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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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Map showing the two sites of attacks

Operation Infinite Reach was the codename for American cruise missile strikes on al-Qaeda bases that were launched concurrently across two continents on 20 August 1998. Launched by the U.S. Navy, the strikes hit the al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum, Sudan, and a camp in Khost Province, Afghanistan, in retaliation for al-Qaeda's August 7 bombings of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224 people (including 12 Americans) and injured over 4,000 others. Operation Infinite Reach was the first time the United States acknowledged a preemptive strike against a violent non-state actor.

U.S. intelligence wrongly suggested financial ties between the al-Shifa plant, which produced over half of Sudan's pharmaceuticals, and Osama bin Laden; a soil sample collected from al-Shifa allegedly contained a chemical used in VX nerve gas manufacturing. Suspecting that al-Shifa was linked to, and producing chemical weapons for, bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network, the U.S. destroyed the facility with cruise missiles, killing or wounding 11 Sudanese. The strike on al-Shifa proved controversial; after the attacks, the U.S. evidence and rationale were criticized as faulty, and academics Max Taylor and Mohamed Elbushra cite "a broad acceptance that this plant was not involved in the production of any chemical weapons." (Full article...)

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Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centred on Bahrain Island, which makes up around 83 percent of the country's landmass. Bahrain is situated between Qatar and the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia, to which it is connected by the King Fahd Causeway. The population is 1,501,635 as of 2023, of whom 712,362 (47% of the population) are Bahraini nationals and 789,273 are expatriates spanning 2,000 ethnicities (53% of the population). Bahrain spans some 760 square kilometres (290 sq mi) and is the third-smallest nation in Asia after Maldives and Singapore. The capital and largest city is Manama.

The area that straddles the present-day territory of Bahrain was once the site of the ancient Dilmun civilisation. It has been famed since antiquity for its pearl fisheries, which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century. Bahrain was one of the earliest areas to be influenced by Islam, during the lifetime of Muhammad in 628. Following a period of Arab rule, Bahrain was ruled by the Portuguese Empire from 1521 until 1602, when they were expelled by Shah Abbas the Great of the Safavid Iran. In 1783, the Bani Utbah and allied tribes captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur. It has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family, with Ahmed al Fateh as Bahrain's first hakim. In the late 19th century, following successive treaties with the British, Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom. In 1971, it declared independence. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a semi-constitutional monarchy in 2002, and Article 2 of the constitution made sharia a principal source for legislation. In 2011, the country experienced protests inspired by the regional Arab Spring. The ruling Sunni Muslim Al Khalifa royal family has been criticised for violating the human rights of groups including dissidents, political opposition figures, and its Shia Muslim population. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Khan in 2018

Shahrukh Khan (pronounced [ˈʃaːɦɾʊx xäːn] ^ⓘ; born 2 November 1965), popularly known by the initials SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer renowned for his work in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has appeared in more than 100 films and earned numerous accolades, including a National Film Award and 15 Filmfare Awards. He has been awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India, as well as the Order of Arts and Letters and Legion of Honour by the Government of France. Khan has a significant following in Asia and the Indian diaspora worldwide. In terms of income, several media outlets have described him as one of the most successful film stars in the world.

Khan began his career with appearances in several television series in the late 1980s and made his Hindi film debut in 1992 with the musical romance Deewana. He was initially recognised for playing villainous roles in the films Baazigar (1993) and Darr (1993). Khan established himself by starring in a series of top-grossing romantic films, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Mohabbatein (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004), and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). He earned critical acclaim for his portrayal of an alcoholic in the period romantic drama Devdas (2002), a NASA scientist in the social drama Swades (2004), a hockey coach in the sports drama Chak De! India (2007), and a man with Asperger syndrome in the drama My Name Is Khan (2010). Further commercial successes came with the romances Om Shanti Om (2007) and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008), and with his expansion to comedies in Chennai Express (2013) and Happy New Year (2014). Following a brief setback and hiatus, Khan made a career comeback with the 2023 action thrillers Pathaan and Jawan, both of which rank among the highest-grossing Indian films. For Jawan, he received the National Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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Featured picture

National Guard (Kyrgyzstan)

Credit: A.Savin

The honor guard of the National Guard standing at attention on Ala-Too Square, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

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Did you know...

... that soldiers participating in an Israeli raid in Masyaf described an explosion that destroyed a missile production facility as "a mini earthquake"?
... that the Japanese manga series Mink featured futuristic technology even though its creator was unfamiliar with computers?
... that some pale stonecrops in Spain closely resemble Israeli specimens, while neighboring plants in Spain can look vastly different?
... that military officer Chris Tanasale was selected as the mayor of Ambon, Indonesia, to prevent the alienation of local Christians?
... that after being unpicked for the NBA, Damian Chong Qui went on to become the first player to score a triple-double in the East Asia Super League?
... that there is a dispute within the Indian communist movement on whether the Communist Party of India was founded in Tashkent in 1920 or Kanpur in 1925?
... that due to a 2024 heat wave in Southeast Asia, heat indices in the Philippines rose to dangerous levels, as high as 51 °C (124 °F)?
... that the first publication of the prolific author and Talmudic scholar Israel Ta-Shma was a Jewish songbook for the Israel Defense Forces?
... that the Gesshizu, a group of video game characters, got their name from gesshirui, the Japanese word for 'rodent'?
... that a painting of the Battle of Kejiwan was for a time the most expensive ever made by an Indonesian artist?

Updated: 1:05, 30 October 2025

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In the news

29 October 2025 –: Pakistan’s military said that six soldiers and seven militants were killed in a clash near the Afghanistan border. (Al Arabiya)
29 October 2025 – Tariffs in the second Trump administration: South Korea–United States relations; South Korea and the United States finalize a trade deal in which the U.S. agrees to 15% of tariffs on South Korean goods. (The New York Times)
29 October 2025 –: At least nine people are killed and five others are missing due to floods in central Vietnam. (Reuters)
29 October 2025 – Afghanistan–Pakistan relations: 2025 Afghanistan–Pakistan conflict; Peace talks held in Istanbul, Turkey between Afghanistan and Pakistan collapse and achieve no clear agreement. (Reuters)