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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 the boundary between 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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The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of China ruled by the Han people, the majority ethnic group in China. Although the primary capital of Beijing fell in 1644 to a rebellion led by Li Zicheng (who established the short-lived Shun dynasty), numerous rump regimes ruled by remnants of the Ming imperial family, collectively called the Southern Ming, survived until 1662.

The Ming dynasty's founder, the Hongwu Emperor (r. 1368–1398), attempted to create a society of self-sufficient rural communities ordered in a rigid, immobile system that would guarantee and support a permanent class of soldiers for his dynasty: the empire's standing army exceeded one million troops and the navy's dockyards in Nanjing were the largest in the world. He also took great care breaking the power of the court eunuchs and unrelated magnates, enfeoffing his many sons throughout China and attempting to guide these princes through the Huang-Ming Zuxun, a set of published dynastic instructions. This failed when his teenage successor, the Jianwen Emperor, attempted to curtail his uncle's power, prompting the Jingnan campaign, an uprising that placed the Prince of Yan upon the throne as the Yongle Emperor in 1402. The Yongle Emperor established Yan as a secondary capital and renamed it Beijing, constructed the Forbidden City, and restored the Grand Canal and the primacy of the imperial examinations in official appointments. He rewarded his eunuch supporters and employed them as a counterweight against the Confucian scholar-bureaucrats. One eunuch, Zheng He, led seven enormous voyages of exploration into the Indian Ocean as far as Arabia and the eastern coasts of Africa. Hongwu and Yongle emperors had also expanded the empire's rule into Inner Asia. (Full article...)

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Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ashgabat is the capital and largest city. It is one of the six independent Turkic states. With a population over 7 million, Turkmenistan is the 35th most-populous country in Asia and has the lowest population of the Central Asian republics while being one of the most sparsely populated nations on the Asian continent.

Turkmenistan has long served as a thoroughfare for several empires and cultures. Merv is one of the oldest oasis-cities in Central Asia, and was once among the biggest cities in the world. It was also one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by the Russian Empire in 1881, Turkmenistan figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik movement in Central Asia. In 1925, Turkmenistan became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (Turkmen SSR); it became independent after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Vidya in 2024

Vidya Balan (pronounced [ʋɪd̪ːja baːlən]; born 1 January 1979) is an Indian actress. Known for pioneering a change in the portrayal of women in Hindi cinema with her roles in female-led films, she is the recipient of several awards, including a National Film Award and seven Filmfare Awards. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2014.

Vidya aspired to a career in film from a young age and had her first acting role in the 1995 sitcom Hum Paanch. While pursuing a master's degree in sociology from the University of Mumbai, she made several unsuccessful attempts to start a career in film, and featured in television commercials and music videos. She made her film debut by starring in the Bengali film Bhalo Theko (2003) and received praise for her first Hindi film, the drama Parineeta (2005). This was followed by several commercial successes including Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), but her subsequent roles were met with negative reviews. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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Featured picture

Nagoya Castle

Credit: Samuel Louie

The main donjon of Nagoya Castle, a Japanese castle found in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. It was destroyed in World War II, but the donjon was reconstructed in 1959, and there are plans to also rebuild Honmaru Palace, which was also located within the castle walls.

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Did you know...

... that the Bank of Korea asked the makers of a cheese-filled waffle to change its design?
... that the author of Oh My Mother! has written about the phenomenon of giving Asian-American girls the name "Connie"?
... that South Korean actress Na O-mi's stage name was inspired by the song "I Dream of Naomi"?
... that the first batch of Action Computer Enterprise's Discovery 1600, one of the first multi-user microcomputers, was delivered to a tobacco-growing business in Thailand?
... that Basic Medicine features North Korean propaganda?
... that Adam Maraana, a Jewish Arab-Israeli, is competing in swimming for Israel at the 2024 Summer Olympics?
... that Scholastic requested Maggie Tokuda-Hall remove the phrase "virulent racism" from the Author's Note in Love in the Library, a children's book about Japanese-American internment camps?
... that Hyakuman-kai no "I Love You" is a popular confession song in Japan?
... that after seeing Taiwanese actor Mo Tzu-yi's work, a director sought to inquire about him at a film market, only to find Mo standing right behind him?
... that when he was the rector of the University of Indonesia, Asman Boedisantoso Ranakusuma sometimes took the train to campus to overhear criticism of the school?

Updated: 21:05, 11 June 2025

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In the news

12 June 2025 – Gaza war: At least 103 Palestinians are killed by Israeli fire in the past 24 hours across the Gaza Strip, including 21 people this morning near GHF sites. (Reuters)
12 June 2025 – Air India Flight 171: An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, crashes into a residential area shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat, India. Authorities find one survivor on the plane and 204 bodies have been recovered from the crash site so far. (CNA) (FOX)
11 June 2025 – Gaza war: At least 31 Palestinians are killed by the Israel Defense Forces at an aid distribution site in central Gaza. (Al Jazeera); Israeli forces in Gaza recover the bodies of two hostages abducted by Palestinian militants during the October 7 attacks. (Haaretz) (BBC News); Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
11 June 2025 –: Argentine president Javier Milei is awarded the Genesis Prize during a state visit to Israel for his "unequivocal support for Israel", becoming the first non-Jewish person to receive such recognition. (Clarín) (Haaretz)

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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: 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.