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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

Map showing the two sites of attacks

Operation Infinite Reach was the codename for American cruise missile strikes on al-Qaeda bases that were launched concurrently across two continents on 20 August 1998. Launched by the U.S. Navy, the strikes hit the al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum, Sudan, and a camp in Khost Province, Afghanistan, in retaliation for al-Qaeda's August 7 bombings of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224 people (including 12 Americans) and injured over 4,000 others. Operation Infinite Reach was the first time the United States acknowledged a preemptive strike against a violent non-state actor.

U.S. intelligence wrongly suggested financial ties between the al-Shifa plant, which produced over half of Sudan's pharmaceuticals, and Osama bin Laden; a soil sample collected from al-Shifa allegedly contained a chemical used in VX nerve gas manufacturing. Suspecting that al-Shifa was linked to, and producing chemical weapons for, bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network, the U.S. destroyed the facility with cruise missiles, killing or wounding 11 Sudanese. The strike on al-Shifa proved controversial; after the attacks, the U.S. evidence and rationale were criticized as faulty, and academics Max Taylor and Mohamed Elbushra cite "a broad acceptance that this plant was not involved in the production of any chemical weapons." (Full article...)

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Selected Country

Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world and among the most densely populated with a population of almost 176 million within an area of 148,461 square kilometres (57,321 sq mi). Bangladesh shares land borders with India to the north, west, and east, and Myanmar to the southeast. It has a coastline along the Bay of Bengal to its south and is separated from Bhutan and Nepal by the Siliguri Corridor, and from China by the Indian state of Sikkim to its north. Dhaka, the capital and largest city, is the nation's political, financial, and cultural centre. Chittagong is the second-largest city and the busiest port of the country.

The territory of modern Bangladesh was a stronghold of many Hindu and Buddhist dynasties in ancient history. Following the Muslim conquest in 1204, the region saw Sultanate and Mughal rule. As the largest subdivision of the Mughal Empire, the region of Bengal emerged one of the most prosperous and commercially active areas of the world, known for its thriving textile industry and agricultural productivity. The Battle of Plassey in 1757 marked the beginning of British colonial rule for the following two centuries. The period experienced immense flight of capital which was used to finance the industrial revolution in Great Britain while Bengal was devastated by periods of deadly famines. In the aftermath of the Partition of India in 1947, East Bengal became the eastern and most populous wing of the newly formed Dominion of Pakistan and was later renamed to East Pakistan. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Khan in 2018

Shah Rukh Khan (pronounced [ˈʃaːɦɾʊx xäːn] ^ⓘ; born as Shahrukh Khan on 2 November 1965), popularly known by the initials SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer renowned for his work in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has appeared in more than 90 films and earned numerous accolades, including a National Film Award and 15 Filmfare Awards. He has been awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India, as well as the Order of Arts and Letters and Legion of Honour by the Government of France. Khan has a significant following in Asia and among the Indian diaspora worldwide. In terms of audience size and income, several media outlets have described him as one of the most successful film stars in the world. Many of his films thematise Indian national identity and connections with diaspora communities, or gender, racial, social and religious differences and grievances.

Khan began his career with appearances in several television series in the late 1980s and made his Hindi film debut in 1992 with the musical romance Deewana. He was initially recognised for playing villainous roles in the films Baazigar (1993), Darr (1993), and Anjaam (1994). Khan established himself as a leading actor by starring in a series of top-grossing romantic films, reaching international audiences with hits such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Yes Boss (1997), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Mohabbatein (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004), and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). He earned critical acclaim for his portrayal of an alcoholic in the period romantic drama Devdas (2002), a NASA scientist in the social drama Swades (2004), a hockey coach in the sports drama Chak De! India (2007), and a man with Asperger syndrome in the drama My Name Is Khan (2010). Further commercial successes came with the romances Om Shanti Om (2007) and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008), and with his expansion to comedies in Chennai Express (2013) and Happy New Year (2014). Following a brief setback and hiatus, Khan made a career comeback with the 2023 action thrillers Pathaan and Jawan, both of which rank among the highest-grossing Indian films. For Jawan, he received the National Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 2Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 3The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 4The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 5The Battle of Chinkiang of the First Opium War (from History of Asia)
Image 6The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 7A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 8Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 9Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 10The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 11Some 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 12The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 13The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 14Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 15Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 16The 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 17Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 18A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 19Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 20Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 21Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 22A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 23Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 24the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 25Political map of the world in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 26India'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 27The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 28Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 29Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 30Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 31The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 32Expansion of the Mongol Empire 1206-1294 (from History of Asia)
Image 33Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 34Expansion of the Delhi Sultanate (from History of Asia)
Image 35Byzantine and Sasanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 36Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 37The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 38Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 39Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 40Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 41Hinduism 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 42Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 43The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 44Detail 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 45Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 46Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 47Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 48Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 49Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established the Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 50The 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

Seaweed farming

Credit: Jean-Marie Hullot

A farmer harvests seaweed growing on a rope, on the small island of Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia. Wooden posts demarcate the bay into rectangular plots that are owned by different families. Seaweed farming is a fairly simple process: Attached plants are placed in the sea and allowed to grow naturally, with little human intervention.

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Did you know...

... that Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann declined a request from Lee Kuan Yew to help design Singapore?
... that the National Library of Korea is a no kid zone?
... that Teuku Karimoeddin was arrested by the Imperial Japanese military police for resisting mandatory head shaving and other regulations?
... that Taiwanese long jumper Lin Yu-tang qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics by switching out his broken track shoes between attempts?
... that Baabda residents collectively purchased the Seraglio of Baabda for 1,000 gold Ottoman liras in the late 19th century to gift to the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate government?
... that Japan's oldest expressway is intended to be transformed into a park?
... that the Indonesian novel Verses of Love has been read as a challenge to Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses?
... that the scenes set in the United States in the Taiwanese film Daughter's Daughter were nearly omitted during the writing process but were retained at the insistence of lead actress Sylvia Chang?
... that people in the Indian subcontinent eat a sweet dish resembling a bird's nest during Ramadan?
... that the headquarters of Indonesia's 16th Mechanized Infantry Brigade was a Japanese military base, seized by Indonesian youths after Japan's surrender in 1945?

Updated: 1:05, 13 August 2026

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In the news

12 August 2026 –: A woman is killed and 172 other people are rescued after a ferry catches fire off the coast of Bali, Indonesia. (AFP via RFI)
12 August 2026 – 2026 Cook Islands general election: Cook Islanders vote to elect all 24 seats of Parliament amid a cost-of-living crisis and debate regarding a past partnership agreement with China. Incumbent prime minister Mark Brown faces a challenge from Cook Islands United leader Teariki Heather. (RNZ) (The Guardian)
12 August 2026 – Solar eclipse of August 12, 2026: A total solar eclipse occurs in Greenland, Iceland, and Spain, with partial eclipses visible over much of northern North America, Europe (except most of Ukraine, Greece, Bulgaria and Russia), northwestern Africa and northern Asian Russia. It is the first total eclipse observable in mainland Europe since the solar eclipse of August 11, 1999. (Time and Date) (EclipseWise)
11 August 2026 – Middle Eastern crisis: 2026 Iran war; 2026 Iran war ceasefire; Pakistan in the 2026 Iran war

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Major Religions in Asia

Middle East (West Asia)

Central Asia

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

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Selected panorama

Credit: David Castor

The Taj Mahal (Hindi: ताज महल, from Persian/Urdu: تاج محل "crown of palaces") is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage." Taj Mahal is the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish and Indian architectural styles.

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