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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 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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Featured article

The Manila Light Rail Transit System, commonly known as the LRT, is an urban rail transit system that primarily serves Metro Manila, Philippines. Although categorized as a light rail system because it originally used light rail vehicles, it presently has characteristics of a rapid transit system, such as high passenger throughput, exclusive right-of-way, and later use of full metro rolling stock. The LRT is jointly-operated by the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), a government corporation attached to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), and the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC). Along with the Manila Metro Rail Transit System and the Metro Commuter Line of the Philippine National Railways, the system makes up Metro Manila's rail infrastructure.

The LRT's 43.5-kilometer-route (27.0 mi) is mostly elevated and consists of two lines and 38 stations. Line 1, also called the Green Line (formerly known as the Yellow Line), opened in 1984 and travels a north–south route. Line 2, the Blue Line (formerly, the Purple Line), was completed in 2004 and runs east–west. The original Line 1 was built as a no-frills means of public transport and lacks some features and comforts, but the newer Line 2 has been built with additional standards and criteria in mind like barrier-free access. In 2022, the system served 305,264 passengers on average. Security guards at each station conduct inspections and provide assistance. A reusable plastic magnetic ticketing system has replaced the previous token-based system in 2001, and the Flash Pass was introduced as a step towards a more integrated transportation system. In 2015, the plastic magnetic tickets were replaced with the Beep, a contactless smart card, introduced to provide a common ticketing to 3 rail lines and some bus lines. (Full article...)

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The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as its capital. It shares land borders with Oman to the east and northeast, and with Saudi Arabia to the southwest; as well as maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran, and with Oman in the Gulf of Oman. As of 2024^[update], the UAE has an estimated population of over 10 million, of which 11% are Emiratis; Dubai is its most populous city and is an international hub. Islam is the official religion and Arabic is the official language, while English is the most spoken language and the language of business.

The United Arab Emirates' oil and natural gas reserves are the world's seventh and seventh-largest, respectively. Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi and the country's first president, oversaw the development of the Emirates by investing oil revenues into healthcare, education, and infrastructure. The country has the most diversified economy among the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In the 21st century, the UAE has become less reliant on oil and gas and is economically focusing on tourism and business. The UAE is considered a middle power. It is also a member of the United Nations, Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OPEC, Non-Aligned Movement, World Trade Organization, and BRICS. The UAE is also a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Chan in 2012

Fang Shilong SBS MBE PMW (born Chan Kong-sang; 7 April 1954), known professionally as Jackie Chan, is a Hong Kong actor, director, writer, producer, martial artist, and stuntman. On-screen, he is known for his slapstick, acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically performs himself. Before entering the film industry, he was one of the Seven Little Fortunes from the China Drama Academy at the Peking Opera School, where he studied acrobatics, martial arts, and acting. In a film career spanning more than sixty years, he has appeared in over 150 domestic and international movies. Chan is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential martial artists in the history of cinema.

After appearing in many Hong Kong films as a stuntman, Chan's first major breakthrough was the 1978 kung fu action comedy film Snake in the Eagle's Shadow. He then starred in similar kung fu action comedy films such as 1978's Drunken Master and 1980's The Young Master. In 1979, he made his directorial debut with The Fearless Hyena, which was a box office success. Throughout the 1980s, he was part of the "Three Dragons" along with Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao; the three starred in six Hong Kong films together. 1983's Project A saw the official formation of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team and established Chan's signature style of elaborate, dangerous stunts combined with martial arts and slapstick humor, a style he further developed in a more modern setting with 1984's Wheels on Meals and 1985's Police Story. Rumble in the Bronx (1995), which had a successful worldwide theatrical run, brought Chan into the North American mainstream. He gained international fame for portraying Chief Inspector Lee in the American buddy cop action comedy film Rush Hour (1998), a role he reprised in two sequels. (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 2A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 3Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 4British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 5The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)
Image 6Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 7Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 8Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History 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 10Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 11The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 12The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 13The 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 14The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 15Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 16Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 17Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 18The 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 19Map of Asia for early 20th century (from History of Asia)
Image 20India'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 21Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 22The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 23A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 24Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 25Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 26Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 27Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 28A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 29Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 30East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 31Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 32Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 33The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 34Hinduism 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 35Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 36Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 37Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 38Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 39The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 40Political map of Asia in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 41The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 42Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 43Some 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 44The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 45The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 46Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 47Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 48The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 49Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 50The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 51Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 52A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 53Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 54Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 55Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 56The 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 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 58the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 59The Delhi Sultanate. (from History of Asia)
Image 60Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 61Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 62Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 63The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 64Korean 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 65Detail 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 66Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 67The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 68Detail 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 69Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)

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Featured picture

Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province

Credit: Siripatwongpin

The head of a sandstone Buddha statue nestled in the tree roots beside the minor chapels of Wat Maha That, Phra Nakhon Si, Ayutthaya Province, Thailand. The temple is one of the most tourist and photographic attractions in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ayutthaya, an ancient capital of Siam.

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Did you know...

... that more than 150 years of documentary sources at the Central Archives of Gaza City were destroyed during the Israel–Hamas war?
... that The Chinese in America documents how people in California, during the gold rush era, mailed their laundry to Hong Kong for cleaning?
... that Iran's first three-stage satellite carrier, Qaem 100, successfully passed its suborbital test?
... that Hyakuman-kai no "I Love You" is a popular confession song in Japan?
... that Chinese Garden MRT station did not originally have access to the Chinese Garden?
... that Emi Wong, the Hong Kong YouTuber with the most subscribers, used a carpet sweeper to do lunges and bottles of laundry detergent to do squats?
... that the Indonesian pulp and paper industry collectively controls over 10 million hectares of land?
... that the apricot dress of Jacqueline Kennedy kept its shape in India's hot weather?
... that Saparinah Sadli defended one of her former students when Indonesia's State Intelligence Agency challenged her gendered exploration of the New Order regime?
... that Saudi Arabian poet Hamad al-Hajji lost three members of his family during his childhood and later suffered from schizophrenia until he died at the age of 49 after a lung disease?

Updated: 21:05, 6 February 2025

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In the news

6 February 2025 – 2025 Metrea Special Aerospace plane crash: Four people are killed after a U.S. military-contracted Beechcraft Super King Air 300 aircraft crashes in a paddy field in Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines. (AP) (ABC News Australia)
6 February 2025 – United States and the International Criminal Court: U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court officials that assist investigations into U.S. citizens or those of its allies, namely Israel. (NBC)
5 February 2025 – Second Trump tariffs, China–United States trade war: The United States Postal Service says it is temporarily refusing inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong, but reverses this policy hours later. (The Guardian) (NBC News)
5 February 2025 – Israel and the United Nations: Israel withdraws from the United Nations Human Rights Council, accusing the UN body of "obsessively demonizing" and discriminating against the country. (Ynet News)
5 February 2025 – Impeachment of Sara Duterte, Impeachment in the Philippines: The House of Representatives of the Philippines formally impeaches Vice President Sara Duterte. The Senate is now set to conduct a trial. (ABS-CBN News) (Bloomberg)
4 February 2025 – Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Gaza war

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Major Religions in Asia

Middle East

Central Asia and Caucasus

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

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Selected panorama

Credit: Benh LIEU SONG

The Central Area of Singapore surrounded by the perimeter of five planning areas: the Marina Bay, the Downtown Core, Marina East, Marina South and Straits View. The area surrounding the bay itself, also called Marina Bay, is a 360 hectare extension to the adjacent CBD. It is also the new downtown of Singapore built on reclaimed land.