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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 kilometres, 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 civilisations. 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. 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.

Since the concept of Asia derives from the term for the eastern region from a European perspective, Asia is the remaining vast area of Eurasia minus Europe. Therefore, Asia is a region where various independent cultures coexist rather than sharing a single culture, and the boundary between Europe is somewhat arbitrary and has moved since its first conception in classical antiquity. The division of Eurasia into two continents reflects East–West cultural differences, some of which vary on a spectrum. (Full article...)

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Featured article

A road passing through a part of Tokyo which was destroyed in the 10 March 1945 air raid

On the night of 9/10 March 1945, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) conducted a devastating firebombing raid on Tokyo, the Japanese capital city. This attack was code-named Operation Meetinghouse by the USAAF and is known as the Tokyo Great Air Raid (東京大空襲, Tōkyō dai-kūshū) in Japan. Bombs dropped from 279 Boeing B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers burned out much of eastern Tokyo. More than 90,000 and possibly over 100,000 Japanese people were killed, mostly civilians, and one million were left homeless, making it the most destructive single air attack in human history. The Japanese air and civil defenses proved largely inadequate; 14 American aircraft and 96 airmen were lost.

The attack on Tokyo was an intensification of the air raids on Japan which had begun in June 1944. Prior to this operation, the USAAF had focused on a precision bombing campaign against Japanese industrial facilities. These attacks were generally unsuccessful, which contributed to the decision to shift to firebombing. The operation during the early hours of 10 March was the first major firebombing raid against a Japanese city. The USAAF units employed significantly different tactics from those used in precision raids, including bombing by night with the aircraft flying at low altitudes. The extensive destruction caused by the raid led to these tactics becoming standard for the USAAF's B-29s until the end of the war. (Full article...)

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Selected Country

Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a small portion situated in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbekistan to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southwest, with a coastline along the Caspian Sea. Its capital is Astana, while the largest city and leading cultural and commercial hub is Almaty.

Kazakhstan is the world's ninth-largest country by land area and the largest landlocked country. Hilly plateaus and plains account for nearly half its vast territory, with lowlands composing another third; its southern and eastern frontiers are composed of low mountainous regions. Kazakhstan has a population of 20 million and one of the lowest population densities in the world, with fewer than 6 people per square kilometre (16 people/sq mi). Ethnic Kazakhs constitute a majority, while ethnic Russians form a significant minority. Officially secular, Kazakhstan is a Muslim-majority country with a sizeable Christian community. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Gold dinar of al-Mu'tasim, minted in Baghdad in 839

Abū Isḥāq Muḥammad ibn Hārūn al-Rashīd (Arabic: أبو إسحاق محمد بن هارون الرشيد; October 796 – 5 January 842), better known by his regnal name al-Muʿtaṣim biʾllāh (المعتصم بالله, lit. 'He who seeks refuge in God'), was the eighth Abbasid caliph, ruling from 833 until his death in 842. A younger son of Caliph Harun al-Rashid (r. 786–809), he rose to prominence through his formation of a private army composed predominantly of Turkic slave-soldiers (ghilmān, sing. ghulām). This proved useful to his half-brother, Caliph al-Ma'mun, who employed al-Mu'tasim and his Turkish guard to counterbalance other powerful interest groups in the state, as well as employing them in campaigns against rebels and the Byzantine Empire. When al-Ma'mun died unexpectedly on campaign in August 833, al-Mu'tasim was thus well placed to succeed him, overriding the claims of al-Ma'mun's son al-Abbas.

Al-Mu'tasim continued many of his brother's policies, such as the partnership with the Tahirids, who governed Khurasan and Baghdad on behalf of the Abbasids. With the support of the powerful chief qādī, Ahmad ibn Abi Duwad, he continued to implement the rationalist Islamic doctrine of Mu'tazilism and the persecution of its opponents through the inquisition (miḥna). Although not personally interested in literary pursuits, al-Mu'tasim also nurtured the scientific renaissance begun under al-Ma'mun. In other ways, his reign marks a departure and a watershed moment in Islamic history, with the creation of a new regime centred on the military, and particularly his Turkish guard. In 836, a new capital was established at Samarra to symbolize this new regime and remove it from the restive populace of Baghdad. The power of the caliphal government was increased by centralizing measures that reduced the power of provincial governors in favour of a small group of senior civil and military officials in Samarra, and the fiscal apparatus of the state was more and more dedicated to the maintenance of the professional army, which was dominated by Turks. The Arab and Iranian elites that had played a major role in the early period of the Abbasid state were increasingly marginalized, and an abortive conspiracy against al-Mu'tasim in favour of al-Abbas in 838 resulted in a widespread purge of their ranks. This strengthened the position of the Turks and their principal leaders, Ashinas, Wasif, Itakh, and Bugha. Another prominent member of al-Mu'tasim's inner circle, the prince of Ushrusana, al-Afshin, fell afoul of his enemies at court and was overthrown and killed in 840/1. The rise of the Turks would eventually result in the troubles of the 'Anarchy at Samarra' and lead to the collapse of Abbasid power in the mid-10th century, but the ghulām-based system inaugurated by al-Mu'tasim would be widely adopted throughout the Muslim world. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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Featured picture

Geisha

Credit: Daniel Bachler

A photo of two maiko (apprentice geisha), with the typical make-up clearly visible, leaving portions of the nape uncovered. This is done to accentuate what is a traditionally erotic area. The white face make-up is supposed to resemble a mask, and a line of bare skin around the hairline helps create that illusion. Established geisha generally wear full white face makeup characteristic of maiko only during special performances.

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Did you know...

... that Hong Kong YouTuber Martin co-created a video showing himself using a washing machine to make soup?
... that Nippon Steel, one of Japan's largest steelmakers, sold notebook computers in the U.S. in the early 1990s?
... that 50 Lan occupied the number-one spot in Taiwan's bubble tea market for most of 2023?
... that the 1961 Indonesian census was the country's first since 1930 and the first since gaining independence from the Netherlands?
... that the Japanese TV show Iron Chef gained a cult following on a San Francisco TV station before it was dubbed into English and aired on the Food Network?
... that although Baeoentedon bouceki was collected from China in 1983, it was not formally described as a new species until 2014?
... that Canadian pentathlon champion J. Howard Crocker introduced volleyball to China?
... that Arab troops under King Faisal missed the 24 January 1917 capture of Wejh by two days because they had been celebrating the capture of £20,000 in gold?
... that Kim Jong Il had Italian chefs flown into Pyongyang to introduce pizza to North Korea?
... that an "army" of women were congratulated by Pat Nixon for their fundraising efforts to bring public TV to Indianapolis?

Updated: 21:05, 26 February 2025

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In the news

27 February 2025 – Gaza war: As part of the first stage of the ceasefire deal, Hamas releases the bodies of four Israeli hostages in return for the Israeli government releasing 617 Palestinian prisoners. The second phase of the ceasefire has not been negotiated. (DW)
27 February 2025 –: A fire at a three-story residential building in Quezon City, Philippines, kills eight people and injures one other. (AP)
27 February 2025 – Trump administration political interference with science agencies: The Trump administration bans U.S. scientists and officials from attending the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change conference that started this week in Hangzhou, China, which are focused on the seventh IPCC Assessment Report on climate change. (Nature)
26 February 2025 –: British oil and gas company BP announces an agreement with the Iraqi government to develop four oil fields around Kirkuk and increase production, with the value of BP's investment estimated at US$25 billion. (Society of Petroleum Engineers) (Reuters); Eighteen people are killed and thirty-one others are injured when a bus overturns in Prachinburi province, Thailand. (CTV News); United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk condemns Israel's human rights violations in Gaza and denounces Israeli settlements. (Reuters)

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Related portals

Major Religions in Asia

Middle East

Central Asia and Caucasus

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

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Selected panorama

Credit: Benh Lieu Song

Panorama of the city of Luang Prabang in northern Laos, as seen from Phu Si hill. The city was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name, and after Laos's independence from France, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. This view features the Nam Khan river on the left, and Luang Prabang International Airport on the very far left.

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