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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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Slow lorises are nocturnal strepsirrhine primates in the genus Nycticebus that live in the rainforests of South and Southeast Asia. They are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation from deforestation, selective logging, and slash-and-burn agriculture, as well as by collection and hunting for the wildlife trade, including the exotic pet trade, and for use in traditional medicine and as bushmeat. Because of these and other threats, all five species of slow loris are listed as either "Vulnerable" or "Endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their conservation status was originally listed as "Least Concern" in 2000 because of imprecise population surveys and the frequency in which these primates were found in animal markets. Because of their rapidly declining populations and local extinctions, their status was updated and in 2007 the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) elevated them to Appendix I, which prohibits international commercial trade. Local laws also protect slow lorises from hunting and trade, but enforcement is lacking in most areas.

Traditional beliefs regarding slow lorises have been part of the folklore of Southeast Asia for at least several hundred years. Their remains are buried under houses and roads to bring good luck, and every part of their body is used in traditional medicine to make products ranging from love potions to unproven cures for cancer, leprosy, epilepsy, and sexually transmitted diseases. The primary users of this traditional medicine are urban, middle-aged women who are reluctant to consider alternatives. (Full article...)

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Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan, is a doubly landlocked country located in Central Asia. It is surrounded by five countries: Kazakhstan to the north, Kyrgyzstan to the northeast, Tajikistan to the southeast, Afghanistan to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southwest, making it one of only two doubly landlocked countries on Earth, the other being Liechtenstein. Uzbekistan is part of the Turkic world, as well as a member of the Organization of Turkic States. Uzbek is the majority language, while Russian is widely spoken and understood. Islam is the predominant religion, and most Uzbeks are Sunni Muslims.

The first recorded settlers in the land of what is modern Uzbekistan were Eastern Iranian nomads, known as Scythians, who founded kingdoms in Khwarazm, Bactria, and Sogdia in the 8th–6th centuries BC, as well as Fergana and Margiana in the 3rd century BC – 6th century AD. The area was incorporated into the Achaemenid Empire and, after a period of Greco-Bactrian rule, was ruled by the Parthian Empire and later by the Sasanian Empire, until the Muslim conquest of Persia in the seventh century. The early Muslim conquests and the subsequent Samanid Empire converted most of the people into adherents of Islam. During this period, cities began to grow rich from the Silk Road, and became a center of the Islamic Golden Age. The local Khwarazmian dynasty was destroyed by the Mongol invasion in the 13th century, leading to a dominance by Turkic peoples. Timur (Tamerlane) in the 14th century established the Timurid Empire. Its capital was Samarkand, which became a centre of science under the rule of Ulugh Beg, giving birth to the Timurid Renaissance. The territories of the Timurid dynasty were conquered by Uzbek Shaybanids in the 16th century. Conquests by Emperor Babur towards the east led to the foundation of the Mughal Empire in India. All of Central Asia was gradually incorporated into the Russian Empire during the 19th century, with Tashkent becoming the political center of Russian Turkestan. In 1924, national delimitation created the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic as a republic of the Soviet Union. It declared independence as the Republic of Uzbekistan in 1991. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Tata in 2005

Ratan Naval Tata (born 28 December 1937) is an Indian industrialist, philanthropist and former chairman of Tata Sons. He was a chairman of the Tata Group from 1990 to 2012, and interim chairman from October 2016 through February 2017. He continues to head its charitable trusts. In 2008, he received the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour in India, after receiving the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in 2000.

He is the son of Naval Tata, who was adopted by Ratanji Tata, son of Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group. He graduated from the Cornell University College of Architecture with a bachelor's degree in architecture. He joined Tata in 1961, where he worked on the shop floor of Tata Steel. He later succeeded J. R. D. Tata as chairman of Tata Sons upon the latter's retirement in 1991. Under his tenure the Tata Group acquired Tetley, Jaguar Land Rover, and Corus, in an attempt to turn Tata from a largely India-centric group into a global business. Tata is also one of the largest philanthropists in the world, having donated around 60–65% of his income to charity. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

Featured picture

Jaflong

Credit: Abdul Momin

An old man carrying two baskets on a stick through a field of tea plants in Jaflong, Sylhet, Bangladesh, with misty hills in the background.

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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

In the news

11 June 2024 – Israel–Hamas war: Humanitarian aid during the Israel–Hamas war; United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken announces more than $400 million in new humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza. (CNN)
11 June 2024 – Islamic State insurgency in Iraq: Iraqi security forces in cooperation with U.S.-led coalition forces kill Abu Zainab, a senior member of Islamic State in Raqqa, Syria. (Reuters)
11 June 2024 – Korean conflict: South Korea says that its forces fired warning shots at North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the demarcation line in the Korean Demilitarized Zone. South Korean authorities state that they believe the intrusion, which occurred in a densely forested area, was accidental. (Reuters)
11 June 2024 –: The World Bank approves $1 billion for the construction of the Dasu Dam in northwest Pakistan. (Al-Arabiya)
11 June 2024 – Russia–Sri Lanka relations, Foreign involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine: Sri Lanka's foreign ministry says that the country has received assurances from Russia that it would stop recruiting Sri Lankan citizens to fight in Ukraine. (Al-Arabiya)

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Major Religions in Asia

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Central Asia and Surroundings

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

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.