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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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Telugu (/ˈtɛlʊɡuː/ ^ⓘ; తెలుగు, Telugu pronunciation: [ˈt̪eluɡu]) is a Dravidian language native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. Telugu is a classical language with a recorded history of at least 2,000 years. Spoken by about 100 million people, Telugu is the most widely spoken member of the Dravidian language family, and one of the twenty-two scheduled languages of the Republic of India.

It is one of the few languages that has primary official status in more than one Indian state, alongside Hindi and Bengali. Telugu is one of the languages designated as a classical language by the Government of India. It is the fourteenth most spoken native language in the world. (Full article...)

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Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country situated primarily in Central Asia, with a portion of its territory extending into Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbekistan to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southwest, and it has a coastline along the Caspian Sea. The capital is Astana and the country's largest city and principal cultural and economic center is Almaty, which served as the capital until 1997.

Kazakhstan is the world's ninth-largest country by land area and the largest landlocked country. Hilly plateaus and plains account for nearly half its vast territory, with lowlands composing another third; its southern and eastern frontiers are composed of mountainous regions. Kazakhstan has a population of 20.5 million and one of the lowest population densities in the world, with fewer than 8 people per square kilometre (21 people/mi²). Ethnic Kazakhs constitute a majority, while ethnic Russians form a significant minority. Officially secular, Kazakhstan is a Muslim-majority country with a sizeable Christian community. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Gold dinar minted in Aleppo in the name of Salih ibn Mirdas and recognizing the suzerainty of Fatimid caliph az-Zahir, 1028/29 CE

Abu Ali Salih ibn Mirdas also known by his laqab (honorific epithet) Asad al-Dawla (lit. 'Lion of the State'), was the founder of the Mirdasid dynasty and emir of Aleppo from 1025 until his death in May 1029. At its peak, his emirate (principality) encompassed much of the western Jazira (Upper Mesopotamia), northern Syria and several central Syrian towns. With occasional interruption, Salih's descendants ruled Aleppo for the next five decades.

Salih launched his career in 1008, when he seized the Euphrates river fortress of al-Rahba. In 1012, he was imprisoned and tortured by the emir of Aleppo, Mansur ibn Lu'lu'. Two years later he escaped, capturing Mansur in battle and releasing him for numerous concessions, including half of Aleppo's revenues. This cemented Salih as the paramount emir of his tribe, the Banu Kilab, many of whose chieftains had died in Mansur's dungeons. With his Bedouin warriors, Salih captured a string of fortresses along the Euphrates, including Manbij and Raqqa, by 1022. He later formed an alliance with the Banu Kalb and Banu Tayy tribes and supported their struggle against the Fatimids of Egypt. During this tribal rebellion, Salih annexed the central Syrian towns of Homs, Baalbek and Sidon, before conquering Fatimid-held Aleppo in 1025, bringing "to success the plan which guided his [Banu Kilab] forebears for a century", according to historian Thierry Bianquis. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 2Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 3A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 4Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 5Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 6Expansion of the Delhi Sultanate (from History of Asia)
Image 7Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 8Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 9Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 10Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 11Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (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 Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 15The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 16The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 17Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 18British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 19Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 20India'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 21Korean 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 22The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 23Map of the Qing Empire in 1832 (from History of Asia)
Image 24The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 25Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 26Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 27The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 28The 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 29The 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 30Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 31Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 32Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 33Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 34Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south. (from History of Asia)
Image 35Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 36Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History 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 38Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 39A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 40Some 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 41Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 42The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 43The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 44A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 45The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 46Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 47Expansion of the Mongol Empire 1206-1294 (from History of Asia)
Image 48Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 49Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 50Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 51A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 52Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 53Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 54Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 55The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 56Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 57Detail 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 58The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 59Detail 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 60The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 61Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 62Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 63The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 64Political map of the world in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 65The 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 66Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 67The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 68Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 69East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)

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Featured picture

Nagoya Castle

Credit: Samuel Louie

The main donjon of Nagoya Castle, a Japanese castle found in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. It was destroyed in World War II, but the donjon was reconstructed in 1959, and there are plans to also rebuild Honmaru Palace, which was also located within the castle walls.

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Did you know...

... that the Directorate General of Higher Education in Indonesia had been dissolved twice before being re-established in 2019?
... that an Indiana newspaper donated its TV station to the local high school instead of shutting it down?
... that Indonesian ambassador Niniek Kun Naryatie initially wanted to resign as a diplomat after giving birth to her first child, but her husband convinced her not to do so?
... that before the establishment of Singapore's Rail Test Centre, the bulk of rolling-stock testing had to be conducted overseas?
... that The King of Comedy Visits Shanghai depicted Charlie Chaplin in China fourteen years before it happened?
... that Serge de Beaurecueil, having spent a "wretched childhood" dreaming of journeying to a faraway land, became the only Catholic priest in Afghanistan?
... that Teuku Karimoeddin was arrested by the Imperial Japanese military police for resisting mandatory head shaving and other regulations?
... that Sae Kitamura has had her university students contribute to the Japanese Wikipedia as part of their coursework?
... that at the 2024 Olympics, unranked North Korean table tennis pair Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong defeated the defending champions and went on to win the silver medal?
... that Oriana Skylar Mastro, a Stanford political scientist, joined the U.S. Air Force as a PhD student to better understand military issues in the Asia–Pacific region?

Updated: 1:05, 25 May 2026

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In the news

25 May 2026 – 2026 Iran war: 2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations; 2026 Iran war ceasefire; China in the 2026 Iran war, Pakistan in the 2026 Iran war, China–Pakistan relations; Pakistani military chief Asim Munir and prime minister Shehbaz Sharif visit Beijing for talks with Chinese officials as part of mediation efforts related to the war. (AFP via LBCI)
25 May 2026 – Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war: 2026 Iran war fuel crisis; Oil prices decrease by 5% in Asia early trading amidst hopes of a Iran–U.S. ceasefire deal to end the war. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)

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Major Religions in Asia

Middle East (West Asia)

Central Asia

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

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Selected panorama

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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