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Asia (/ˈeɪʒə, ˈeɪʃə/ (listen)) is Earth's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the Eastern and Northern Hemispheres. It shares the continental landmass of Eurasia with the continent of Europe, and the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa and Europe. Asia covers an area of 44,579,000 square kilometres (17,212,000 sq mi), about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8.7% of the 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 constitutes roughly 60% of the world's population.

In general terms, Asia 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 alternated in being the largest economies in the world from 1 to 1800 CE. China was a major economic power and attracted many to the east, and for many the legendary wealth and prosperity of the ancient culture of India personified Asia, attracting European commerce, exploration and colonialism. The accidental discovery of a trans-Atlantic route from Europe to America by Columbus while in search for a route to India demonstrates this deep fascination. 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 (particularly East Asia) 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...)

Featured article

The Bengali language movement (Bengali: ভাষা আন্দোলন, Bhasha Andolôn) was a political movement in former East Bengal (renamed East Pakistan in 1952) advocating the recognition of the Bengali language as an official language of the then-Dominion of Pakistan in order to allow its use in government affairs, the continuation of its use as a medium of education, its use in media, currency and stamps, and to maintain its writing in the Bengali script.

When the Dominion of Pakistan was formed after the separation of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 when the British left, it was composed of various ethnic and linguistic groups, with the geographically non-contiguous East Bengal province having a mainly Bengali population. In 1948, the Government of the Dominion of Pakistan ordained Urdu as the sole national language, sparking extensive protests among the Bengali-speaking majority of East Bengal. Facing rising sectarian tensions and mass discontent with the new law, the government outlawed public meetings and rallies. The students of the University of Dhaka and other political activists defied the law and organised a protest on 21 February 1952. The movement reached its climax when police killed student demonstrators on that day. The deaths provoked widespread civil unrest. After years of conflict, the central government relented and granted official status to the Bengali language in 1956. (Full article...)

List of Featured articles

Nagorno-Karabakh War
Parthian Empire
Caspian expeditions of the Rus'
July 2009 Ürümqi riots
Saxaul sparrow
Siege of Malakand
Battle of Musa Qala
Operation Infinite Reach
Franco-Mongol alliance
Pallas's leaf warbler
Nemegtomaia
Irrawaddy Dolphin
Climate of India
Karnataka
Kolkata
Tripura
Darjeeling
Gangtok
Hyderabad
Mysore
Tamil language
Tiruchirappalli
Sind sparrow
2003 Sri Lanka cyclone
Surrender of Japan
Ukiyo-e
Aikido
Air raids on Japan
Battle for Henderson Field
Battle of Midway
Bombing of Tokyo (10 March 1945)
Bonshō
Boshin War
Heian Palace
Kitsune
Taiko
Yamato-class battleship
Gyeongju
Typhoon Maemi
Typhoon Rusa
Acra (fortress)
Iraq War in Al Anbar Governorate
Balfour Declaration
Byzantine navy
Parthian Empire
Roman–Persian Wars
Bagan
Baháʼí Faith
Byzantine Empire
Macedonia (ancient kingdom)
2002 Bou'in-Zahra earthquake
Cyclone Gonu
Muhammad al-Durrah incident
Temple of Eshmun
Law school of Beirut
Palmyra
Quneitra
Cannon
Han Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
Peking opera
Song dynasty
Tang Dynasty
Jin-Song Wars
Sino-Roman relations
Dhammayangyi Temple
Gwoyeu Romatzyh
July 2009 Ürümqi riots
Nathu La
St. Michael's Cathedral, Qingdao
Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident
Borobudur
Komodo dragon
1740 Batavia massacre
Javan rhinoceros
Sumatran rhinoceros
Toraja
1257 Samalas eruption
Slow loris
Durian
Ketuanan Melayu
Manila Light Rail Transit System
Raid at Cabanatuan
Conservation of slow lorises
Angkor Wat
Taiwanese indigenous peoples
K-pop
Ramayana

Selected Country

Brunei (/bruːˈnaɪ/ (listen) broo-NY, Malay: [brunaɪ] (listen)), formally Brunei Darussalam (Malay: Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: نڬارا بروني دارالسلام, lit. 'Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace'), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is separated into two parts by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo; the remainder of the island is divided between Malaysia and Indonesia. As of 2020, its population was 460,345, of whom about 100,000 live in the capital and largest city, Bandar Seri Begawan. The government is an absolute monarchy ruled by its Sultan, entitled the Yang di-Pertuan, and implements a combination of English common law and sharia law, as well as general Islamic practices.

At the peak of the Bruneian Empire, Sultan Bolkiah (reigned 1485–1528) is claimed to have had control over most regions of Borneo, including modern-day Sarawak and Sabah, as well as the Sulu Archipelago off the northeast tip of Borneo, and the islands off the northwest tip of Borneo. Claims also state that they had control over Seludong (or the Kingdom of Maynila, where the modern-day Philippine capital Manila now stands) but Southeast Asian scholars believe this refers to a settlement Mount Selurong in Indonesia. The maritime state of Brunei was visited by Spain's Magellan Expedition in 1521 and fought against Spain in the 1578 Castilian War. (Full article...)

List of selected countries

Featured biography

Abū al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad ibn Ṭalḥa al-Muwaffaq (Arabic: أبو العباس أحمد بن طلحة الموفق), 853/4 or 860/1 – 5 April 902, better known by his regnal name al-Muʿtaḍid bi-llāh (Arabic: المعتضد بالله, "Seeking Support in God"), was the caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate from 892 until his death in 902.

Al-Mu'tadid was the son of al-Muwaffaq, who was the regent and effective ruler of the Abbasid state during the reign of his brother, Caliph al-Mu'tamid. As a prince, the future al-Mu'tadid served under his father during various military campaigns, most notably in the suppression of the Zanj Rebellion, in which he played a major role. When al-Muwaffaq died in June 891 al-Mu'tadid succeeded him as regent. He quickly sidelined his cousin and heir-apparent al-Mufawwid; when al-Mu'tamid died in October 892, he succeeded to the throne. Like his father, al-Mu'tadid's power depended on his close relations with the army. These were first forged during the campaigns against the Zanj and were reinforced in later expeditions which the Caliph led in person: al-Mu'tadid would prove to be the most militarily active of all Abbasid caliphs. Through his energy and ability, he succeeded in restoring to the Abbasid state some of the power and provinces it had lost during the turmoil of the previous decades. (Full article...)

List of Featured biographies

General images

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

Image 1Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 2The first King of Goryeo, as known as Taejo of Goryeo (918–943) (from History of Asia)
Image 3Detail 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 4Contemporary political map of Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 5Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 6A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 7The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 8Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 9The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010. (from Asian Century)
Image 10Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 11Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 12Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 13Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 14A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 15Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 16The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History 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 18East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 19Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 20Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 21Detail 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 22Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 23Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 24Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 25Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 26Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 27The Delhi Sultanate. (from History of Asia)
Image 28Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 29The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 30Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
(c) Severin.stalder, CC BY-SA 3.0
Image 31The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 32Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 33A map of the Bronze Age collapse, c. 1200 BCE (from History of Asia)
Image 34The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas or alternatively © CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Image 35Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 36Map of Asia for early 20th century (from History of Asia)
Image 37The 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)
(c) Hardnfast, CC BY 3.0
Image 38Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 39Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 40The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 41The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 42Expansion of Hinduism in Southeast Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 43India'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 44the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 45Korean 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 46Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 47Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 48The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)
Image 49Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 50Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 51The 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 52The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 53A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 54Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
This file is not in the public domain. Therefore you are requested to use the following next to the image if you reuse this file: © Yann Forget / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Image 55The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 56The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 57Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the amalgamation of South Asian cooking styles with those from Central Asia. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 58Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 59Projected GDP of 7 largest economies in 2050. (from Asian Century)
Image 60A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)

Featured picture

(c) Pratheep P S, www.pratheep.com, CC BY-SA 3.0

Toda people

Credit: Pratheepps

The Toda people are a small pastoral tribe of less than 1,000 people who reside in the Nilgiri hills of Southern India. Shown here is a typical Toda hut, about 3 m (10 ft.) high, 5.5 m (18 ft.) long and 2.7 m (9 ft.) wide. They are built of bamboo fastened with rattan and thatched. The hut has only a tiny (about 0.9 x 0.9 m, 3 x 3 ft.) entrance at the front, which serves as protection from wild animals.

Did you know...

... that a few months after Lü Peijian was appointed China's auditor general, he announced the discovery of more than US$1.6 billion worth of tax evasion, fraud, and waste?
... that comedian Atsugiri Jason became the first non-Japanese finalist on the R-1 Grand Prix in 2014?
... that a collection of kimono assembled by Nasser Khalili covers four periods of Japanese history?
... that the anandalahari is an Indian chordophone musical instrument used by religious singers of the Baul faith?
... that Liang Baibo and Yu Feng were among China's first female cartoonists?
... that the yawara is a Japanese weapon that is used for martial arts and was used by American police?
... that Gongnyong Ridge in Seoraksan National Park, South Korea, acquired its name (lit. 'Dinosaur Ridge') from its peaks looking as "vigorous and dynamic as a dinosaur rising from the ground"?
... that students participating in the 1968–69 Japanese university protests were known for ruthlessly interrogating and verbally abusing professors, sometimes for days on end?
... that the death of Uyghur writer Nurmuhemmet Tohti has been linked to mistreatment in the Xinjiang internment camps, a claim China denies?
... that Pennsylvania Treasurer-elect Stacy Garrity was nicknamed "The Angel of the Desert" in the Iraq War?

Updated: 1:33, 20 March 2022

In the news

20 March 2022 –: South Korean car company Hyundai announces that the Genesis Motor brand has surpassed 700,000 units in accumulative global sales. (Korea Herald); Nowruz 1401 Iranian nation new solar hijri year and new 14th century beginning.
19 March 2022 – COVID-19 pandemic: COVID-19 pandemic in Asia; COVID-19 pandemic in India; Maharashtra reports 97 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, making it the first time that the Indian state has reported less than 100 new cases of COVID-19 since April 2020. (Business Standard); COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China

Updated: 7:33, 20 March 2022

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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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