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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. 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. Thefore, Asia is a region where various independent cultures coexist rather than sharing a single culture, and the boundary between 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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Andhra Pradesh (/ˌɑːndrə prəˈdeɪʃ/; ISO: Āndhra Pradēś; Telugu: [aːndʱrɐ prɐdeːʃ] ^ⓘ abbr. AP) is a state in the southern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state and the tenth-most populous in the country. Telugu, one of India's classical languages, is the primary official language and the most widely spoken language. Amaravati is the state capital, while the largest city is Visakhapatnam. The state shares borders with Telangana to the northwest, Odisha to the northeast, Chhattisgarh to the north, Karnataka to the southwest, Tamil Nadu to the south, and the Bay of Bengal to the southeast. It has the second-longest coastline in India at about 974 km (605 mi).

Archaeological evidence suggests that Andhra Pradesh has had continuous human presence for over 247,000 years, ranging from early archaic hominins to Neolithic settlements. The earliest mention of the Andhras occurs in Aitareya Brahmana (c. 800 BCE) of the Rigveda. Around 300 BCE, the Andhras living in the Godavari and Krishna river deltas were renowned for their formidable military strength—second only to the Maurya Empire in the subcontinent. The first major Andhra polity was the Satavahana dynasty (2nd century BCE–2nd century CE) which ruled over the entire Deccan Plateau and even distant areas of western and central India. They established trade relations with the Roman Empire. After that, the major rulers included the Vishnukundinas, Eastern Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagara Empire, Qutb Shahis, and the British Raj. After Indian independence, Andhra State was bifurcated from Madras state in 1953. It was merged with Telangana, comprising Telugu speaking areas of the former Hyderabad state, to form Andhra Pradesh in 1956. It reverted to its earlier form on 2 June 2014, when the new state of Telangana was formed through bifurcation. (Full article...)

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The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is a country and archipelagic state in South Asia in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750 kilometres (470 miles; 400 nautical miles) from the Asian continent's mainland. The Maldives' chain of 26 atolls stretches across the equator from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to Addu Atoll in the south.

The Maldives is the smallest country in Asia. Including the sea, the territory spans roughly 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 sq mi), with a land area of 298 square kilometres (115 sq mi). The Maldives is one of the world's most geographically dispersed sovereign states, and the smallest Muslim country by land area. With a population of 515,132 in the 2022 census, it is the 2nd least populous country in Asia and the ninth-smallest country in the world by area. Malé is the capital and the most populated city, traditionally called the "King's Island", where the ancient royal dynasties ruled from its central location. The Maldivian Archipelago is located on the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge, a vast submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean; this also forms a terrestrial ecoregion with the Chagos Archipelago and Lakshadweep. The Maldives has an average ground-level elevation of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, and a highest natural point of only 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in), making it the world's lowest-lying country. Some sources state the highest point, Mount Villingili, as 5.1 metres or 17 feet. (Full article...)

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Sabri Khalil al-Banna (Arabic: صبري خليل البنا; May 1937 – 16 August 2002), known by his nom de guerre Abu Nidal ("father of struggle"), was a Palestinian militant. He was the founder of Fatah: The Revolutionary Council (Arabic: فتح المجلس الثوري), a militant Palestinian splinter group more commonly known as the Abu Nidal Organization (ANO). Abu Nidal formed the ANO in October 1974 after a split from Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

Acting as a freelance contractor, Abu Nidal is believed to have ordered attacks in 20 countries, killing over 300 and injuring over 650. The group's operations included the Rome and Vienna airport attacks on 27 December 1985, when gunmen opened fire on passengers in simultaneous shootings at El Al ticket counters, killing 20. At the height of its militancy in the 1970s and 1980s, the ANO was widely regarded as the most ruthless of the Palestinian groups. The ANO was long suspected by the Palestinian leadership to have been infiltrated by the Israeli Mossad, with Abu Nidal himself having been on the CIA payroll. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 2The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 3Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 4Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 5The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 6The 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 7Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 8The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 9A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 10Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 11Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 12Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 13The 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 14Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 15Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 16The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 17The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 18Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 19Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 20A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 21Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 22Political map of Asia in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 23Detail 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 24The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 25Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 26Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 27The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 28British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 29Projected GDP of 7 largest economies in 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 30Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 31Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 32Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 33Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 34The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 35The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 36Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 37Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 38The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History 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 41Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 42Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 43Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 44Some 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 45The 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 46Korean 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 47Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 48The Delhi Sultanate. (from History of Asia)
Image 49The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 50Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 51India'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 52The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 53Hinduism 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 54Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 55Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 56A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 57Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 58Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 59The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)
Image 60The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 61Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 62Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 63A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 64Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 65East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 66Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 67the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 68Map of Asia for early 20th century (from History of Asia)
Image 69Detail 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 70Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture 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 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

23 September 2024 – Israel–Hezbollah conflict: 23 September 2024 Lebanon strikes; The Israeli Air Force conducts over 300 airstrikes against southern Lebanon, killing at least 182 people and wounding over 720 others. (Al Jazeera) (Sky News Arabia); Hezbollah retaliates with the launches of dozens of rockets at Israel. (Israeli military); The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) advises all posted civilian employees to evacuate southern Lebanon. (The Jerusalem Post); The Israeli military advises Lebanese civilians in southern Lebanon to evacuate north. (Associated Press)
23 September 2024 – Japan–Russia relations: Japanese fighter jets fire warning flares at a Russian aircraft that violated Japanese airspace off Rebun Island, the first time such flares had been fired by Japan Self-Defense Forces aircraft. (Reuters)