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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

R. s. sondaicus in the London Zoo from March 1874 until January 1885

The Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), Javan rhino, Sunda rhinoceros or lesser one-horned rhinoceros is a critically endangered member of the genus Rhinoceros, of the rhinoceros family, Rhinocerotidae, and one of the five remaining extant rhinoceros species across South Asia and Africa. The Javan rhinoceros is one of the smallest rhinoceros species, along with the Sumatran, or "hairy", rhinoceros. They are superficially similar to Indian rhinos, as they have plate-like, "armored" protective skin folds, but are slightly smaller in size, at just 3.1–3.2 m (10–10 ft) long and 1.4–1.7 m (4.6–5.6 ft) tall, on average. The heaviest specimens weigh around 2,300 kg/2.3 tonnes (2.54 short tons), similar to a black rhinoceros. However, unlike the long and potentially lethal horns of the black or white rhinoceroses of Africa, the Javan species' single, somewhat blunted horn (only present on males) is usually shorter than 25 cm (9.8 in).

Up until the mid-19th to about the early 20th century, the Javan rhinoceros had ranged beyond the islands of Java and Sumatra and onto the mainland of Southeast Asia and Indochina, northwest into East India, Bhutan, and the south of China. Today, it is the rarest of all rhinoceros, and among the rarest of all living animal species, with only one currently known wild population, and no individuals successfully kept in captivity. It is among the rarest large mammals on the planet Earth, with a population of approximately 74 rhinos within Ujung Kulon National Park, at the far western tip of Java, Indonesia. The Javan rhinoceros population in Vietnam's Cat Tien National Park was declared locally extinct in 2011. (Full article...)

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Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of 66 million, it spans 513,115 square kilometres (198,115 sq mi). Thailand is bordered to the northwest by Myanmar, to the northeast and east by Laos, to the southeast by Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the southwest by the Andaman Sea; it also shares maritime borders with Vietnam to the southeast and Indonesia and India to the southwest. Bangkok is the state capital and largest city.

Tai peoples migrated from southwestern China to mainland Southeast Asia from the 6th to 11th centuries. Indianised kingdoms such as the Mon, Khmer Empire, and Malay states ruled the region, competing with Thai states such as the Kingdoms of Ngoenyang, Sukhothai, Lan Na, and Ayutthaya, which also rivalled each other. European contact began in 1511 with a Portuguese diplomatic mission to Ayutthaya, which became a regional power by the end of the 15th century. Ayutthaya reached its peak during the 18th century, until it was destroyed in the Burmese–Siamese War. King Taksin the Great quickly reunified the fragmented territory and established the short-lived Thonburi Kingdom (1767–1782), of which he was the only king. He was succeeded in 1782 by Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I), the first monarch of the current Chakri dynasty. Throughout the era of Western imperialism in Asia, Siam remained the only state in the region to avoid colonization by foreign powers, although it was often forced to make territorial, trade, and legal concessions in unequal treaties. The Siamese system of government was centralised and transformed into a modern unitary absolute monarchy during the 1868–1910 reign of Chulalongkorn (Rama V). In World War I, Siam sided with the Allies, a political decision made in order to amend the unequal treaties. Following a bloodless revolution in 1932, it became a constitutional monarchy and changed its official name to Thailand, becoming an ally of Japan in World War II. In the late 1950s, a military coup under Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat revived the monarchy's historically influential role in politics. During the Cold War, Thailand became a major ally of the United States and played an anti-communist role in the region as a member of the failed SEATO. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Roshan in 2016

Hrithik Roshan (pronounced [ɾɪt̪ɪk ɾoʃən]; born 10 January 1974) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He has portrayed a variety of characters and is known for his dancing skills. One of the highest-paid actors in India, he has won many awards, including six Filmfare Awards, of which four were for Best Actor. Starting from 2012, he has appeared in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 several times based on his income and popularity.

Roshan has frequently collaborated with his father, Rakesh Roshan. He made brief appearances as a child actor in several films in the 1980s and later worked as an assistant director on four of his father's films. His first leading role was in the box-office success Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), for which he received several awards. Performances in the 2000 terrorism drama Fiza and the 2001 ensemble family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... consolidated his reputation but were followed by several poorly received films. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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Featured picture

Kaohsiung Confucius Temple

Credit: Cccefalon

The Kaohsiung Confucius Temple is a temple dedicated to the memory of Confucius near Lotus Pond, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The temple was originally constructed in 1684, and renovated during the Qing dynasty. However, during the Japanese colonial period, the temple fell into disuse and disrepair. A new temple was constructed in 1976, now on the northwest corner of Lotus Pond.

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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

4 June 2024 –: The Kanlaon volcano in central Philippines erupts, causing evacuations and a suspension of activities in the city of Canlaon. (Reuters)
4 June 2024 – 2024 Indian general election: The alliance of parties led by Narendra Modi reaches the 272 seats threshold needed to form a government, but Modi's BJP party loses its outright parliamentary majority. (BBC News)
4 June 2024 – International recognition of the State of Palestine: Slovenia's parliament approves a motion to recognize a Palestinian state. (The Times of Israel)
4 June 2024 – North Korea–South Korea relations: The State Council of South Korea suspends the 2018 Panmunjom Declaration due to border tensions over balloons sent across the border by North Korea. (AP)
4 June 2024 – Chinese space program: The China National Space Administration's Chang'e 6 spacecraft lifts off from the surface of the far side of the Moon carrying samples of lunar soil and rocks back to Earth. (Reuters)
3 June 2024 –: A Syrian man is arrested after throwing a Molotov cocktail at the Israeli embassy in Bucharest, Romania and attempting to self-immolate. (Jerusalem Post) (AP)

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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

Credit: David Iliff

The night skyline of Hong Kong, Victoria Harbour and Kowloon, as seen from Victoria Peak, the tallest mountain on Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong is located on China's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Guangdong province in the north and faces the South China Sea in the east, west and south. It has a population of 6.9 million people, and is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.