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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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Tiruchirappalli (Tamil pronunciation: [ˈt̪iɾɯtːʃiɾapːaɭːi] ^ⓘ), also known as Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with being the best livable and the cleanest city of Tamil Nadu, as well as the fifth safest city for women in India. It is the fourth largest urban agglomeration in the state. Located 322 kilometres (200 mi) south of Chennai and 374 kilometres (232 mi) north of Kanyakumari, Tiruchirappalli sits almost at the geographic centre of Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery Delta begins 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) west of the city where the Kaveri river splits into two, forming the island of Srirangam which is now incorporated into the Tiruchirappalli City Municipal Corporation. The city occupies an area of 167.23 square kilometres (64.57 sq mi) and had a population of 916,857 in 2011.

Tiruchirappalli's recorded history begins under Chola rule in the 3rd century BC. The city has also been ruled by the Pallavas, Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, Nayak Dynasty, the Carnatic state and the British. The most prominent historical monuments in Tiruchirappalli include the Rockfort at Teppakulam, the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam dedicated to the reclining form of Hindu God Vishnu, and is also the largest functioning temple in the world, and the Jambukeswarar temple at Thiruvanaikaval, which is also the largest temple for the Hindu God Shiva in the world. The archaeologically important town of Uraiyur, capital of the Early Cholas, is now a neighbourhood in Tiruchirappalli. The city played a critical role in the Carnatic Wars (1746–1763) between the British and the French East India companies. (Full article...)

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Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Comprising over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea, Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state and the 14th-largest country by area, at 1,904,569 square kilometres (735,358 square miles). With over 280 million people, Indonesia is the world's fourth-most-populous country and the most populous Muslim-majority country. Java, the world's most populous island, is home to more than half of the country's population.

Indonesia operates as a presidential republic with an elected legislature and consists of 38 provinces, nine of which have special autonomous status. Jakarta, the largest city, is the world's second-most-populous urban area. Indonesia shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and East Malaysia, as well as maritime borders with Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, Palau, and India. Despite its large population and densely populated regions, Indonesia has vast areas of wilderness that support one of the world's highest levels of biodiversity. (Full article...)

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Demetrius III's portrait on the obverse of a tetradrachm

Demetrius III Theos Philopator Soter Philometor Euergetes Callinicus (Ancient Greek: Δημήτριος θεός Φιλοπάτωρ σωτήρ Φιλομήτωρ Εὐεργέτης Καλλίνικος, surnamed Eucaerus; between 124 and 109 BC – after 87 BC) was a Hellenistic Seleucid monarch who reigned as the King of Syria between 96 and 87 BC. He was a son of Antiochus VIII and, most likely, his Egyptian wife Tryphaena. Demetrius III's early life was spent in a period of civil war between his father and his uncle Antiochus IX, which ended with the assassination of Antiochus VIII in 96 BC. After the death of their father, Demetrius III took control of Damascus while his brother Seleucus VI prepared for war against Antiochus IX, who occupied the Syrian capital Antioch.

The civil war dragged on; Seleucus VI eliminated his uncle, whose heir Antiochus X counterattacked and drove Seleucus VI to his death. Then the twins Antiochus XI and Philip I, brothers of Demetrius III, attempted to avenge Seleucus VI; it ended with the death of Antiochus XI and the interference of Demetrius III on the side of Philip I in a war against Antiochus X that probably lasted until 88 BC. In 89 BC, Demetrius III invaded Judaea and crushed the forces of its king, Alexander Jannaeus; his near victory was cut short by the death of Antiochus X. Demetrius III rushed to Antioch before Philip I could take advantage of the power vacuum and strengthen his position relative to Demetrius III. (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 2The 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 3Some 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 4The 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 5A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 6Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 7The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (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 9The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 10The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 11Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 12Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 13Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 14A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 15the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 16Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 17British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 18Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 19Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 20Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 21Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 22The 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 23The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 24The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 25Detail 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 26The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 27Political map of Asia in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 28The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 29Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 30The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 31Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 32A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 33Map of Asia for early 20th century (from History of Asia)
Image 34Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 35East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 36Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 37Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 38Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 39The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 40Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 41The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 42Hinduism 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 43The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)
Image 44Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 45Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 46Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 47The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 48The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 49India'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 50Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 51The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 52The Delhi Sultanate. (from History of Asia)
Image 53Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 54Detail 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 55Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 56Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 57Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 58Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 59Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 60Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 61Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 62Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 63Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 64Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 65Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 66A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 67Korean 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 68Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 69Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)

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Emirates (airline)

Credit: Julian Herzog

Emirates is an airline based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the largest airline in the Middle East, operating over 3,600 flights per week from its hub at Dubai International Airport, to more than 150 cities in 80 countries across six continents..

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... that Hans Ephraimson-Abt began advocating for better support for families of aviation-accident victims after his daughter's death on Korean Air Lines Flight 007 in 1983?
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... that the 2025 book The World After Gaza was deemed "repugnant" and "monstrous" for being both overly and insufficiently critical of Israel?