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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

Top left: Anapji pond; Top right: Bell of King Seongdeok; middle left: Seokguram; middle right:Bulguksa temple; bottom left: Yangdong Folk Village; bottom right: Cheomseongdae.

Gyeongju (Korean: 경주, pronounced [kjʌ̹ŋ.dʑu]), historically known as Seorabeol (서라벌, pronounced [sʰʌ̹.ɾa̠.bʌɭ]), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering 1,324 km² (511 sq mi) with a population of 264,091 people . Gyeongju is 370 km (230 mi) southeast of Seoul, and 55 km (34 mi) east of Daegu. The city borders Cheongdo and Yeongcheon to the west, Ulsan to the south and Pohang to the north, while to the east lies the coast of the Sea of Japan. Numerous low mountains—outliers of the Taebaek range—are scattered around the city.

Gyeongju was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla (57 BC – 935 AD), which ruled about two-thirds of the Korean peninsula at its height between the 7th and 9th centuries, for close to one thousand years. Later Silla was a prosperous and wealthy country, and Gyeongju was the fourth largest city in the world. A vast number of archaeological sites and cultural properties from this period remain in the city. Gyeongju is often referred to as "the museum without walls". Among such historical treasures, Seokguram grotto, Bulguksa temple, Gyeongju Historic Areas and Yangdong Folk Village are designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The many major historical sites have helped Gyeongju become one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Korea. (Full article...)

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Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR or LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. At the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula, Laos is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest. Its capital and largest city is Vientiane.

Present-day Laos traces its historic and cultural identity to Lan Xang, which existed from the 13th century to the 18th century as one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. Because of its central geographical location in Southeast Asia, the kingdom became a hub for overland trade and became wealthy economically and culturally. After a period of internal conflict, Lan Xang broke into three separate kingdoms: Luang Phrabang, Vientiane and Champasak. In 1893, the three kingdoms came under a French protectorate and were united to form what is now known as Laos. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Zhou Tong stroking his beard

Zhou Tong (Chinese: 周同 and 周侗; pinyin: Zhōu Tóng) (died late 1121 CE) was the archery teacher and second military arts tutor of famous Song dynasty general Yue Fei. Originally a local hero from Henan, he was hired to continue Yue Fei's military training in archery after the boy had rapidly mastered spearplay under his first teacher. In addition to the future general, Zhou accepted other children as archery pupils. During his tutelage, Zhou taught the children all of his skills and even rewarded Yue with his two favorite bows because he was his best pupil. After Zhou's death, Yue would regularly visit his tomb twice a month and perform unorthodox sacrifices that far surpassed that done for even beloved tutors. Yue later taught what he had learned from Zhou to his soldiers and they were successful in battle.

With the publishing of Yue Fei's 17th folklore biography, The Story of Yue Fei (1684), a new, fictional Zhou Tong emerged, who differed greatly from his historical persona. Not only was he now from Shaanxi, but he was Yue's adopted father, a learned scholar with knowledge of the eighteen weapons of war, and his personal name was spelled with a different, yet related, Chinese character. The novel's author portrayed him as an elderly widower and military arts tutor who counted Lin Chong and Lu Junyi, two of the fictional 108 outlaws on which the Water Margin is based, among his former pupils. A later republican era folktale by noted Yangzhou storyteller Wang Shaotang not only adds Wu Song to this list, but represents Zhou as a knight-errant with supreme swordsmanship. The tale also gives him the nickname "Iron Arm", which he shares with the executioner-turned-outlaw Cai Fu, and makes the outlaw Lu Zhishen his sworn brother. Because of his association with the outlaws, he is often confused with the similarly named outlaw Zhou Tong. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

Featured picture

rambutan

Credit: Muhammad Mahdi Karim

An unpeeled and a peeled rambutan, the fruit of the rambutan tree. The plant is native to the Malay Archipelago and can be found through much of Southeast Asia, although its exact distribution remains unknown. The name is derived from the Malay word rambut, which literally means 'hairy'. The fruit flesh is translucent, whitish or very pale pink, with a sweet, mildly acidic flavour.

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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

In the news

21 June 2024 – International recognition of the State of Palestine: Armenia–Palestine relations; Armenia officially recognises the State of Palestine. (Reuters)
20 June 2024 –: The Israel Antiquities Authority announces the discovery of a 3,300-year-old ship and its cargo, one of the oldest known examples of a ship sailing far from land. The ship was discovered last year by a company drilling for natural gas off the coast of Northern Israel. (NBC News)
20 June 2024 – 2024 Hajj disaster: At least 1,081 pilgrims are now confirmed to have died from heat-related causes during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia. (France 24)
20 June 2024 – 2024 Kallakurichi alcohol poisonings: At least 36 people are killed and more than 60 others are hospitalized after consuming tainted liquor in Kallakurichi district, Tamil Nadu, India. (Reuters) (New Indian Express)
20 June 2024 –: Kuwait announces temporary power cuts in parts of the country during peak consumption hours, saying that the country is struggling to meet increased demand caused by extreme summer heat. (Al Arabiya)

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Major Religions in Asia

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Central Asia and Surroundings

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

Selected panorama

Credit: Zhang Zeduan

Along the River During the Qingming Festival is a painting from China's Song Dynasty that captures the daily life of people from the period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng. As an artistic creation, the piece has been revered, and court artists of subsequent dynasties have made several re-interpretive replicas. The painting is famous because of its geometrically accurate images of boats, bridges, shops, and scenery. Because of its fame, it has been called "China's Mona Lisa".

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