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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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The imperial ensign (basilikon phlamoulon) with the tetragrammic cross, carried by Byzantine warships in the 14th century, as described by Pseudo-Kodinos and illustrated in the Castilian atlas Conosçimiento de todos los reynos (c. 1350)

The Byzantine navy was the naval force of the Byzantine Empire. Like the state it served, it was a direct continuation from its Roman predecessor, but played a far greater role in the defence and survival of the state than its earlier iteration. While the fleets of the Roman Empire faced few great naval threats, operating as a policing force vastly inferior in power and prestige to the army, command of the sea became vital to the very existence of the Byzantine state, which several historians have called a "maritime empire".

The first threat to Roman hegemony in the Mediterranean Sea was posed by the Vandals in the 5th century, but their threat was ended by the wars of Justinian I in the 6th century. The re-establishment of a permanently maintained fleet and the introduction of the dromon galley in the same period also marks the point when the Byzantine navy began departing from its late Roman roots and developing its own characteristic identity. This process would be furthered with the onset of the early Muslim conquests in the 7th century. Following the loss of the Levant and later Africa, the Mediterranean was transformed from a "Roman lake" into a battleground between the Byzantines and a series of Muslim states. In this struggle, the Byzantine fleets were critical, not only for the defence of the Empire's far-flung possessions around the Mediterranean basin, but also for repelling seaborne attacks against the imperial capital of Constantinople itself. Through the use of the newly invented "Greek fire", the Byzantine navy's best-known and feared secret weapon, Constantinople was saved from several sieges and numerous naval engagements resulted in Byzantine victories. (Full article...)

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The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as Maldive Islands, is a country and archipelagic state in South Asia in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is named after the main island and capital, Malé. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750 kilometres (470 miles; 400 nautical miles) from the Asian continent's mainland. The Maldives' chain of 26 atolls stretches across the equator from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to Addu Atoll in the south.

The Maldives is the smallest country in Asia. Including the sea, the territory spans roughly 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 sq mi), and a land area of 298 square kilometres (115 sq mi). The Maldives is one of the world's most geographically dispersed sovereign states, and the smallest Muslim-majority country by land area. With a population of 515,132 in the 2022 census, it is the 2nd least populous country in Asia and the ninth-smallest country in the world by area. Malé is the capital and the most populated city, traditionally called the "King's Island", where the ancient royal dynasties ruled from its central location. The Maldivian Archipelago is located on the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge, a vast submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean; this also forms a terrestrial ecoregion with the Chagos Archipelago and Lakshadweep. The Maldives has an average ground-level elevation of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, and a highest natural point of only 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in), making it the world's lowest-lying country. Some sources state the highest point, Mount Villingili, as 5.1 metres or 17 feet. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Sabri Khalil al-Banna (Arabic: صبري خليل البنا; May 1937 – 16 August 2002), known by his nom de guerre Abu Nidal, was the founder of Fatah: The Revolutionary Council (Arabic: فتح المجلس الثوري), a militant Palestinian splinter group more commonly known as the Abu Nidal Organization (ANO). At the height of its militancy in the 1970s and 1980s, the ANO was widely regarded as the most ruthless of the Palestinian groups.

Abu Nidal ("father of struggle") formed the ANO in October 1974 after a split from Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Acting as a freelance contractor, Abu Nidal is believed to have ordered attacks in 20 countries, killing over 300 and injuring over 650. The group's operations included the Rome and Vienna airport attacks on 27 December 1985, when gunmen opened fire on passengers in simultaneous shootings at El Al ticket counters, killing 20. Patrick Seale, Abu Nidal's biographer, wrote of the shootings that their "random cruelty marked them as typical Abu Nidal operations". (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 2Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 3Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 4Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 5The 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 6Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 7Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 8Projected GDP of 7 largest economies in 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 9Detail 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 10Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 11The 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 12Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 13The Delhi Sultanate. (from History of Asia)
Image 14Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 15The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 16Map of Asia for early 20th century (from History of Asia)
Image 17The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 18The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)
Image 19Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 20Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 21The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 22A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 23The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 24Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 25A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 26Hinduism 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 27The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 28Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 29Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 30Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 31Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 32The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 33The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 34Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 35The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 36Some 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 37Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 38Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 39The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 40British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 41Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 42Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 43The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 44Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 45Political map of Asia in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 46Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 47Korean 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 48The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 49The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 50A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 51Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 52Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 53Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 54A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 55Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 56Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 57Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 58East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 59Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 60Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 61Detail 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 62The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 63India'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 64the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 65Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 66Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 67Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 68Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 69The 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)

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Featured picture

Kaindy lake

Credit: Jonas Satkauskas

Kaindy lake in south-east of Kazakhstan. The mountain lakes like this form after the landslide blocks the mountain river. The trunks are dead Picea schrenkiana trees.

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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

24 April 2024 – AMIA bombing: Argentina issues an arrest warrant via Interpol for Iranian interior minister Ahmad Vahidi in connection with the 1994 bombing of a Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires. Vahidi is currently believed to be in Sri Lanka. (BBC News)
23 April 2024 – Israel–Hamas war: Israel–Hezbollah conflict; An Israeli Air Force airstrike kills two people and injures six others in Hanine, Lebanon. (Reuters); 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 near the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. (The New York Times)
23 April 2024 – 2024 Lumut mid-air collision: Two Royal Malaysian Navy helicopters collide in mid-air during a rehearsal parade in Lumut, Malaysia, killing all ten people on board. (CNA)

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Related portals

Major Religions in Asia

Middle East

Central Asia and Surroundings

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

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Selected panorama

Credit: Benh LIEU SONG

The Central Area of Singapore surrounded by the perimeter of five planning areas: the Marina Bay, the Downtown Core, Marina East, Marina South and Straits View. The area surrounding the bay itself, also called Marina Bay, is a 360 hectare extension to the adjacent CBD. It is also the new downtown of Singapore built on reclaimed land.