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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 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.

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. 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 traded places as the largest economies in the world from 1 to 1800 CE. China was a major economic power for much of recorded history, with the highest GDP per capita until 1500. 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 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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Featured article

Male at the Cincinnati Zoo

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), also known as the Komodo monitor, is a member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae that is endemic to the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang. It is the largest extant species of lizard, growing to a maximum length of 3 m (9.8 ft), and weighing up to 70 kg (150 lb).

As a result of their size, Komodo dragons are apex predators, and dominate the ecosystems in which they live. Komodo dragons hunt and ambush prey including invertebrates, birds, and mammals. Komodo dragons' group behavior in hunting is exceptional in the reptile world. The diet of Komodo dragons mainly consists of Javan rusa (Rusa timorensis), though they also eat considerable amounts of carrion. Komodo dragons also occasionally attack humans. (Full article...)

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Selected Country

Tajikistan, officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Dushanbe is the capital and most populous city. Tajikistan is bordered by Afghanistan to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east. It is separated from Pakistan by Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor.

The territory was previously home to cultures of the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, including the city of Sarazm, and was later home to kingdoms ruled by people of faiths and cultures, including the Oxus civilization, Andronovo culture, Buddhism, Nestorian Christianity, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and Islam. The area has been ruled by empires and dynasties, including the Achaemenid Empire, Sasanian Empire, Hephthalite Empire, Samanid Empire, and Mongol Empire. After being ruled by the Timurid Empire and Khanate of Bukhara, the Timurid Renaissance flourished. The region was later conquered by the Russian Empire and subsequently by the Soviet Union. Within the Soviet Union, the country's borders were drawn when it was part of Uzbekistan as an autonomous republic before becoming a full-fledged Soviet republic in 1929. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Kapoor Khan in 2023

Kareena Kapoor Khan (pronounced [kəˈriːna kəˈpuːr xɑːn]; née Kapoor; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress. A prolific leading lady of Hindi cinema since 2000, she is noted for her roles in a range of film genres—from romantic comedies to crime dramas. One of India's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of several accolades, including six Filmfare Awards.

Born into the Kapoor family, she is the daughter of actors Babita and Randhir Kapoor, and the younger sister of actress Karisma Kapoor. After making her acting debut in 2000 in Refugee, Kapoor established herself the following year with several roles, including in the top-grossing drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.... This was followed by a series of commercial failures and negative reviews for her repetitive roles. An against-type performance as a sex worker in the 2004 drama Chameli marked a turning point in her career. She earned critical recognition for her portrayal of a riot victim in the 2004 drama Dev and a character based on Desdemona in the 2006 crime film Omkara. Her performance as a loquacious woman in the romantic comedy Jab We Met (2007) earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 2Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 3The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 4Hinduism 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 5Detail 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 6Detail 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 7Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 8Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 9The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)
Image 10Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 11Some 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 12A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 13East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 14Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 15Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 16Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 17Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 18Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 19Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 20Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 21Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 22Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 23The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 24The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 25Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 26Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 27Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 28The Delhi Sultanate. (from History of Asia)
Image 29Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 30A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 31Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 32Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 33The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 34Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 35The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 36Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 37British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 38A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 39The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 40The 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 41Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 42Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 43The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 44Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 45The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 46Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 47Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 48Map of Asia for early 20th century (from History of Asia)
Image 49Projected GDP of 7 largest economies in 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 50the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 51Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 52India'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 53The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 54The 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 55The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 56A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 57The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 58Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 59Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 60The 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 61Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 62The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 63Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 64The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 65Korean 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 66Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 67The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 68Political map of Asia in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 69Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)

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Featured picture

Yeddi Gumbaz mausoleum

Credit: Diego Delso

View of one of the Yeddi Gumbez Mausoleums at dusk in Şamaxı, Azerbaijan. The cemetery dates from 1810 and was built for a family of Mustafa khan – the last khan of Shamakhi.

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Did you know...

... that although he was a former Indonesian prime minister, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo was not arrested during a political purge as he was considered a non-threat?
... that Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, India's second Muslim president, was also the second Indian president to die in office?
... that the Empire of Japan turned a Korean royal cemetery at what is now Hyochang Park into a golf course?
... that Levantine Arabic is often written in Hebrew characters online by Bedouin, Arab Christians, and Druze in Israel?
... that Ein Samiya, which provides the water for Taybeh, the first beer brewed in Palestine, was depopulated in 2023 after harassment by neighboring Israeli settlers?
... that the popularity of "10 Minutes" by Korean singer Lee Hyori led to 2003 being dubbed the "year of Hyori" by domestic media?
... that Sun Haiyan is the first Chinese ambassador to Singapore who was not a member of the Foreign Ministry of China?
... that University of Nebraska alumnus M. Khalid Roashan helped draft the 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan?
... that the Pakistani film Shehr e Tabassum was the first animated cyberpunk film to be made by an Urdu development team?
... that the Te'omim Cave in Israel was home to a Bronze Age alabaster quarry, a refuge cave during the Jewish–Roman wars, and a possible center for necromantic activity in late antiquity?

Updated: 6:33, 14 February 2024

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In the news

1 June 2024 – Capital punishment in Yemen: A court run by the Houthis in Yemen sentences 44 people to death on charges of collaborating with the Saudi coalition. (ABC News)
1 June 2024 – 2024 Indian general election: The final phase of the general election in India is held, with the ruling National Democratic Alliance projected to win a majority. Results will be announced on June 4. (Reuters)
31 May 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine: Ukraine and Russia announce their first exchange of prisoners of war in nearly four months, with 150 people freed following negotiations mediated by the United Arab Emirates. (Reuters)
31 May 2024 – Red Sea crisis: The death toll from yesterday's U.S. Navy and British Navy airstrikes in Yemen increases to 16 with 35 others injured. (AP)
31 May 2024 – Israel–Hezbollah conflict: A medic is killed and another is injured in an Israeli airstrike against an ambulance in Naqoura, Lebanon. (Al Jazeera)
31 May 2024 –: France bans Israeli defense firms from exhibiting at the Eurosatory arms expo. (Times of Israel)

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Related portals

Major Religions in Asia

Middle East

Central Asia and Surroundings

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

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Selected panorama

Credit: Félix Bonfils (1831–1885)

This image by the firm of Maison Bonfils depicts the city of Beirut, Lebanon, sometime in the last third of the 19th century. Maison Bonfils was the extraordinarily prolific venture of the French photographer Félix Bonfils (1831–85), his wife Marie-Lydie Cabanis Bonfils (1837–1918), and their son, Adrien Bonfils (1861–1928). The Bonfils moved to Beirut in 1867 and, over the next five decades, their firm produced one of the world's most important bodies of photographic work about the Middle East. Maison Bonfils was known for landscape photographs, panoramas, biblical scenes, and posed “ethnographic” portraits.

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