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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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Featured article

Dhammayangyi Temple as seen from the northwest

Dhammayangyi Temple (Burmese: ဓမ္မရံကြီးဘုရား, pronounced [dəma̰jàɰ̃dʑí pʰəjá]) is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan, Myanmar. Largest of all the temples in Bagan, the Dhammayan as it is popularly known was built during the reign of King Narathu (1167-1170). Narathu, who came to the throne by assassinating his father Alaungsithu and his elder brother, presumably built this largest temple to atone for his sins.

The Dhammayangyi is the widest temple in Bagan, and is built in a plan similar to that of Ananda Temple. Burmese chronicles state that while the construction of the temple was in the process, the king was assassinated by some Indians and thus the temple was not completed. Sinhalese sources however indicate that the king was killed by Sinhalese invaders. (Full article...)

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Selected Country

Sri Lanka, historically known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian peninsula by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. It shares a maritime border with the Maldives in the southwest and India in the northwest.

Sri Lanka has a population of approximately 22 million and is home to many cultures, languages and ethnicities. The Sinhalese people form the majority of the population, followed by the Sri Lankan Tamils, who are the largest minority group and are concentrated in northern Sri Lanka; both groups have played an influential role in the island's history. Other long-established groups include the Moors, Indian Tamils, Burghers, Malays, Chinese, and Vedda. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Andjar, 1930

Abisin Abbas (Indonesian: [aˈbisɪn aˈbas]; 26 February 1902 – 20 October 1961), better known by his pseudonym Andjar Asmara ([anˈdʒar asˈmara]), was a dramatist and filmmaker active in the cinema of the Dutch East Indies. Born in Alahan Panjang, West Sumatra, he first worked as a reporter in Batavia (modern-day Jakarta). He became a writer for the Padangsche Opera in Padang, where he developed a new, dialogue-centric style, which later spread throughout the region. After returning to Batavia in 1929, he spent over a year as a theatre and film critic. In 1930 he joined the Dardanella touring troupe as a writer. He went to India in an unsuccessful bid to film his stage play Dr Samsi.

After leaving Dardanella in 1936, Andjar established his own troupe. He also worked at a publishers, writing serials based on successful films. In 1940 he was asked to join The Teng Chun's company, Java Industrial Film, helping with marketing and working as a director for two productions. After the Japanese occupation, during which time he stayed in theatre, Andjar made a brief return to cinema. He directed three films in the late 1940s and wrote four screenplays, which were produced as films in the early 1950s. He published a novel, Noesa Penida (1950). Afterward he worked for the remainder of his life writing serials based on local films and publishing film criticism. Historians recognise him as a pioneer of theatre and one of the first native Indonesian film directors, although he had little creative control of his productions. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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Featured picture

Inle Lake

Credit: Jakub Hałun

Inle Lake is a freshwater lake located in the Nyaungshwe Township of Taunggyi District of Shan State, part of Shan Hills in Myanmar (Burma). It is the second largest lake in Myanmar with an estimated surface area of 44.9 square miles (116 km²), and one of the highest at an elevation of 2,900 feet (880 m). During the dry season, the average water depth is 7 feet (2.1 m), with the deepest point being 12 feet (3.7 m), but during the rainy season this can increase by 5 feet (1.5 m).

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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

12 July 2024 –: More than 60 people are missing after two buses were swept off the Narayanghat-Mugling highway near Simaltar, in Nepal, due to landslides caused by heavy rains. (Al Jazeera)
11 July 2024 –: Eleven people are killed when their pickup truck collides with a passenger bus in Abulug, Cagayan, Philippines. (The Straits Times)
11 July 2024 – Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Israeli occupation of the West Bank; The United States Department of State and Department of the Treasury announce sanctions against three violent Israeli settlers who blocked humanitarian aid to Gaza and four illegal Israeli settlement outposts, and also blacklists the far-right Jewish supremacist organization Lehava. (Al Jazeera) (The Jerusalem Post)
11 July 2024 – Antisemitism during the Israel–Hamas war, Antisemitism in Europe: The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights reports significant increases (as much as 1200%) in reported antisemitic incidents in countries such as Austria, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium since the Israel–Hamas war began. (BBC News) (European Union)
11 July 2024 – Israel–Hamas war: Accusations of United States complicity in Israeli war crimes in 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

150pxThe view of Nanga Parbat, taken 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from the base camp.

Nanga Parbat is the ninth highest mountain on Earth, the second highest mountain in Pakistan and among the eight-thousanders with a summit elevation of 8,126 meters (26,660 ft).