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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. 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. Thefore, 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 Temple of Eshmun (Arabic: معبد أشمون) is an ancient place of worship dedicated to Eshmun, the Phoenician god of healing. It is located near the Awali river, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) northeast of Sidon in southwestern Lebanon. The site was occupied from the 7th century BC to the 8th century AD, suggesting an integrated relationship with the nearby city of Sidon. Although originally constructed by Sidonian king Eshmunazar II in the Achaemenid era (c. 529–333 BC) to celebrate the city's recovered wealth and stature, the temple complex was greatly expanded by Bodashtart, Yatonmilk and later monarchs. Because the continued expansion spanned many centuries of alternating independence and foreign hegemony, the sanctuary features a wealth of different architectural and decorative styles and influences.

The sanctuary consists of an esplanade and a grand court limited by a huge limestone terrace wall that supports a monumental podium which was once topped by Eshmun's Greco-Persian style marble temple. The sanctuary features a series of ritual ablution basins fed by canals channeling water from the Asclepius river (modern Awali) and from the sacred "YDLL" spring; these installations were used for therapeutic and purificatory purposes that characterize the cult of Eshmun. The sanctuary site has yielded many artifacts of value, especially those inscribed with Phoenician texts, such as the Bodashtart inscriptions and the Eshmun inscription, providing valuable insight into the site's history and that of ancient Sidon. (Full article...)

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Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spans 513,115 square kilometres (198,115 sq mi). Thailand is bordered to the northwest by Myanmar, to the northeast and east by Laos, to the southeast by Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the southwest by the Andaman Sea; it also shares maritime borders with Vietnam to the southeast and Indonesia and India to the southwest. Bangkok is the state capital and largest city.

Thai peoples migrated from southwestern China to mainland Southeast Asia from the 6th to 11th centuries. Indianised kingdoms such as the Mon, Khmer Empire, and Malay states ruled the region, competing with Thai states such as the Kingdoms of Ngoenyang, Sukhothai, Lan Na, and Ayutthaya, which also rivalled each other. European contact began in 1511 with a Portuguese diplomatic mission to Ayutthaya, which became a regional power by the end of the 15th century. Ayutthaya reached its peak during the 18th century, until it was destroyed in the Burmese–Siamese War. King Taksin the Great quickly reunified the fragmented territory and established the short-lived Thonburi Kingdom (1767–1782), of which he was the only king. He was succeeded in 1782 by Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I), the first monarch of the current Chakri dynasty. Throughout the era of Western imperialism in Asia, Siam remained the only state in the region to avoid colonization by foreign powers, although it was often forced to make territorial, trade, and legal concessions in unequal treaties. The Siamese system of government was centralised and transformed into a modern unitary absolute monarchy during the 1868–1910 reign of Chulalongkorn (Rama V). In World War I, Siam sided with the Allies, a political decision made in order to amend the unequal treaties. Following a bloodless revolution in 1932, it became a constitutional monarchy and changed its official name to Thailand, becoming an ally of Japan in World War II. In the late 1950s, a military coup under Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat revived the monarchy's historically influential role in politics. During the Cold War, Thailand became a major ally of the United States and played an anti-communist role in the region as a member of SEATO, which was disbanded in 1977. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Zinta in 2018

Preity G Zinta (pronounced [ˈpriːt̪i ˈzɪɳʈa]; born 31 January 1975) is an Indian actress, film producer 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 subsequently established a career as a leading actress of Hindi cinema 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 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 for Best Actress. She followed this with a hiatus from acting work for several years, with the exception of 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 1Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 2The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 3Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture 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 5Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 6Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 7The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 8Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 9The 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 10Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 11The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 12The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 13India'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 14Map of Asia for early 20th century (from History of Asia)
Image 15Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 16British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 17A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 18Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 19Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 20The Delhi Sultanate. (from History of Asia)
Image 21Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 22Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 23Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 24East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 25Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 26Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 27The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 28Detail 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 29A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 30Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 31Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 32The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 33Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 34The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 35Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 36Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 37Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 38The 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 39The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 40Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 41Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 42The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 43Detail 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 44Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 45Political map of Asia in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 46Projected GDP of 7 largest economies in 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 47The 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 48Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 49Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 50Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 51Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 52The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)
Image 53A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 54Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 55The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 56The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 57Korean 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 58The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 59Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 60Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 61The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 62the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 63The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 64Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 65Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 66Hinduism 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 67Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 68A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 69Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)

Featured picture

Yerevan

Credit: Սէրուժ Ուրիշեան (Serouj Ourishian)

Mount Ararat and the Yerevan skyline. The Opera house is visible in the center.

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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

28 August 2024 – Israel–Hamas war: Israeli incursions in the West Bank during the Israel–Hamas war; 2024 Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank; The Israel Defense Forces launch a major military operation in the West Bank, primarily in the cities of Jenin and Tulkarm, with at least ten Palestinians killed and several others injured. The Al-Israa Specialised Hospital and the Thabet Thabet Governmental Hospital are surrounded, with ambulances are blocked from entering the hospitals. (Al Jazeera)
28 August 2024 – Myanmar civil war: Junta forces launch a major counteroffensive against rebels in Kachin State, Myanmar, following the fall of Momauk to the Kachin Independence Army. (Myanmar Now); A UN official says that the Arakan Army has begun indiscriminately attacking the Muslim Rohingya minority in Rakhine State after capturing much of the state, forcing thousands of people to flee. The rebel group is reportedly "rounding up groups" of Rohingya men and shelling Rohingya villages. (The Guardian)
28 August 2024 – Israel–Hezbollah conflict: Three Palestinian fighters and a Hezbollah militant are killed in an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle at a checkpoint on the Lebanon–Syria border. (Al Jazeera)

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Selected panorama

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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