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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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Gangtok (Sikkimese: [ɡaŋt̪ʰòk]) is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Sikkim. The seat of eponymous district, Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayan range, at an elevation of 1,650 m (5,410 ft). The city's population of 100,000 consists of the three Sikkimese ethnicities the Bhutias, Lepchas, Gorkhalis and also plainsmen from other states of India have settled here. Within the higher peaks of the Himalayas and with a year-round mild temperate climate, Gangtok is at the centre of Sikkim's tourism industry.

Gangtok rose to prominence as a popular Buddhist pilgrimage site after the construction of the Enchey Monastery in 1840. In 1894, the ruling Sikkimese Chogyal, Thutob Namgyal, transferred the capital to Gangtok. In the early 20th century, Gangtok became a major stopover on the trade route between Lhasa in Tibet and cities such as Kolkata (then Calcutta) in British India. After India won its independence from the British Empire in 1947, Sikkim chose to remain an independent monarchy, with Gangtok as its capital. After Sikkim's merger with India in 1975, Gangtok continued as the state capital. (Full article...)

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Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR or LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. At the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula, Laos is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest. Its capital and largest city is Vientiane.

Present-day Laos traces its historic and cultural identity to Lan Xang, which existed from the 13th century to the 18th century as one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. Because of its central geographical location in Southeast Asia, the kingdom became a hub for overland trade and became wealthy economically and culturally. After a period of internal conflict, Lan Xang broke into three separate kingdoms: Luang Phrabang, Vientiane and Champasak. In 1893, the three kingdoms came under a French protectorate and were united to form what is now known as Laos. It was occupied by Japan during World War II and briefly regained independence in 1945 as a Japanese puppet state but was re-colonised by France until it won autonomy in 1949. Laos regained independence in 1953 as the Kingdom of Laos, with a constitutional monarchy under Sisavang Vong. A civil war began in 1959, which saw the communist Pathet Lao, supported by North Vietnam and the Soviet Union, fight against the Royal Lao Armed Forces, supported by the United States. After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party came to power, ending the civil war and the monarchy. Laos was then dependent on military and economic aid from the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991. (Full article...)

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Lady Shirley as painted by Anthony van Dyck in Rome, 1622

Teresa Sampsonia (born Sampsonia; after marriage Lady Shirley, 1589–1668) was an Iranian-English noblewoman of the Safavid Empire of Iran. She was the wife of Elizabethan English adventurer Robert Shirley, whom she accompanied on his travels and embassies across Europe in the name of the Safavid King (Shah) Abbas the Great (r. 1588–1629).

Teresa was received by many of the royal houses of Europe, such as English prince Henry Frederick and Queen Anne (her child's godparents) and contemporary writers and artists such as Thomas Herbert and Anthony van Dyck. Herbert considered Robert Shirley "the greatest Traveller of his time", but admired the "undaunted Lady Teresa" even more. Following the death of her husband from dysentery in 1628, and due to impediments from grandees at the court, and the authorities, during the reign of Abbas's successor and grandson Safi (r. 1629–1642), Teresa decided to leave Iran. She lived in a convent in Rome for the rest of her life, devoting her time to charity and religion. As a pious Christian, and because of her love for her husband, Teresa had Shirley's remains transported to Rome from Isfahan and reburied; on the headstone of their mutual grave she mentions their travels and refers to her noble Circassian origins. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 2Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 3Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 4Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 5East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 6Detail 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 7The Delhi Sultanate. (from History of Asia)
Image 8Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 9Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 10The 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 11The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 12The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 13The 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 14Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 15The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)
Image 16The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 17Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 18The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 19India'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 20Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 21the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 22British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 23Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 24Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 25The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 26Some 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 27Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 28Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 29The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 30Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 31Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 32The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 33A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 34Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 35Projected GDP of 7 largest economies in 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 36The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 37The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 38Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 39The 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 40Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 41Korean 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 42The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 43The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 44Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 45Detail 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 46A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 47Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 48Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 49Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 50Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 51Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 52Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 53The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 54The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 55Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 56Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 57Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 58Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 59Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History 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 61Hinduism 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 62A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 63Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 64Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 65Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 66Map of Asia for early 20th century (from History of Asia)
Image 67Political map of Asia in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 68The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 69A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)

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Featured picture

Masada

Credit: Photograph: Andrew Shiva

An aerial view of Masada, an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel. Found atop an isolated rock plateau, it overlooks the Dead Sea. The first fortifications on the mountain were built by Alexander Jannaeus, and significantly strengthened by the Roman client king Herod between 37 and 31 BCE. During the First Jewish–Roman War of 66–73 CE, the fortress was besieged, falling only after the 960 Sicarii defending it committed mass suicide. Masada is among the more popular tourist attractions in Israel, and in 2001 it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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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 – Israel–Hamas war: Nasser Hospital mass graves, Nasser Hospital siege; United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk calls for an international investigation after hundreds of bodies are discovered in mass graves around Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip. (The New York Times); Spillover of the Israel–Hamas war; An Israeli Air Force airstrike kills two people and injures six others in Hanine, Lebanon. (Reuters)
23 April 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine: The United States announces it is preparing a $1 billion aid package to Ukraine in an Israel-Ukraine aid bill yet to be signed. (Reuters)
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)

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Major Religions in Asia

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Central Asia and Surroundings

Indian Subcontinent

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Selected panorama

Credit: Benh Lieu Song

The Ratchaprasong and Sukhumvit skylines of Bangkok, the capital of and largest city in Thailand, with Lumphini Park in the center, as viewed from the Sathon District. Known in Thai as Krung Thep ("city of angels"), it became the capital in 1768 after the destruction of Ayutthaya by Burmese invaders.