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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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Eastern Hemisphere in AD 50, the middle of the first century

Between the Roman Empire and the Han dynasty, as well as between the later Eastern Roman Empire and various successive Chinese dynasties, there were (primarily indirect) contacts and flows of trade goods, information, and occasional travellers. These empires inched progressively closer to each other in the course of the Roman expansion into ancient Western Asia and of the simultaneous Han military incursions into Central Asia. Mutual awareness remained low, and firm knowledge about each other was limited. Surviving records document only a few attempts at direct contact. Intermediate empires such as the Parthians and Kushans, seeking to maintain control over the lucrative silk trade, inhibited direct contact between the two ancient Eurasian powers. In 97 AD, the Chinese general Ban Chao tried to send his envoy Gan Ying to Rome, but Parthians dissuaded Gan from venturing beyond the Persian Gulf. Ancient Chinese historians recorded several alleged Roman emissaries to China. The first one on record, supposedly either from the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius or from his adopted son Marcus Aurelius, arrived in 166 AD. Others are recorded as arriving in 226 and 284 AD, followed by a long hiatus until the first recorded Byzantine embassy in 643 AD.

The indirect exchange of goods on land along the Silk Road and sea routes involved (for example) Chinese silk, Roman glassware and high-quality cloth. Roman coins minted from the 1st century AD onwards have been found in China, as well as a coin of Maximian (Roman emperor from 286 to 305 AD) and medallions from the reigns of Antoninus Pius (r. 138–161 AD) and Marcus Aurelius (r. 161–180 AD) in Jiaozhi (in present-day Vietnam), the same region at which Chinese sources claim the Romans first landed. Roman glassware and silverware have been discovered at Chinese archaeological sites dated to the Han period (202 BC to 220 AD). Roman coins and glass beads have also been found in the Japanese archipelago. (Full article...)

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South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and the Sea of Japan to the east. South Korea claims to be the sole legitimate government of the entire peninsula and adjacent islands. It has a population of about 52 million, of which half live in the Seoul metropolitan area, the ninth most populous metropolitan area in the world, with other major cities being Busan, Daegu, and Incheon.

The Korean Peninsula was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in the early seventh century BC. From the mid first century BC, various polities consolidated into the rival kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. The lattermost eventually unified most of the peninsula for the first time in the late seventh century AD, while Balhae succeeded Goguryeo in the north. The Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) achieved lasting unification and established the basis for the modern Korean identity. The subsequent Joseon dynasty (1392–1897) generated cultural, economic, and scientific achievements but maintained an isolationist policy from the mid-17th century. The succeeding Korean Empire (1897–1910) sought modernization and reform but was annexed in 1910 into the Empire of Japan. Japanese rule ended following Japan's surrender in World War II, after which Korea was divided into two zones: the Soviet-occupied northern zone and the United States-occupied southern zone. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Ambani in 2007

Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani (born 19 April 1957) is an Indian businessman. He is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, the largest public company in India by market capitalisation in 2025. As of June 2026^[update], he is the richest person in Asia and the 22nd richest in the world, with a net worth of US$91.8 billion. He has attracted fame due to his growth and wealth, and criticism for being a plutocrat, and reports of market manipulation, political corruption, cronyism, and exploitation.

Born in 1957 to Dhirubhai Ambani, the founder of Reliance Industries, and Kokilaben in Aden, Mukesh Ambani completed his studies at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai and Institute of Chemical Technology. He dropped out of Stanford University in 1980 to join Reliance Industries. He expanded the energy ventures of the company, and directed the set up of its largest petroleum refinery at Jamnagar. He took an increasing role in the company after his father developed health issues in the late 1980s. After the death of his father in 2002, the ownership of the companies in the group was divided between him and his younger brother Anil Ambani. Later, he expanded the portfolio of the group and launched or acquired several ventures in energy, finance, healthcare, media, telecommunications, and sports. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 2Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 3Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 4Map of the Qing Empire in 1832 (from History of Asia)
Image 5Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 6Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 7Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 8The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 9Political map of the world in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 10Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 11the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 12Detail 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 13The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 14The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 15Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 16Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 17The 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 18The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 19Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 20Some 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 21Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 22The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 23The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 24Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 25Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 26Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 27Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 28Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 29The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 30Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 31Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 32A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 33The 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 34The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 35The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 36Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 37Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established the Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 38Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 39Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 40The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 41Expansion of the Mongol Empire 1206-1294 (from History of Asia)
Image 42Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south. (from History of Asia)
Image 43Expansion of the Delhi Sultanate (from History of Asia)
Image 44A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 45Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 46India'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 47Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 48The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 49Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 50A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)

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Featured picture

Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park

Credit: [Tycho]

Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Bố Trạch and Minh Hóa districts of central Quảng Bình Province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. The park was created to protect one of the world's two largest karst regions with 300 caves and grottoes and also protects the ecosystem of limestone forest of the Annamite Range region in North Central Coast of Vietnam.

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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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Related portals

Major Religions in Asia

Middle East (West Asia)

Central Asia

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

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Selected panorama

Credit: Benh Lieu Song

Panorama of the city of Luang Prabang in northern Laos, as seen from Phu Si hill. The city was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name, and after Laos's independence from France, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. This view features the Nam Khan river on the left, and Luang Prabang International Airport on the very far left.

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