Portal:Asia

Main

Geography

Projects

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...)

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

edit

Featured article

On 30 September 2000, the second day of the Second Intifada, 12-year-old Muhammad al-Durrah (Arabic: محمد الدرة, romanized: Muḥammad ad-Durra) was killed in the Gaza Strip during widespread protests and riots across the Palestinian territories against Israeli military occupation. Jamal al-Durrah and his son Muhammad were filmed by Talal Abu Rahma, a Palestinian television cameraman freelancing for France 2, as they were caught in crossfire between the Israeli military and Palestinian security forces. Footage shows them crouching behind a concrete cylinder, the boy crying and the father waving, then a burst of gunfire and dust. Muhammad is shown slumping as he is mortally wounded by gunfire, dying soon after.

Fifty-nine seconds of the footage were broadcast on television in France with a voiceover from Charles Enderlin, the station's bureau chief in Israel. Based on information from the cameraman, Enderlin told viewers that the al-Durrahs had been the target of fire from the Israeli positions and that the boy had died. After an emotional public funeral, Muhammad was hailed throughout the Muslim world as a martyr. (Full article...)

List of Featured articles

edit

Selected Country

Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country in West Asia. It is located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and overlooks the mouth of the Persian Gulf. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, while sharing maritime borders with Iran and Pakistan. The capital and largest city is Muscat. Oman has a population of nearly 4.7 million and is the 124th most-populous country. The coast faces the Arabian Sea on the southeast, and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The Madha and Musandam exclaves are surrounded by United Arab Emirates on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz (which it shares with Iran) and the Gulf of Oman forming Musandam's coastal boundaries.

From the 17th century, the Omani Sultanate was an empire, vying with the Portuguese and British empires for influence in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence and control extended across the Strait of Hormuz to Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar. In the 20th century, the sultanate came under the influence of the United Kingdom. For over 300 years, the relations built between the two empires were based on mutual benefit. The UK recognized Oman's geographical importance as a trading hub that secured British trading-lanes in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean and protected London's interests in the Indian sub-continent. Oman is an absolute monarchy led by a sultan, with power passed down through the male line. Qaboos bin Said was the Sultan from 1970 until his death on 10 January 2020. Qaboos, who died childless, had named his cousin, Haitham bin Tariq, as his successor in a letter, and the ruling family confirmed him as the new Sultan of Oman. (Full article...)

List of selected countries

edit

Featured biography

Yao in 2014

Yao Ming (Chinese: 姚明; born September 12, 1980) is a Chinese basketball executive and former professional player. He played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Yao was selected to start for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game eight times, and was named to the All-NBA Team five times. During his final season, he was the tallest active player in the NBA, at 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m).

Yao, who was born in Shanghai, started playing for the Sharks as a teenager, and played on their senior team for five years in the CBA, winning a championship in his final year. After negotiating with the CBA and the Sharks to secure his release, Yao was selected by the Rockets as the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft. He reached the NBA playoffs four times, and the Rockets won the first-round series in the 2009 postseason, their first playoff series victory since 1997. In July 2011, Yao announced his retirement from professional basketball because of a series of foot and ankle injuries which forced him to miss 250 games in his last six seasons. In eight seasons with the Rockets, Yao ranks sixth among franchise leaders in total points and total rebounds, and second in total blocks. (Full article...)

List of Featured biographies

edit

General images

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

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

edit

Featured picture

European migrant crisis

Credit: Ggia

Syrian and Iraqi refugees arrive from Turkey to Skala Sykamias, Lesbos island, Greece. Volunteers (life rescue team - with yellow-red clothes) from the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms help the refugees.

edit

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

edit

In the news

24 May 2024 – Israel–Hamas war: Israel–Hamas war hostage crisis; The Israeli army recovers the bodies of three captives who were killed and taken to Gaza by Palestinian militants in the 7 October attacks. (Reuters)
24 May 2024 –: Norah become the first film from Saudi Arabia to screen as part of the official calendar at the Cannes Film Festival as a part of the Un Certain Regard competition.(arab news); Fourteen people are killed and three are injured by a building fire in a densely populated area of Hanoi, Vietnam. (Reuters)
24 May 2024 – South Africa's genocide case against Israel: The International Court of Justice, in a 13–2 decision, orders Israel to halt the military offensive in Rafah. (Reuters)
24 May 2024 – 2024 Bishkek riots: Students from Pakistan and other Asian countries leave Kyrgyzstan after angry mobs attacked their hostels in Bishkek earlier this month. (Reuters)

More current events...

edit

Related portals

Major Religions in Asia

Middle East

Central Asia and Surroundings

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

edit

Selected panorama

The Central Area of Singapore surrounded by the perimeter of five planning areas: the Marina Bay, the Downtown Core, Marina East, Marina South and Straits View. The area surrounding the bay itself, also called Marina Bay, is a 360 hectare extension to the adjacent CBD. It is also the new downtown of Singapore built on reclaimed land.