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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

The Battle of Musa Qala (also Qaleh or Qal'eh) was a British-led military action in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan, launched by the Afghan National Army and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) against the Taliban on 7 December 2007. After three days of intense fighting, the Taliban retreated into the mountains on 10 December. Musa Qala was officially reported captured on 12 December, with Afghan Army troops pushing into the town centre.

The operation was codenamed snakepit (Pashto: Mar Kardad). Senior ISAF officers, including U.S. general Dan K. McNeill, the overall ISAF commander, agreed to the assault on 17 November 2007. It followed more than nine months of Taliban occupation of the town, the largest the insurgents controlled at the time of the battle. ISAF forces had previously occupied the town, until a controversial withdrawal in late 2006. (Full article...)

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Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated near the western shore of the Persian Gulf and latitudinally about two-thirds the shore's length from the north, the country comprises a small archipelago of 33 natural islands and an additional 50 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which makes up around 80 percent of the country's landmass. Bahrain is situated between Qatar and the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia, to which it is connected by the King Fahd Causeway. The population is 1,588,670 as of 2024, of whom 739,736 (46.6% of the population) are Bahraini nationals, and 848,934 are expatriates (53.4% of the population). Bahrain spans some 760 square kilometres (290 sq mi) and is the third-smallest nation in Asia after Maldives and Singapore. The capital and largest city is Manama.

The area that straddles the present-day territory of Bahrain was once the site of the ancient Dilmun civilisation. It has been famed since antiquity for its pearl fisheries, which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century. Bahrain was one of the earliest areas to be influenced by Islam, during the lifetime of Muhammad in 628. Following a period of Arab rule, Bahrain was ruled by the Portuguese Empire from 1521 until 1602, when they were expelled by Shah Abbas the Great of the Safavid Iran. In 1783, the Bani Utbah and allied tribes captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur. It has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family, with Ahmed al Fateh as Bahrain's first hakim. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Roshan in 2024

Hritik Rakesh Nagrath (born 10 January 1974), known professionally as Hrithik Roshan (Hindi: [ˈɾɪt̪ɪk ɾoːʃən]), is an Indian actor and producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred as the millenial superstar, he has portrayed a variety of characters and is known for his dancing skills. One of the highest-paid actors in India, he has won many awards, including six Filmfare Awards, of which four were for Best Actor. Starting from 2012, he has appeared in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 several times based on his income and popularity.

Roshan has frequently collaborated with his father, Rakesh Roshan. He made brief appearances as a child actor in several films in the 1980s and later worked as an assistant director on four of his father's films. His first leading role was in the box-office success Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), for which he received several awards. Performances in the 2000 terrorism drama Fiza and the 2001 ensemble family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham consolidated his reputation but were followed by several poorly received films. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 2Hinduism 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 3Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 4Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 5Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 6The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 7Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 8The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 9Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 10Map of the Qing Empire in 1832 (from History of Asia)
Image 11Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 12Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 13Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 14Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 15The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 16Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History 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 18The 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 19Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 20Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 21Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 22The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 23Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 24The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 25The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 26East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 27Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 28Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 29The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 30Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 31The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 32A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 33Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 34Korean 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 35Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 36The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 37Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 38Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 39British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 40Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 41The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 42Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 43Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 44The 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 45Expansion of the Mongol Empire 1206-1294 (from History of Asia)
Image 46Expansion of the Delhi Sultanate (from History of Asia)
Image 47Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south. (from History of Asia)
Image 48A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 49Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 50Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 51Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 52The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 53A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 54The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 55Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History 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 Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 58the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 59Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 60Political map of the world in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 61Detail 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 62A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 63Detail 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 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 65Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 66Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 67Some 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 68The 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 69Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)

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Featured picture

Gamelan

Credit: Fir0002

A gamelan is a kind of musical ensemble of Indonesian origin typically featuring metallophones, xylophones, drums, and gongs. The term can be used to refer either to the set of instruments or the players of those instruments. Traditionally, "gamelan" comes from the Javanese word "gamel", meaning hammer.

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Did you know...

... that a nationwide survey found that one in three Japanese people have an oshi?
... that Lick Creek, a settlement of freeborn Black people, used to exist in Hoosier National Forest?
... that Mao Zedong ordered the lenient treatment of bandit leader Cheng Lianzhen, as he thought it rare for a female bandit leader to be from an ethnic minority in China?
... that tens of thousands of Vietnamese Catholics travel to Missouri annually to attend Marian Days at Our Lady of the Ozarks College?
... that crab is served in school meals in Toyama Prefecture?
... that Filipino politician Miriam Defensor Santiago is known as the "Iron Lady of Asia"?
... that the Bank of Korea asked the makers of a cheese-filled waffle to change its design?
... that when Dutch ships reached China for the first time, seventeen out of twenty crew members were executed by the Portuguese?
... that Japanese costume designer Satomi Ito has created costumes for figure skating, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, equestrian vaulting, ballet, and ballroom dance?
... that Japanese singer Cindy was once said to have an "angel voice"?

Updated: 1:05, 16 May 2026

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In the news

15 May 2026 – Middle Eastern crisis: 2026 Iran war; Antisemitism during the 2026 Iran war; Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a commander of the IRGC-aligned Shia Iraqi militia group Kata'ib Hezbollah, is arrested by the U.S. Justice Department after allegedly planning attacks on Jewish sites in the United States, including a synagogue in New York City, along with attacks in Europe as part of a broader campaign of retaliation by Iran over the war. (The New York Times) (Haaretz); 2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations; U.S. President Donald Trump says that he is open to accepting Iran's 20-year suspension on their nuclear program if Iran gives a real guarantee. (Times of Israel); 2026 Lebanon war

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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

200pxAlong the River During the Qingming Festival

Credit: Zhang Zeduan

Along the River During the Qingming Festival is a painting from China's Song Dynasty that captures the daily life of people from the period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng. As an artistic creation, the piece has been revered, and court artists of subsequent dynasties have made several re-interpretive replicas. The painting is famous because of its geometrically accurate images of boats, bridges, shops, and scenery. Because of its fame, it has been called "China's Mona Lisa".

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