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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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The Temple of Eshmun (Arabic: معبد أشمون) is an ancient place of worship dedicated to Eshmun, the Phoenician god of healing. It is located near the Awali river, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) northeast of Sidon in southwestern Lebanon. The site was occupied from the 7th century BC to the 8th century AD, suggesting an integrated relationship with the nearby city of Sidon. Although originally constructed by Sidonian king Eshmunazar II in the Achaemenid era (c. 529–333 BC) to celebrate the city's recovered wealth and stature, the temple complex was greatly expanded by Bodashtart, Yatonmilk and later monarchs. Because the continued expansion spanned many centuries of alternating independence and foreign hegemony, the sanctuary features a wealth of different architectural and decorative styles and influences.

The sanctuary consists of an esplanade and a grand court limited by a huge limestone terrace wall that supports a monumental podium which was once topped by Eshmun's Greco-Persian style marble temple. The sanctuary features a series of ritual ablution basins fed by canals channeling water from the Asclepius river (modern Awali) and from the sacred "YDLL" spring; these installations were used for therapeutic and purificatory purposes that characterize the cult of Eshmun. The sanctuary site has yielded many artifacts of value, especially those inscribed with Phoenician texts, such as the Bodashtart inscriptions and the Eshmun inscription, providing valuable insight into the site's history and that of ancient Sidon. (Full article...)

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Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. Islamabad is the nation's capital, while Karachi is its largest city and financial centre. Pakistan is the 33rd-largest country by area and the ninth-largest in Asia. Bounded by the Arabian Sea on the south, the Gulf of Oman on the southwest, and the Sir Creek on the southeast, it shares land borders with India to the east; Afghanistan to the west; Iran to the southwest; and China to the northeast. It shares a maritime border with Oman in the Gulf of Oman, and is separated from Tajikistan in the northwest by Afghanistan's narrow Wakhan Corridor.

Pakistan is the site of several ancient cultures, including the 8,500-year-old Neolithic site of Mehrgarh in Balochistan, the Indus Valley civilisation of the Bronze Age, and the ancient Gandhara civilisation. The regions that comprise the modern state of Pakistan were the realm of multiple empires and dynasties, including the Achaemenid, the Maurya, the Kushan, the Gupta; the Umayyad Caliphate in its southern regions, the Samma, the Hindu Shahis, the Shah Miris, the Ghaznavids, the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals, and most recently, the British Raj from 1858 to 1947. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

A stamp of Zhang Heng issued by China Post in 1955

Zhang Heng (Chinese: 張衡; AD 78–139), formerly romanized Chang Heng, was a Chinese polymathic scientist and statesman who lived during the Han dynasty. Educated in the capital cities of Luoyang and Chang'an, he achieved success as an astronomer, mathematician, seismologist, hydraulic engineer, inventor, geographer, cartographer, ethnographer, artist, poet, philosopher, politician, and literary scholar.

Zhang Heng began his career as a minor civil servant in Nanyang. Eventually, he became Chief Astronomer, Prefect of the Majors for Official Carriages, and then Palace Attendant at the imperial court. His uncompromising stance on historical and calendrical issues led to his becoming a controversial figure, preventing him from rising to the status of Grand Historian. His political rivalry with the palace eunuchs during the reign of Emperor Shun (r. 125–144) led to his decision to retire from the central court to serve as an administrator of Hejian Kingdom in present-day Hebei. Zhang returned home to Nanyang for a short time, before being recalled to serve in the capital once more in 138. He died there a year later, in 139. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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Featured picture

Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park

Credit: [Tycho]

Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Bố Trạch and Minh Hóa districts of central Quảng Bình Province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. The park was created to protect one of the world's two largest karst regions with 300 caves and grottoes and also protects the ecosystem of limestone forest of the Annamite Range region in North Central Coast of Vietnam.

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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

23 April 2024 – North Korea and weapons of mass destruction: North Korea claims it has tested a new command-and-control system in a simulated nuclear counterstrike. (CNN)
23 April 2024 – Lumut Royal Malaysian Navy mid-air helicopter collision: Two helicopters of the Royal Malaysian Navy collide mid-air during a rehearsal parade in Lumut, Malaysia, killing ten people on board. (CNA)
22 April 2024 – Israel–Hamas war: Siege of Khan Yunis; Israeli troops and tanks reenter Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip after abruptly withdrawing from the city earlier this month. (Reuters)
22 April 2024 – Moro conflict: Twelve Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters militants are killed and seven soldiers are wounded during a shootout in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines. (AP)
22 April 2024 – 2024 Guangdong floods: Four people are killed and ten are missing during floods caused by heavy rain in Guangdong Province, China. Around 110,000 people are evacuated. (BBC News)

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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: Benh LIEU SONG

The Central Area of Singapore surrounded by the perimeter of five planning areas: the Marina Bay, the Downtown Core, Marina East, Marina South and Straits View. The area surrounding the bay itself, also called Marina Bay, is a 360 hectare extension to the adjacent CBD. It is also the new downtown of Singapore built on reclaimed land.