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Asia (/ˈeɪʒə/ (listen), UK also /ˈeɪʃə/) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometers, 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 civilizations. Its 4.7 billion people constitute roughly 60% of the world's population, having more people than all other continents combined.

Asia shares the landmass of Eurasia with Europe and 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. 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 1,800 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...)

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The Ming dynasty (/mɪŋ/), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last imperial dynasty of China ruled by the Han people, the majority ethnic group in China. Although the primary capital of Beijing fell in 1644 to a rebellion led by Li Zicheng (who established the short-lived Shun dynasty), numerous rump regimes ruled by remnants of the Ming imperial family—collectively called the Southern Ming—survived until 1662.

The Ming dynasty's founder, the Hongwu Emperor (r. 1368–1398), attempted to create a society of self-sufficient rural communities ordered in a rigid, immobile system that would guarantee and support a permanent class of soldiers for his dynasty: the empire's standing army exceeded one million troops and the navy's dockyards in Nanjing were the largest in the world. He also took great care breaking the power of the court eunuchs and unrelated magnates, enfeoffing his many sons throughout China and attempting to guide these princes through the Huang-Ming Zuxun, a set of published dynastic instructions. This failed when his teenage successor, the Jianwen Emperor, attempted to curtail his uncles' power, prompting the Jingnan campaign, an uprising that placed the Prince of Yan upon the throne as the Yongle Emperor in 1402. The Yongle Emperor established Yan as a secondary capital and renamed it Beijing, constructed the Forbidden City, and restored the Grand Canal and the primacy of the imperial examinations in official appointments. He rewarded his eunuch supporters and employed them as a counterweight against the Confucian scholar-bureaucrats. One, Zheng He, led seven enormous voyages of exploration into the Indian Ocean as far as Arabia and the eastern coasts of Africa. (Full article...)

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Qatar (UK: /ˈkætɑːr, ˈkʌt-, ˈɡæt-, ˈɡʌt-, kæˈtɑːr, ɡæ-, kə-/, US: /ˈkɑːtɑːr, kəˈtɑːr/; Arabic: قطر, romanized: Qaṭar [ˈqɑtˤɑr]; local vernacular pronunciation: [ˈɡɪtˤɑr]), officially the State of Qatar, is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares its sole land border with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf. The Gulf of Bahrain, an inlet of the Persian Gulf, separates Qatar from nearby Bahrain. The capital is Doha, home to over 80% of the country's inhabitants, and the land area is mostly made up of flat, low-lying desert.

Qatar has been ruled as a hereditary monarchy by the House of Thani since Mohammed bin Thani signed a treaty with the British in 1868 that recognised its separate status. Following Ottoman rule, Qatar became a British protectorate in 1916, and gained independence in 1971. The current emir is Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who holds nearly all executive and legislative authority under the Constitution of Qatar, as well as controlling the judiciary. He appoints the prime minister and cabinet. The partially-elected Consultative Assembly can block legislation and has a limited ability to dismiss ministers. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

General Raden Oerip Soemohardjo ([urɪp sumɔˈhardʒɔ]; Perfected Spelling: Raden Urip Sumoharjo, 22 February 1893 – 17 November 1948) was an Indonesian general, the first chief of staff of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, and the interim Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. He received several awards from the Indonesian government, including the title National Hero of Indonesia in 1964. He was also a recognized Catholic by the Holy See, by which Pope Paul VI dedicated a memorial chalice for him with a Latin inscription acknowledging his legacy.

Born in Purworejo, Dutch East Indies, Raden Oerip Soemohardjo exhibited leadership skills from an early age. As his parents wanted him to become a regent, after elementary school Oerip was sent to the School for Native Government Employees in Magelang. His mother died during his second year at the school, and Oerip left to undertake military training in Meester Cornelis, Batavia (modern-day Jatinegara, Jakarta). Upon graduating in 1914, he became a lieutenant in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army; during almost 25 years of service he was stationed on three different islands and promoted several times, eventually becoming the highest-ranking Native officer in the country. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 2Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 3The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 4Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 5Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 6Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 7Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture 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 9Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 10The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 11The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 12the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 13Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 14The Delhi Sultanate. (from History of Asia)
Image 15Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 16Expansion of Hinduism in Southeast Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 17Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 18Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 19The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (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 21A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 22The 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 23A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 24Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 25Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 26A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 27A map of the Bronze Age collapse, c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 28The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 29Projected GDP of 7 largest economies in 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 30Detail 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 31The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 32The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 33Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 34The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 35The 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 36The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 37Political map of Asia in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 38Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 39Some 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 40Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 41Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 42The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 43Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 44Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 45The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 46Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 47Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 48The 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 49A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 50British troops taking Chinkiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 51Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 52Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 53Detail 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 54The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)
Image 55East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 56Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 57India'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 58Map of Asia for early 20th century (from History of Asia)
Image 59Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 60Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 61Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 62Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 63Korean 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 64Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 65Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 66The first King of Goryeo, as known as Taejo of Goryeo (918–943) (from History of Asia)
Image 67The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 68Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)

Featured picture

Bangkok

Credit: Diliff

Bangkok is the capital city of and largest urban area in Thailand.The city's many cultural landmarks and attractions in addition to its nightlife venues has made it synonymous with exoticism. Its rapid modernization, reflected in the cityscape and the urban society, has left untouched the historic Grand Palace, Wat Arun, Vimanmek Palace Complex, hundreds of Buddhist temples, and the city's illegal (but tolerated) red-light districts draw about 10 million international visitors each year, second only to London.

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

17 May 2023 – Iran–Russia relations: Russian president Vladimir Putin signs an investment program deal that will make an investment of 1.6 billion euros in Iranian railroad projects, expected to come into operation within 48 months. (Tasnim)
17 May 2023 –: The Chinese government reports that fishing vessel Lu Peng Yuan Yu 028 has capsized in the central Indian Ocean about a day prior. China and other countries are conducting search operations for 39 sailors, including Chinese, Indonesian, and Filipino nationals. (Associated Press via NBC News) (DW)
17 May 2023 – Capital punishment in Thailand: A court in Thailand sentences the former mayor of Wang Wiset district to death for the murder of an activist in May 2021. The hitman received a sentence of life imprisonment. (The Thaiger)
16 May 2023 –: Nine people are arrested after an alleged Iranian-backed coup d'état plot is uncovered in Azerbaijan. (Barron's)
16 May 2023 – 2023 North Indian Ocean cyclone season: The death toll from Cyclone Mocha's landfall in Myanmar, increases to 81 people. The majority of casualties and damage occurred in the Rakhine State. (CNA)
15 May 2023 – China–United States relations: China convicts and sentences American citizen John Shing-Wan Leung to life in prison for espionage. (AP)

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150pxThe Indus River near Leh, Ladakh, India

The Indus River (locally called Sindhu) is one of the longest rivers in Asia. Originating in the Tibetan Plateau in the vicinity of Lake Manasarovar, the river runs a course through the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, India, towards the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Kashmir and the Hindukush ranges, and then flows in a southerly direction along the entire length of Pakistan to merge into the Arabian Sea near the port city of Karachi in Sindh.

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