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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

Former Cabanatuan POWs in celebration, January 30, 1945

The Raid at Cabanatuan (Filipino: Pagsalakay sa Cabanatuan), also known as the Great Raid (Filipino: Ang Dakilang Pagsalakay), was a rescue of Allied prisoners of war (POWs) and civilians from a Japanese camp near Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. On January 30, 1945, during World War II, United States Army Rangers, Alamo Scouts and Filipino guerrillas liberated more than 500 from the POW camp.

After the surrender of tens of thousands of American troops during the Battle of Bataan, many were sent to the Cabanatuan prison camp after the Bataan Death March. The Japanese shifted most of the prisoners to other areas, leaving just over 500 American and other Allied POWs and civilians in the prison. Facing brutal conditions including disease, torture, and malnourishment, the prisoners feared they would be executed by their captors before the arrival of General Douglas MacArthur and his American forces returning to Luzon. In late January 1945, a plan was developed by Sixth Army leaders and Filipino guerrillas to send a small force to rescue the prisoners. A group of over 100 Rangers and scouts and 200 guerrillas traveled 30 miles (48 km) behind Japanese lines to reach the camp. (Full article...)

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Selected Country

Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Mainland Southeast Asia. Cambodia borders Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline along the Gulf of Thailand on the southwest. Cambodia spans an area of 181,035 square kilometres (69,898 square miles), and has a population of about 17 million. Its capital and most populous city is Phnom Penh.

In 802 AD, Jayavarman II declared himself king, uniting the warring Khmer princes of Chenla under the name "Kambuja". This marked the beginning of the Khmer Empire. The Indianised kingdom facilitated the spread of first Hinduism and then Buddhism to Southeast Asia and undertook religious infrastructural projects throughout the region. In the fifteenth century, Cambodia experienced a decline of power, and in 1863, it became a protectorate of France. After a period of Japanese occupation during the Second World War, Cambodia gained independence in 1953. The Vietnam War extended into the country in 1965 via the Ho Chi Minh and Sihanouk trails. A 1970 coup installed the US-aligned Khmer Republic, which was overthrown by the Khmer Rouge in 1975. The Khmer Rouge ruled the country and carried out the Cambodian genocide from 1975 until 1979, when they were ousted in the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. The Vietnamese-occupied People's Republic of Kampuchea became the de facto government. Following the 1991 Paris Peace Accords which formally ended the war with Vietnam, Cambodia was governed by a United Nations mission (1992–93). The UN withdrew after holding elections in which around 90% of the registered voters cast ballots. The 1997 coup d'état consolidated power under Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodian People's Party (CPP). While constitutionally a multi-party state, CPP dominates the political system and dissolved its main opposition party in 2017, making Cambodia a de facto one-party state. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Hasekura portrayed during his mission in Rome by Archita Ricci, 1615

Hasekura Rokuemon Tsunenaga (支倉六右衛門常長, 1571–1622) was a kirishitan Japanese samurai and retainer of Date Masamune, the daimyō of Sendai. He was of Japanese imperial descent with ancestral ties to Emperor Kanmu. Other names include Philip Francis Faxicura, Felipe Francisco Faxicura, and Philippus Franciscus Faxecura Rocuyemon in period European sources, as he took a baptismal name upon converting to Catholicism.

In the years 1613 through 1620, Hasekura headed the Keichō Embassy (慶長使節), a diplomatic mission to Pope Paul V. He visited New Spain and various other ports-of-call in Europe on the way. On the return trip, Hasekura and his companions re-traced their route across New Spain in 1619, sailing from Acapulco for Manila, and then sailing north to Japan in 1620. (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 2The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 3Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 4Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 5Map of Asia for early 20th century (from History of Asia)
Image 6Projected GDP of 7 largest economies in 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 7The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 8Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 9Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 10Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 11Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 12Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 13Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 14Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 15Some 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 16Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 17Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 18A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 19Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 20Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 21Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 22The 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 23Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 24Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture 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 26Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 27A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 28East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 29Korean 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 30Political map of Asia in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 31A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 32The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 33Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 34Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 35The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 36The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 37British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 38The 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 39India'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 40Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 41The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 42The 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 43Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 44Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 45Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 46A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 47The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 48Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 49The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 50Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 51Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 52The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 53The Delhi Sultanate. (from History 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 55Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 56The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 57Detail 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 58Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 59Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 60Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 61The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 62The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 63The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 64Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 65The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)
Image 66Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 67Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 68the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 69Language families in South Asia (from Culture 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

8 June 2024 – Israel-Hamas war: 2024 Nuseirat rescue operation; Four hostages kidnapped by Hamas and held in the Nuseirat refugee camp, including Noa Argamani, are rescued in an Israeli special operation. (CNN); The Gaza Media Office reports at least 210 Palestinians have been killed in recent Israeli attacks in al-Nuseirat, Gaza. (Reuters)
8 June 2024 – Censorship in Vietnam: Police in Vietnam arrest journalist Huy Duc and lawyer Tran Dinh Trien for abusing democratic freedoms through Facebook posts. (Reuters)
7 June 2024 – Israel–Hamas war: International reactions to the Israel–Hamas war; United Nations advisors announce that the UN intends to add the Israeli military, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to their list of countries and armed groups that harm children in their upcoming "Children and Armed Conflict" report. (The New York Times) (Reuters)

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Major Religions in Asia

Middle East

Central Asia and Surroundings

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

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Selected panorama

Credit: Bluemangoa2z

The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims, and a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and can support their family during their absence.

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