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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

USS Yorktown at the moment of impact with a Japanese torpedo, 4 June 1942

The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The Japanese Combined Fleet under the command of Isoroku Yamamoto suffered a decisive defeat by the U.S. Pacific Fleet near Midway Atoll, about 1,300 mi (1,100 nmi; 2,100 km) northwest of Oahu. Yamamoto had intended to capture Midway and lure out and destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet, especially the aircraft carriers which had escaped damage at Pearl Harbor.

Before the battle, Japan desired to extend its Pacific defense perimeter, especially after the Doolittle air raid of Tokyo in April 1942, and to clear the seas for attacks on Midway, Fiji, Samoa, and Hawaii. A related Japanese attack on the Aleutian Islands began one day earlier, on 3 June. The Japanese strike force at Midway, known as the Kidō Butai, was commanded by Chuichi Nagumo. Yamamoto's plan for the operation, which depended on precise timing and coordination, was undermined by its wide dispersal of forces, which left the rest of the fleet unable to support the Kidō Butai effectively. (Full article...)

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North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu (Amnok) and Tumen rivers, and South Korea to the south at the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The country's western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan. North Korea, like South Korea, claims to be the sole legitimate government of the entire peninsula and adjacent islands. Pyongyang is the capital and largest city.

The Korean Peninsula was first inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in the early 7th century BCE. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea into Silla and Balhae in the late 7th century, Korea was ruled by the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). The succeeding Korean Empire (1897–1910) was annexed in 1910 into the Empire of Japan. In 1945, after the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II, Korea was divided into two zones along the 38th parallel, with the north occupied by the Soviet Union and the south occupied by the United States. In 1948, separate governments were formed in Korea: the socialist and Soviet-aligned Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north, and the capitalist, Western-aligned Republic of Korea in the south. The North Korean invasion of South Korea in 1950 started the Korean War. In 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement brought about a ceasefire and established a demilitarized zone (DMZ), but no formal peace treaty has ever been signed. Post-war North Korea benefited greatly from economic aid and expertise provided by other Eastern Bloc countries. However, Kim Il Sung, North Korea's first leader, promoted his personal philosophy of Juche as the state ideology. Pyongyang's international isolation sharply accelerated from the 1980s onwards as the Cold War came to an end. The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 then brought about a sharp decline to the North Korean economy. From 1994 to 1998, North Korea suffered a famine with the population continuing to suffer from malnutrition. In 2024, the DPRK formally abandoned efforts to peacefully reunify Korea. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

17th century portrait

The Shunzhi Emperor (15 March 1638 – 5 February 1661), also known by his temple name Emperor Shizu of Qing, personal name Fulin, was the second emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China proper. Upon the death of his father Hong Taiji, a committee of Manchu princes chose the 5-year-old Fulin as successor. The princes also appointed two co-regents: Dorgon, the 14th son of Nurhaci, and Jirgalang, one of Nurhaci's nephews, both of whom were members of the Qing imperial clan. In November 1644, the Shunzhi Emperor was enthroned as emperor of China in Beijing.

From 1643 to 1650, political power lay mostly in the hands of the prince regent Dorgon. Under his leadership, the Qing conquered most of the territory of the fallen Ming dynasty, chased Ming loyalist regimes deep into the southwestern provinces, and established the basis of Qing rule over China proper despite highly unpopular policies such as the "hair cutting command" of 1645, which forced all Qing male subjects to shave their forehead and braid their remaining hair into a queue resembling that of the Manchus. After Dorgon's death on the last day of 1650, the young Shunzhi Emperor started to rule personally. He tried, with mixed success, to fight corruption and to reduce the political influence of the Manchu nobility. In the 1650s, he faced a resurgence of Ming loyalist resistance, but by 1661 his armies had defeated the Qing's last enemies, Koxinga and the Prince of Gui, both of whom would succumb the following year. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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Featured picture

Indonesian rupiah

Banknotes: Bank of Indonesia

The rupiah is the national currency of Indonesia. Introduced in 1946 by Indonesian nationalists fighting for independence, the currency replaced a version of the Netherlands Indies gulden which had been introduced during the Japanese occupation in World War II. In its early years the rupiah was used in conjunction with other currencies, including a new version of the gulden introduced by the Dutch. Since 1950, it has had a lengthy history of inflation and revaluation. As of August 2018, the currency—which is issued and controlled by the Bank of Indonesia—is trading for more than 14,600 rupiah to the United States dollar.

This note, denominated 100,000 rupiah, is from a 2011 revision of an earlier series. It depicts Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta, respectively Indonesia's first president and vice-president, on its obverse, and the People's Consultative Assembly building on its reverse.

See other denominations: Rp 1,000, Rp 2,000, Rp 5,000, Rp 10,000, Rp 20,000, Rp 50,000

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Did you know...

... that Syrian artist Kefah Ali Deeb painted an empty chair as her vision of victims and refugees?
... that the mild climate in the remote mountain village of Wakan in Oman allows the growth of fruits such as pomegranates in an otherwise hot and dry country?
... that Majidreza Rahnavard was the first Iranian to be executed in public in connection with the Mahsa Amini protests?
... 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 Eunus, a Syrian slave and reputed prophet, led a slave revolt in Sicily against the Roman Republic?
... that intangible heritage unique to Palestine includes women's story-telling, embroidery, dance, and soap-making?
... that Indian historian R. Champakalakshmi was a script consultant for Bharat Ek Khoj, a television series based on Jawaharlal Nehru's The Discovery of India?
... that Ridho Rahmadi helped develop digital apps for the Ummah Party before he was appointed its chairman?
... that in the span of five years, Elsie Chin was a nurse during the Battle of Hong Kong, served with the Chinese Red Cross, trained soldiers on first aid in India, and joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corps?
... that according to its president Said Iqbal, Indonesia's Labour Party would form "personal" coalitions with presidential candidates?

Updated: 21:05, 22 June 2025

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In the news

22 June 2025 – Middle Eastern crisis: Iran–Israel war; Airstrikes during the Iran–Israel war; United States strikes on Iranian nuclear sites; U.S. president Donald Trump announces that the U.S. Air Force has conducted strikes on several nuclear facilities in Iran, including Natanz Nuclear Facility and Fordow Uranium Enrichment Plant. (The Times of Israel); The Parliament of Iran votes for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to the U.S. attacks. (The Guardian); Iran launches over 40 ballistic missiles at Israel, injuring at least 23 people and destroying apartments and homes. (Associated Press)

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Related portals

Major Religions in Asia

Middle East (West Asia)

Central Asia and Caucasus

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

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Selected panorama

Credit: Rangan Datta Wiki

The Buriganga River flows past the southwest outskirts of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Its average depth is 7.6 metres (25 ft) and its maximum depth is 18 metres (58 ft).

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