Portal:Asia

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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 is part of 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. As continents are no natural formation its borders, particularly the land 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...)

Featured article

Monks following Pradakshina at Borobudur

Borobudur, also transcribed Barabudur (Indonesian: Candi Borobudur, Javanese: ꦕꦤ꧀ꦝꦶꦧꦫꦧꦸꦝꦸꦂ, romanized: Candhi Barabudhur), is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang Regency, near the city of Magelang and the town of Muntilan, in Central Java, Indonesia.

Constructed of gray andesite-like stone, the temple consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome. It is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and originally 504 Buddha statues. The central dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa. The monument guides pilgrims through an extensive system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the walls and the balustrades. Borobudur has one of the world's most extensive collections of Buddhist reliefs. (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 borders Afghanistan to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east and is narrowly separated from Pakistan by Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor. It has a population of over 10.7 million people.

The territory was previously home to cultures of the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, including the Oxus civilization in west, with the Indo-Iranians arriving during the Andronovo culture. Parts of country were part of the Sogdian and Bactrian civilizations, and was ruled by those including the Achaemenids, Alexander the Great, the Greco-Bactrians, the Kushans, the Kidarites and Hephthalites, the First Turkic Khaganate, the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates, the Samanid Empire, the Kara-Khanids, Seljuks, Khwarazmians, the Mongols, Timurids and Khanate of Bukhara. The region was later conquered by the Russian Empire, before becoming part of 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 constituent republic of the Soviet Union on 5 December 1929. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Kapoor Khan in 2024

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. Kapoor is the recipient of several awards, including six Filmfare Awards, and as of 2024, is one of Hindi cinema's highest-paid actresses.

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

Featured picture

Panjshir province

Credit: United States Army

An Afghan elder and his cat sit outside his store at the Anaba bazaar in Panjshir province, Afghanistan, Jan. 2, 2010.

Did you know...

... that Aaron Bushnell said that his action of setting himself on fire was less extreme than "what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers"?
... that writer Naoko Sato was initially worried that the character Kat would come off as "too Japanese" for overseas audiences?
... that plans to shoot the Beijing-set portions of the 1989 Japanese film Beijing Watermelon on location were cancelled after the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre occurred mid-production?
... that Moran Zer Katzenstein led a women's march inspired by The Handmaid's Tale in protest of Israeli judicial reform?
... that the first silver dollars of the Republic of China were crudely designed mementos?
... that Lamia Al-Gailani Werr helped rebuild the Iraq Museum after it was looted in the 2003 American-led invasion of Iraq?
... that the terms "Palestine" and "Palestinians" were being increasingly used in 1908 by the emergent Palestinian press, which expressed anti-Zionist positions?
... that the Japanese version of Pokémon Crystal allowed players to trade and battle over mobile networks using an adapter?
... that Soepardjo Rustam guarded a double of Indonesian Armed Forces commander Sudirman to draw attention away from the real commander?
... that two Americans, Jeff Yass and Arthur Dantchik, are large funders of the Kohelet Policy Forum, an intellectual driving force of the controversial 2023 Israeli judicial reform package?

Updated: 23:05, 21 August 2025

In the news

22 August 2025 – Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Gaza war; Gaza Strip famine; The UN-backed IPC officially declares a famine in the Gaza Governorate, while conditions in the North Gaza Governorate are estimated to be as severe or worse. The OHCHR states that the famine is the direct result of actions taken by the Israeli government. (The New York Times)(Financial Times)(OHCHR)(IPC)
21 August 2025 – Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Gaza war; Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip; At least 70 Palestinians are killed by Israeli airstrikes, including eight people in a house in Sabra suburb in Gaza City. (Reuters)

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Related portals

Major Religions in Asia

Middle East (West Asia)

Central Asia and Caucasus

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

Selected panorama

150pxSingapore's Marina Bay at Dusk in 2018. From left to right, Marina Bay Sands (MBS), Louis Vuitton store and the CBD.

The Central Area of Singapore surrounded by the perimeter of five planning areas: the Marina Bay, the Downtown Core, Marina East, Marina South and Straits View. The area surrounding the bay itself, also called Marina Bay, is a 360 hectare extension to the adjacent CBD. It is also the new downtown of Singapore built on reclaimed land.