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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

R. s. sondaicus in the London Zoo from March 1874 until January 1885

The Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), also called Javan rhino, Sunda rhinoceros and lesser one-horned rhinoceros is a critically endangered member of the genus Rhinoceros, of the rhinoceros family Rhinocerotidae, and one of the five remaining extant rhinoceros species. It has a plate-like skin with protective folds and is one of the smallest rhinoceros species with a body length of 3.1–3.2 m (10.2–10.5 ft) and a 1.4–1.7 m (4.6–5.6 ft) long tail. The heaviest specimens weigh around 2,300 kg (5,100 lb). Its horn is usually shorter than 25 cm (9.8 in).

Until the mid-19th to about the early 20th century, the Javan rhinoceros had ranged beyond the islands of Java and Sumatra and onto the mainland of Southeast Asia and Indochina, northwest into East India, Bhutan, and the south of China. Today, it is the rarest of all rhinoceroses, and among the rarest of all living animal species, with only one currently known wild population, and no individuals successfully kept in captivity. It is among the rarest large mammals in the world with a population around 74 within Ujung Kulon National Park, at the far western tip of Java, Indonesia. (Full article...)

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Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand, and formerly known as Siam, is a country located in Mainland Southeast Asia. It shares land borders with Myanmar to the west and northwest, Laos to the east and northeast, Cambodia to the southeast, and Malaysia to the south. Its maritime boundaries include the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea and shares maritime borders with Vietnam, Indonesia, and India. Thailand has a population of nearly 66 million people and covers an area of approximately 513,115 km² (198,115 sq mi). The capital and largest city is Bangkok.

Archaeological evidence indicates that humans have inhabited the area for at least 40,000 years. Indigenous ethnic groups include the Mon, Khmer, and Malay people. The Tai people are believed to have originated from the Điện Biên Phủ region since the 5th century and began migrating into the territory of modern Thailand between the 8th and 10th centuries. During the classical historical period, major kingdoms such as Sukhothai, Lan Na, and Ayutthaya were established. The Sukhothai Kingdom is regarded as the beginning of Thai history, while the Ayutthaya Kingdom, founded in 1350 CE, became a regional power replacing the Khmer Empire. European contact began in 1511 when Portuguese envoys arrived in Ayutthaya. The Ayutthaya Kingdom flourished until its complete destruction during the 1765–1767 Burmese–Siamese War by the Burmese forces under the Konbaung dynasty in 1767. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Zinta in 2018

Preity G. Zinta (pronounced [ˈpɾiːt̪i ˈzɪɳʈɑː]; born 31 January 1975) is an Indian actress and entrepreneur primarily known for her work in Hindi films. After graduating with degrees in English honours and criminal psychology, Zinta made her acting debut in Dil Se.. in 1998, followed by a role in Soldier in the same year. These performances earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut, and she was later recognised for her role as a teenage single mother in Kya Kehna (2000). She established a career as a leading Hindi film actress of the decade with a variety of character types. Her roles, often deemed culturally defiant, along with her unconventional screen persona won her recognition and several accolades.

Following critically appreciated roles in Sangharsh (1999), Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001), Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Dil Hai Tumhaara (2002), and Armaan (2003), Zinta received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). She starred in two consecutive annual top-grossing films in India, Koi... Mil Gaya (2003) and Veer-Zaara (2004), and was noted for her portrayal of independent, modern Indian women in Salaam Namaste (2005) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), top-grossing productions in domestic and overseas markets. For her first international role in the Canadian drama Heaven on Earth (2008) she was awarded the Silver Hugo Award for Best Actress and nominated for the Genie Award. She followed this with a hiatus from acting work for several years, with intermittent appearances such as in her self-produced comeback film, Ishkq in Paris (2013), which failed to leave a mark. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 2Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 3Expansion of the Delhi Sultanate (from History of Asia)
Image 4Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 5The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 6Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 7Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 8Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 9Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 10A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 11Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 12Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 13Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 14The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 15Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 16Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 17The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 18Byzantine and Sasanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 19Expansion of the Mongol Empire 1206-1294 (from History of Asia)
Image 20Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 21The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 22Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 23Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 24Some 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 25Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 26Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 27A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 28Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 29The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 30Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 31Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south. (from History of Asia)
Image 32Korean 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 33Detail 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 34Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 35Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 36Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 37The 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 38Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 39East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 40Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 41Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 42Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 43The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 44The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 45Hinduism 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 46Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 47Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 48Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established the Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 49Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 50Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 51Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 52The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 53The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 54A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 55India'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 56Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 57The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 58The 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 59The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 60Political map of the world in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 61The 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 62The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 63British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 64The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 65Map of the Qing Empire in 1832 (from History of Asia)
Image 66Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 67the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 68A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)

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Burj Khalifa

Credit: Donaldytong

The Burj Khalifa (previously known as Burj Dubai prior to inauguration) is a megatall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it is the world's tallest structure, with a total height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft, or just over half a mile) and a roof height (excluding the antenna, but including a 242.6 m spire) of 828 m (2,717 ft). It has also been the tallest building in the world since its topping out in 2009, surpassing Taipei 101, which had held the record since 2004. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

... that although Australia and New Zealand competed at the 2017 Asian Winter Games, they were ineligible to win medals?
... that Priyo Iswanto used what he called "WhatsApp diplomacy" to initiate diplomatic relations between Barbados and Indonesia?
... that the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival canceled the screening of a politically themed film due to the "inability to locate suitable copies", despite the film having been showcased three years earlier?
... that the Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United Nations is housed in a former public bath?
... that the principal of a high school in Taiwan resigned after students held a Nazi-themed parade, complete with mock uniforms and a cardboard tank?
... that Abdulhussain Abdulredha was nearly assassinated for his depiction of Saddam Hussein in Saif al-Arab?
... that gamblers in Myanmar worship the spirit Thone Myo Shin to ensure victory in cockfights?
... that the Indonesian novel Verses of Love has been read as a challenge to Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses?
... that the Chinese community of Kota Kinabalu sponsored the creation of the Malaysia Monument just 20 days before it needed to be completed to mark the formation of Malaysia?
... that Filipino politician Miriam Defensor Santiago is known as the "Iron Lady of Asia"?

Updated: 1:05, 5 July 2026

In the news

4 July 2026 – 2026 Iran war: 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis; Oman reaches an agreement with France and the United Kingdom to ensure safe navigation through the country's waterways including the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz. (CNBC)
4 July 2026 – Yemeni civil war: Over 50 Houthi fighters and 15 soldiers are killed during clashes in Hodeidah, Yemen. Twenty-three more soldiers are also wounded. (Al Jazeera)
4 July 2026 – China–United States relations: China releases pastor Jin Mingri, the founder of the Beijing Zion Church, after detaining him since October, with ChinaAid.org saying officials presented the release as a goodwill gesture following U.S. president Donald Trump's visit to China last May. (AFP via New Straits Times)
4 July 2026 – 2026 Wimbledon Championships: In tennis, Alexandra Eala becomes the first Filipino singles player to reach the fourth round of a major tournament after defeating defending champion Iga Świątek in the third round of the Wimbledon Championships women's singles. (AP)
3 July 2026 – Gaza war: The Israeli military and Shin Bet state that Hamas militant Muhammad Na'im Jandiya, who allegedly took part in taking hostages during the attack on the Nahal Oz kibbutz in the October 7 attacks on Israel, has been killed in an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, violating the ongoing ceasefire. (The Jerusalem Post) (Ynetnews)

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Major Religions in Asia

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Selected panorama

Credit: David Castor

The Taj Mahal (Hindi: ताज महल, from Persian/Urdu: تاج محل "crown of palaces") is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage." Taj Mahal is the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish and Indian architectural styles.

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