. (Full article...)

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Cyprus (/ˈsaɪprəs/ ^ⓘ), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, north of the Sinai Peninsula, south of the Anatolian Peninsula, and west of the Levant. It is geographically a part of West Asia, but its cultural ties and geopolitics are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the third largest and third-most populous island in the Mediterranean. It is east of Greece, north of Egypt, south of Turkey, and west of Lebanon and Syria. Its capital and largest city is Nicosia. The northeast portion of the island is de facto governed by the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Cyprus is home to some of the oldest water wells in the world. Cyprus was settled by Mycenaean Greeks in two waves in the 2nd millennium BC. As a strategic location in the Eastern Mediterranean, it was subsequently occupied by several major powers, including the empires of the Assyrians, Egyptians and Persians, from whom the island was seized in 333 BC by Alexander the Great. Subsequent rule by Ptolemaic Egypt, the Classical and Eastern Roman Empire, Arab caliphates for a short period, the French Lusignan dynasty and the Venetians was followed by over three centuries of Ottoman rule between 1571 and 1878 (de jure until 1914). (Full article...)

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Choe Bu (Korean: 최부, 1454–1504) was a Korean diarist, historian, politician, and travel writer during the early Joseon Dynasty. He was most well known for the account of his shipwrecked travels in China from February to July 1488, during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). He was eventually banished from the Joseon court in 1498 and executed in 1504 during two political purges. However, in 1506 he was exonerated and given posthumous honors by the Joseon court.

Choe's diary accounts of his travels in China became widely printed during the 16th century in both Korea and Japan. Modern historians also refer to his written works, since his travel diary provides a unique outsider's perspective on Chinese culture in the 15th century. The attitudes and opinions expressed in his writing represent in part the standpoints and views of the 15th century Confucian Korean literati, who viewed Chinese culture as compatible with and similar to their own. His description of cities, people, customs, cuisines, and maritime commerce along China's Grand Canal provides insight into the daily life of China and how it differed between northern and southern China during the 15th century. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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Featured picture

Nagoya Castle

Credit: Samuel Louie

The main donjon of Nagoya Castle, a Japanese castle found in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. It was destroyed in World War II, but the donjon was reconstructed in 1959, and there are plans to also rebuild Honmaru Palace, which was also located within the castle walls.

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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

20 July 2024 –: At least 12 people have died and 31 are missing after a bridge collapsed in Shanxi, China. (CNN)
19 July 2024 – 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement: Police in Dhaka, Bangladesh, ban all public rallies and protests in the city and impose a nationwide curfew, one day after protestors set fire to government buildings in the city. (Al Jazeera) (Reuters)
19 July 2024 – Red Sea crisis: At least one person is killed and ten others are injured when a kamikaze drone strikes central Tel Aviv, Israel, near the United States embassy. The Houthis claim responsibility for the attack, and also issue an announcement that that they will be providing details on a planned military operation on Tel Aviv soon. (The Times of Israel) (Axios)
19 July 2024 –: Thirty-six people are rescued after fires break out onboard the São Tomé and Príncipe-flagged tanker Ceres I and Singapore-flagged tanker Hafnia Nile following a collision near Pedra Branca, Singapore. The remaining 26 Ceres I crew members remain onboard to conduct fire-fighting operations. (The Straits Times) (CNA)
19 July 2024 – Israeli allegations against UNRWA: The United Kingdom announces the resumption of funding to the United Nations UNRWA agency. (Al Jazeera)
19 July 2024 – Palestine–European Union relations: The European Commission announces loans and grants totalling €400 million (US$435.5 million) to the Palestinian Authority to prevent the government's financial collapse. (Reuters)