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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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A cannon (plural either cannons or cannon) is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during the late 19th century. Cannons vary in gauge, effective range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees, depending on their intended use on the battlefield. A cannon is a type of heavy artillery weapon. The word cannon is derived from several languages, in which the original definition can usually be translated as tube, cane, or reed.

The earliest known depiction of cannons may have appeared in Song dynasty China as early as the 12th century; however, solid archaeological and documentary evidence of cannons do not appear until the 13th century. In 1288, Yuan dynasty troops are recorded to have used hand cannons in combat, and the earliest extant cannon bearing a date of production comes from the same period. By the end of the 14th century, cannons were widespread throughout Eurasia. (Full article...)

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The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of about 7,641 islands, with a total area of about 300,000 square kilometers. The islands are broadly categorized in three main geographical divisions. From north to south, the divisions are: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. With a population of over 114 million, it is the world's thirteenth-most-populous country.

The Philippines is bounded by the South China Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea to the east, and the Celebes Sea to the south. It shares maritime borders with Taiwan to the north, Japan and South Korea to the northeast, Palau and Guam to the east and southeast, Indonesia to the south, Malaysia to the southwest, Vietnam to the west, and China to the northwest. It has diverse ethnicities and a rich culture. Manila is the country's capital, and its most populated city is Quezon City. Both are within Metro Manila. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Mukerji in 2023

Rani Mukerji (Hindustani pronunciation: [raːni mʊkʰərdʒi]; born 21 March 1978) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. One of the highest-paid actresses of the 2000s, She is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a National Film Award and eight Filmfare Awards.

Born into the Mukherjee-Samarth family, Mukerji graduated with a Home Science degree in SNDT Women's University. She began acting as a teenager by starring in her father Ram Mukherjee's Bengali-language film Biyer Phool and in the social drama Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat (both 1996). Mukerji had her first commercial success with the action film Ghulam and breakthrough with the romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (both 1998). Following a brief setback, the year 2002 marked a turning point for her when she was cast by Yash Raj Films as the star of the drama Saathiya. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 2Political map of the world in 1860 (from History 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 4Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 5Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 6Expansion of the Delhi Sultanate (from History of Asia)
Image 7Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 8Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 9A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 10Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 11Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 12The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 13Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 14A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 15Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 16Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 17Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 18The 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 19The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 20Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 21The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 22Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 23The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 24Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 25East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 26The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 27Philippine cuisine (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 29The 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 30the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 31The 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 32The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 33Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 34Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 35The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 36The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 37Hinduism 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 38Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 39Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 40Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 41Some 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 42The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 43Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 44Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 45Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established the Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 46Map of the Qing Empire in 1832 (from History of Asia)
Image 47The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 48Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 49A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 50Byzantine and Sasanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)

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Featured picture

Foot binding

Credit: User:Dschwen

Foot binding was the custom of binding the feet of young girls painfully tight to prevent further growth. The practice probably originated among court dancers in the early Song dynasty, but spread to upper class families and eventually became common among all classes. The tiny narrow feet were considered beautiful and to make a woman's movements more feminine and dainty.

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Did you know...

... that Ratwita Gandasoebrata pioneered the development of clinical pathology in Indonesia?
... that the grave of a Dutch officer and his dog who were killed in the Battle of Nanggulon is a designated cultural object in Indonesia?
... that Mary Kahil, an Egyptian Christian mystic, cofounded one of the earliest women's movements in the Arab world?
... that 50 Lan occupied the number-one spot in Taiwan's bubble tea market for most of 2023?
... that Indian activist V. V. Dravid moved to Indore to build a textile workers' union, spent one and a half years in jail there, and later represented the city at the state's legislative assembly?
... that the 1980s J-pop song "Aoi Sangoshou" appeared on music charts in Korea 44 years after its release?
... that Moroccan-Israeli singer Raymonde Abecassis's stage name, "El Bidaouia" ('The Casablancan'), reflects the city in which she was born?
... that the 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians has been considered one of the best airplane films?
... that the Battle of Chunj is the only battle in which a British soldier died in action for Pakistan?
... that the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival canceled the screening of a politically themed film due to the "inability to locate suitable copies", despite the film having been showcased three years earlier?

Updated: 1:05, 16 September 2026

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In the news

16 September 2026 – Middle Eastern crisis: Twenty-one people are killed, 45 are injured, and about 100 others are missing after a residential building in Gaza City collapses after it was previously hit by an Israeli airstrike. (AFP via France 24) (Al Jazeera)
16 September 2026 – 2026 South Korea—Central Asia summit: The first summit between South Korea and the five countries of Central Asia is held in Seoul. (Euronews) (Korea Times)
16 September 2026 – North Korea–South Korea relations: Inter-Korean Liaison Office bombing; A district court in Seoul, South Korea, orders North Korea to pay KRW 44.6 billion (US$32.5 million) in damages for destroying the Inter-Korean Liaison Office in Kaesong in 2020, in South Korea's first damages lawsuit against North Korea. (AFP via CNA)
16 September 2026 – 2026 Bangsamoro Parliament election: The Philippine Commission on Elections proclaims all 78 elected members of the Bangsamoro Parliament, with four parties given all seats for party representation. The Bangsamoro Federalist Party, earning most of the seats, fails to secure a majority, leading to a hung parliament. Meanwhile, six sectoral seats are given to the United Bangsamoro Justice Party. (Al Jazeera) (Manila Bulletin)
16 September 2026 –: The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) announces that its finals will move to Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for three years beginning in 2027, with matches at the Spectrum Center. The WTA also relocates its global headquarters from St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S., to Charlotte. (AFP)

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Major Religions in Asia

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Central Asia

Indian Subcontinent

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East Asia

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Selected panorama

150pxTaj Mahal world heritage site in Agra, India.

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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