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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 its boundary with 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

Dhammayangyi Temple as seen from the northwest

Dhammayangyi Temple (Burmese: ဓမ္မရံကြီးဘုရား, pronounced [dəma̰jàɰ̃dʑí pʰəjá]; Pali: Dhammaraṃsi) is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan, Myanmar. Largest of all the temples in Bagan, the Dhammayan as it is popularly known was built during the reign of King Narathu (1167-1170). Narathu, who came to the throne by assassinating his father Alaungsithu and his elder brother, presumably built this largest temple to atone for his sins.

The Dhammayangyi is the widest temple in Bagan, and is built in a plan similar to that of Ananda Temple. Burmese chronicles state that while the construction of the temple was in the process, the king was assassinated by some Indians and thus the temple was not completed. Sinhalese sources however indicate that the king was killed by Sinhalese invaders. (Full article...)

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South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and the Sea of Japan to the east. South Korea claims to be the sole legitimate government of the entire peninsula and adjacent islands. It has a population of about 52 million, of which half live in the Seoul metropolitan area, the ninth most populous metropolitan area in the world, with other major cities being Busan, Daegu, and Incheon.

The Korean Peninsula was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in the early seventh century BC. From the mid first century BC, various polities consolidated into the rival kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. The lattermost eventually unified most of the peninsula for the first time in the late seventh century AD, while Balhae succeeded Goguryeo in the north. The Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) achieved lasting unification and established the basis for the modern Korean identity. The subsequent Joseon dynasty (1392–1897) generated cultural, economic, and scientific achievements and also established isolationism starting from the mid-17th century. The succeeding Korean Empire (1897–1910) sought modernization and reform but was annexed in 1910 into the Empire of Japan. Japanese rule ended following Japan's surrender in World War II, after which Korea was divided into two zones: the Soviet-occupied northern zone and the United States-occupied southern zone. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Andjar, 1930

Abisin Abbas (Indonesian pronunciation: [aˌbisɪn ˈabas]; 26 February 1902 – 20 October 1961), better known by his pseudonym Andjar Asmara (Indonesian pronunciation: [ˌaɲd͡ʒar asˈmara]), was a dramatist and filmmaker active in the cinema of the Dutch East Indies. Born in Alahan Panjang, West Sumatra, he first worked as a reporter in Batavia (modern-day Jakarta). He became a writer for the Padangsche Opera in Padang, where he developed a new, dialogue-centric style, which later spread throughout the region. After returning to Batavia in 1929, he spent over a year as a theatre and film critic. In 1930 he joined the Dardanella touring troupe as a writer. He went to India in an unsuccessful bid to film his stage play Dr Samsi.

After leaving Dardanella in 1936, Andjar established his own troupe. He also worked at a publishers, writing serials based on successful films. In 1940 he was asked to join The Teng Chun's company, Java Industrial Film, helping with marketing and working as a director for two productions. After the Japanese occupation, during which time he stayed in theatre, Andjar made a brief return to cinema. He directed three films in the late 1940s and wrote four screenplays, which were produced as films in the early 1950s. He published a novel, Noesa Penida (1950). Afterward he worked for the remainder of his life writing serials based on local films and publishing film criticism. Historians recognise him as a pioneer of theatre and one of the first native Indonesian film directors, although he had little creative control of his productions. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 2Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 3Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 4Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 5The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 6The Delhi Sultanate. (from History of Asia)
Image 7Detail 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 8The 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 9Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 10British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 11Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 12The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 13Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 14The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 15Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 16The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 17The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 18Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 19Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 20Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 21Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 22The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 23Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 24Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 25The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 26East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 27Some 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 28The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 29The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 30Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 31Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 32Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 33Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 34The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)
Image 35Detail 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 36Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 37Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 38Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 39The 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 40Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 41Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 42Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 43Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 44The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 45Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 46Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 47Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 48A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 49Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 50Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 51Hinduism 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 52The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 53A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 54The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 55The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 56Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 57Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 58Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 59Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 60Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 61Korean 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 62A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 63The 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 64India's middle-class population of 300 million is growing at an annual rate of 5%. Shown here is the skyline in South Mumbai. (from Asian Century)
Image 65The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 66Political map of Asia in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 67A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 68Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)

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Featured picture

Seaweed farming

Credit: Jean-Marie Hullot

A farmer harvests seaweed growing on a rope, on the small island of Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia. Wooden posts demarcate the bay into rectangular plots that are owned by different families. Seaweed farming is a fairly simple process: Attached plants are placed in the sea and allowed to grow naturally, with little human intervention.

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Did you know...

... that Korean science fiction has evolved into distinct North and South branches since the first work appeared in 1929?
... that before a separate party was created for Pakistan, the All India Scheduled Castes Federation simultaneously held the posts of Minister of Law in both Pakistan and India?
... that around 80 percent of foreign tourists to the Indonesian province of Lampung in 2019 went to the town of Krui?
... that Canadian football player Nigel Williams served two tours of duty during the war in Afghanistan?
... that people in parts of India, North America, and Africa marry tree trunks?
... that due to a 2024 heat wave in Southeast Asia, heat indices in the Philippines rose to dangerous levels, as high as 51 °C (124 °F)?
... that "Gyutto" was used by many couples to cope during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan?
... that 24-year-old Mahasweta Chakraborty of Operation Ganga helped around 800 students return to India during the Russian invasion of Ukraine?
... that Isoup Ganthy, who was part of Cambodia's first Olympic team, later died in prison after being accused of working to overthrow the Khmer Rouge?
... that the first silver dollars of the Republic of China were crudely designed mementos?

Updated: 1:05, 1 April 2026

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In the news

1 April 2026 – Middle Eastern crisis: 2026 Iran war; 2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations, 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis; U.S. President Donald Trump claims that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has asked for a ceasefire, which the United States "will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear". The Iranian Foreign Ministry replies that Trump's claim is "false and baseless". (Forbes) (Hindustan Times); 2026 Iranian strikes on Israel; Ten people are injured, including a girl from Bnei Brak, Israel, in critical condition, after a missile barrage from Iran. (The Times of Israel); 2026 Iranian strikes on Kuwait

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Related portals

Major Religions in Asia

Middle East (West Asia)

Central Asia

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.