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Asia (/ˈeɪʒə/ (listen), UK also /ˈeɪʃə/) 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, having more people than all other continents combined.

Asia shares the landmass of Eurasia with Europe and 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 alternated in being the largest economies in the world from 1 to 1,800 CE. China was a major economic power and attracted many to the east, and for many the legendary wealth and prosperity of the ancient culture of India personified Asia, attracting European commerce, exploration and colonialism. The accidental discovery of a trans-Atlantic route from Europe to America by Columbus while in search for a route to India demonstrates this deep fascination. 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 (particularly East Asia) 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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The 1740 Batavia massacre (Dutch: Chinezenmoord, lit. 'Murder of the Chinese'; Indonesian: Geger Pacinan, lit. 'Chinatown tumult') was a massacre and pogrom in which European soldiers of the Dutch East India Company and Javanese collaborators killed ethnic Chinese residents of the port city of Batavia (present-day Jakarta) in the Dutch East Indies. The violence in the city lasted from 9 October 1740, until 22 October, with minor skirmishes outside the walls continuing late into November that year. Historians have estimated that at least 10,000 ethnic Chinese were massacred; just 600 to 3,000 are believed to have survived.

In September 1740, as unrest rose among the Chinese population, spurred by government repression and declining sugar prices, Governor-General Adriaan Valckenier declared that any uprising would be met with deadly force. On 7 October, hundreds of ethnic Chinese, many of them sugar mill workers, killed 50 Dutch soldiers, leading Dutch troops to confiscate all weapons from the Chinese populace and to place the Chinese under a curfew. Two days later, rumors of Chinese atrocities led other Batavian ethnic groups to burn Chinese houses along Besar River and Dutch soldiers to fire cannons at Chinese homes in revenge. The violence soon spread throughout Batavia, killing more Chinese. Although Valckenier declared an amnesty on 11 October, gangs of irregulars continued to hunt down and kill Chinese until 22 October, when the governor-general called more forcefully for a cessation of hostilities. Outside the city walls, clashes continued between Dutch troops and rioting sugar mill workers. After several weeks of minor skirmishes, Dutch-led troops assaulted Chinese strongholds in sugar mills throughout the area. (Full article...)

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Thailand (/ˈtaɪlænd, -lənd/ TY-land, -⁠lənd), officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (/saɪˈæm, ˈsaɪæm/), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 70 million, it spans 513,120 square kilometres (198,120 sq mi). Thailand is bordered to the north by Myanmar and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea; it also shares maritime borders with Vietnam to the southeast, and Indonesia and India to the southwest. Bangkok is the nation's capital and largest city.

Tai peoples migrated from southwestern China to mainland Southeast Asia from the 6th to 11th century. Indianised kingdoms such as the Mon, Khmer Empire and Malay states ruled the region, competing with Thai states such as the Kingdoms of Ngoenyang, Sukhothai, Lan Na and Ayutthaya, which also rivalled each other. European contact began in 1511 with a Portuguese diplomatic mission to Ayutthaya, which became a regional power by the end of the 15th century. Ayutthaya reached its peak during the 18th century, until it was destroyed in the Burmese–Siamese War. Taksin quickly reunified the fragmented territory and established the short-lived Thonburi Kingdom. He was succeeded in 1782 by Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, the first monarch of the current Chakri dynasty. Throughout the era of Western imperialism in Asia, Siam remained the only nation in the region to avoid colonization by foreign powers, although it was often forced to make territorial, trade and legal concessions in unequal treaties. The Siamese system of government was centralised and transformed into a modern unitary absolute monarchy in the reign of Chulalongkorn. In World War I, Siam sided with the Allies, a political decision made in order to amend the unequal treaties. Following a bloodless revolution in 1932, it became a constitutional monarchy and changed its official name to Thailand, becoming an ally of Japan in World War II. In the late 1950s, a military coup under Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat revived the monarchy's historically influential role in politics. Thailand became a major ally of the United States, and played an anti-communist role in the region as a member of the failed SEATO, but from 1975 sought to improve relations with Communist China and Thailand's neighbours. (Full article...)

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Kareena Kapoor Khan (pronounced [kəˈriːna kəˈpuːr]; née Kapoor; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress who appears in Hindi films. She is the daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and the younger sister of actress Karisma Kapoor. Noted for playing a variety of characters in a range of film genres—from romantic comedies to crime dramas—Kapoor is the recipient of several awards, including six Filmfare Awards, and is one of Bollywood's highest-paid actresses.

After making her acting debut in 2000 in Refugee, Kapoor established herself with roles in the dramas Aśoka and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (both 2001). 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 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 William Shakespeare's heroine Desdemona in the 2006 crime film Omkara. Further praise came for her performances in the romantic comedies Jab We Met (2007) and Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012), the thrillers Kurbaan (2009) and Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012), and the dramas We Are Family (2010), Heroine (2012) and Udta Punjab (2016). Her highest-grossing releases include the dramas 3 Idiots (2009), Bodyguard (2011) and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), the action film Singham Returns (2014), and the comedies Veere Di Wedding (2018) and Good Newwz (2019). (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 2The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 3Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 4Detail 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 5The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 6Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 7The Delhi Sultanate. (from History of Asia)
Image 8Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 9The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 10A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 11The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)
Image 12Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 13The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 14Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 15Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 16A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 17Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 18Political map of Asia in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 19Projected GDP of 7 largest economies in 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 20A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 21Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 22Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 23Expansion of Hinduism in Southeast Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 24The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 25The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 26The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 27Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 28The 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 29Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 30Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 31The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 32Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 33Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 34British troops taking Chinkiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 35The 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 36Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 37Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 38Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 39The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 40Detail 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 41Korean 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 42Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 43India'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 44Map of Asia for early 20th century (from History of Asia)
Image 45The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 46Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 47The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 48Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 49Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 50Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 51Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 52The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 53A map of the Bronze Age collapse, c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 54Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 55Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 56Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 57Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 58the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 59Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 60The first King of Goryeo, as known as Taejo of Goryeo (918–943) (from History of Asia)
Image 61The 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 62Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 63Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 64Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 65East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 66Some 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 67A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 68Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)

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Featured picture

Japanese calligraphy

Credit: Emperor Saga

Cry for noble Saichō, a poem written by Emperor Saga of Japan in the 9th century, upon the death of the Buddhist monk Saichō—an early example of Japanese calligraphy. Although calligraphy as an art form had existed prior to that time, Japanese practitioners tended to imitate the styles developed by Chinese calligraphists. The influence of Chinese styles had weakened after the Heian period, with this text as one of the few surviving examples of the transformation to a native Japanese style.

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Did you know...

... that a few months after Lü Peijian was appointed China's auditor general, he announced the discovery of more than US$1.6 billion worth of tax evasion, fraud, and waste?
... that comedian Atsugiri Jason became the first non-Japanese finalist on the R-1 Grand Prix in 2014?
... that a collection of kimono assembled by Nasser Khalili covers four periods of Japanese history?
... that the anandalahari is an Indian chordophone musical instrument used by religious singers of the Baul faith?
... that Liang Baibo and Yu Feng were among China's first female cartoonists?
... that the yawara is a Japanese weapon that is used for martial arts and was used by American police?
... that Gongnyong Ridge in Seoraksan National Park, South Korea, acquired its name (lit. 'Dinosaur Ridge') from its peaks looking as "vigorous and dynamic as a dinosaur rising from the ground"?
... that students participating in the 1968–69 Japanese university protests were known for ruthlessly interrogating and verbally abusing professors, sometimes for days on end?
... that the death of Uyghur writer Nurmuhemmet Tohti has been linked to mistreatment in the Xinjiang internment camps, a claim China denies?
... that Pennsylvania Treasurer-elect Stacy Garrity was nicknamed "The Angel of the Desert" in the Iraq War?

Updated: 1:33, 20 March 2022

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In the news

8 June 2023 – Afghan conflict: A car bomb outside a mosque in Fayzabad, Afghanistan, kills at least eleven people and injures 30 others during a prayer service for the deputy governor of Badakhshan Province, who was killed two days ago. The Islamic State claimed responsibility. (BBC News)
8 June 2023 – 2023 Annecy stabbing: Six people, including four children, are injured in a mass stabbing at Lake Annecy in Haute-Savoie, France. The attacker, a Syrian national, is arrested. (BBC News)
7 June 2023 –: Three people are killed by a 4.8 magnitude earthquake in Maubin, Ayeyarwady Region, Myanmar. (Ludunwayoo); Fifteen people are killed in a crash between a bus and a truck in Dakshin Surma Upazila, Sylhet District, Bangladesh. (IndianExpress)　
6 June 2023 – Afghan conflict, Islamic State–Taliban conflict: The deputy governor of Afghanistan's Badakhshan Province and his driver are killed and six civilians injured when a suicide car bomber rams their vehicle in Fayzabad. (DW)
6 June 2023 –: Iran unveils a domestically produced hypersonic long-range missile named "Fattah", which they claim can penetrate missile defense systems. (Al Jazeera)

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Selected panorama

Credit: David Iliff

The night skyline of Hong Kong, Victoria Harbour and Kowloon, as seen from Victoria Peak, the tallest mountain on Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong is located on China's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Guangdong province in the north and faces the South China Sea in the east, west and south. It has a population of 6.9 million people, and is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.