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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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Front side of the main complex

Angkor Wat (/ˌæŋkɔːr ˈwɒt/; Khmer: អង្គរវត្ត, "City/Capital of Temples") is a Hindu-Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia. Located on a site measuring 162.6 hectares (1,626,000 m²; 402 acres) within the ancient Khmer capital city of Angkor, it was originally constructed in 1150 CE as a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Vishnu. It was later gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the century. Considered by some experts to be the largest religious structure in the world, it is regarded as one of the best examples of Khmer architecture and a symbol of Cambodia, depicted as a part of the Cambodian national flag.

Angkor Wat was built at the behest of the Khmer king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura (present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple-mountain and the later galleried temple. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology and is surrounded by a moat more than 5 km (3.1 mi). Enclosed within an outer wall 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west with scholars divided as to the significance of this. (Full article...)

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Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about 331,000 square kilometres (128,000 sq mi) and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's fifteenth-most populous country. One of the two Marxist–Leninist states in Southeast Asia, Vietnam shares land borders with China to the north, and Laos and Cambodia to the west. It shares maritime borders with Thailand through the Gulf of Thailand, and the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia through the South China Sea. Its capital is Hanoi and its largest city is Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam was inhabited by the Paleolithic age, with states established in the first millennium BC on the Red River Delta in modern-day northern Vietnam. Before the Han dynasty's invasion, Vietnam was marked by a vibrant mix of religion, culture, and social norms. The Han dynasty annexed Northern and Central Vietnam, which were subsequently under Chinese rule from 111 BC until the first dynasty emerged in 939. Successive monarchical dynasties absorbed Chinese influences through Confucianism and Buddhism, and expanded southward to the Mekong Delta, conquering Champa. During most of the 17th and 18th centuries, Vietnam was effectively divided into two domains of Đàng Trong and Đàng Ngoài. The Nguyễn—the last imperial dynasty—surrendered to France in 1883. In 1887, its territory was integrated into French Indochina as three separate regions. In the immediate aftermath of World War II, the nationalist coalition Viet Minh, led by the communist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh, launched the August Revolution and declared Vietnam's independence from the Empire of Japan in 1945. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Tata in 2011

Ratan Naval Tata (28 December 1937 – 9 October 2024) was an Indian industrialist and philanthropist. He served as the chairman of Tata Group and Tata Sons from 1991 to 2012 and he held the position of interim chairman from October 2016 to February 2017. In 2000, he received the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in India, followed by the Padma Vibhushan, the country's second highest civilian honour, in 2008.

Ratan Tata was the son of Naval Tata, who was adopted by Ratanji Tata, son of Jamshedji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group. He graduated from Cornell University College of Architecture with a bachelor's degree in architecture. He had also attended the Harvard Business School (HBS) Advanced Management program in 1975. He joined the Tata Group in 1962, starting on the shop floor of Tata Steel. He later succeeded J. R. D. Tata as chairman of Tata Sons upon the latter's retirement in 1991. During his tenure, the Tata Group acquired Tetley, Jaguar Land Rover, and Corus, in an attempt to turn Tata from a largely India-centric group into a global business. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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Featured picture

dougong

Credit: 663highland

A colorful dougong supporting a structure at Sagami Temple, Kasai, Hyōgo, Japan. Dougong is a structural element of interlocking wooden brackets, one of the most important elements in traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean architecture. The use of dougong first appeared in buildings of the late centuries BC and evolved into a structural network that joined pillars and columns to the frame of the roof. The pieces are fit together by joinery alone without glue or fasteners, due to the precision and quality of the carpentry.

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Did you know...

... that El Salvador was the first country to recognize Manchukuo, apart from Japan?
... that the first ambassador at the Philippine embassy in Manama would later be injured in the 2000 bombing of the Philippine embassy in Jakarta?
... that a fighter-bomber group under the command of Walter G. Benz Jr. during the Korean War became the first United States Air Force unit to complete 50,000 combat sorties?
... that the 2021 film West Side Story was banned in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, likely due to the transgender character Anybodys?
... that Rudaki is acknowledged as the founder of New Persian poetry in Iran and the father of Tajik literature in Tajikistan?
... that after her 2019 death in rural China, Huang Wenxiu was elevated into a national model by the Chinese Communist Party?
... that the Philippine embassy in Pretoria responded to a South African newspaper's denunciation of horse fighting in the Philippines by saying that the practice was already illegal?
... that Karl Malte von Heinz designed the Vatican, Pakistani, Yugoslav and Thai diplomatic missions in India?
... that the United Ukrainian Ballet Company, consisting of exiled dancers based in The Hague, has toured the UK, Singapore, Australia and the US?
... that according to a former military journalist, 80,000 copies of a command information newspaper were dumped into the South China Sea during the Vietnam War?

Updated: 21:05, 28 April 2025

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In the news

29 April 2025 – 2025 Jaramana clashes: Gunmen reported to be aligned with the Syrian government engage in fatal clashes with armed Druze combatants in the Druze-majority city of Jaramana in southern Syria. (Erem News)
29 April 2025 –: 22 people are killed and three others are injured after a fire breaks out in a restaurant in Liaoyang, China. (CNA)
28 April 2025 – Kashmir conflict: 2025 India–Pakistan border skirmishes; Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif says that a military incursion by India is imminent. (Reuters)
28 April 2025 – Red Sea crisis: US–UK airstrikes on Yemen; The Houthis claim at least 68 people are killed and 47 others are injured in a U.S. airstrike on a prison holding African migrants in Saada Governorate, Yemen. (AP)

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Major Religions in Asia

Middle East

Central Asia and Caucasus

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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