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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 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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The Temple of Eshmun (Arabic: معبد أشمون) is an ancient place of worship dedicated to Eshmun, the Phoenician god of healing. It is located near the Awali river, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) northeast of Sidon in southwestern Lebanon. The site was occupied from the 7th century BC to the 8th century AD, suggesting an integrated relationship with the nearby city of Sidon. Although originally constructed by Sidonian king Eshmunazar II in the Achaemenid era (c. 529–333 BC) to celebrate the city's recovered wealth and stature, the temple complex was greatly expanded by Bodashtart, Yatonmilk and later monarchs. Because the continued expansion spanned many centuries of alternating independence and foreign hegemony, the sanctuary features a wealth of different architectural and decorative styles and influences.

The sanctuary consists of an esplanade and a grand court limited by a huge limestone terrace wall that supports a monumental podium which was once topped by Eshmun's Greco-Persian style marble temple. The sanctuary features a series of ritual ablution basins fed by canals channeling water from the Asclepius river (modern Awali) and from the sacred "YDLL" spring; these installations were used for therapeutic and purificatory purposes that characterize the cult of Eshmun. The sanctuary site has yielded many artifacts of value, especially those inscribed with Phoenician texts, such as the Bodashtart inscriptions and the Eshmun inscription, providing valuable insight into the site's history and that of ancient Sidon. (Full article...)

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Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. Islamabad is the nation's capital, while Karachi is its largest city and financial centre. Pakistan is the 33rd-largest country by area. Bounded by the Arabian Sea on the south, the Gulf of Oman on the southwest, and the Sir Creek on the southeast, it shares land borders with India to the east; Afghanistan to the west; Iran to the southwest; and China to the northeast. It shares a maritime border with Oman in the Gulf of Oman, and is separated from Tajikistan in the northwest by Afghanistan's narrow Wakhan Corridor.

Pakistan is the site of several ancient cultures, including the 8,500-year-old Neolithic site of Mehrgarh in Balochistan, the Indus Valley Civilisation of the Bronze Age, and the ancient Gandhara civilisation. The regions that compose the modern state of Pakistan were the realm of multiple empires and dynasties, including the Achaemenid, the Maurya, the Kushan, the Gupta; the Umayyad Caliphate in its southern regions, the Hindu Shahis, the Ghaznavids, the Delhi Sultanate, the Samma, the Shah Miris, the Mughals, and most recently, the British Raj from 1858 to 1947. (Full article...)

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Featured biography

Zinta in 2018

Preity G. Zinta (pronounced [ˈpriːt̪i ˈzɪɳʈa]; born 31 January 1975) is an Indian actress and entrepreneur primarily known for her work in Hindi films. After graduating with degrees in English honours and criminal psychology, Zinta made her acting debut in Dil Se.. in 1998, followed by a role in Soldier in the same year. These performances earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut, and she was later recognised for her role as a teenage single mother in Kya Kehna (2000). She established a career as a leading Hindi film actress of the decade with a variety of character types. Her roles, often deemed culturally defiant, along with her unconventional screen persona won her recognition and several accolades.

Following critically appreciated roles in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001), Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Dil Hai Tumhaara (2002), and Armaan (2003), Zinta received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). She starred in two consecutive annual top-grossing films in India, Koi... Mil Gaya (2003) and Veer-Zaara (2004), and was noted for her portrayal of independent, modern Indian women in Salaam Namaste (2005) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), top-grossing productions in domestic and overseas markets. For her first international role in the Canadian drama Heaven on Earth (2008) she was awarded the Silver Hugo Award for Best Actress and nominated for the Genie Award for Best Actress. She followed this with a hiatus from acting work for several years, with intermittent appearances such as in her self-produced comeback film, Ishkq in Paris (2013), which failed to leave a mark. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 2Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 3Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (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 5Political map of Asia in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 6Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 7The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 8Detail 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 9The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 10The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 11The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 12The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 13The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)
Image 14The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 15Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 16British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 17Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 18A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 19The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 20Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 21Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 22Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 23The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 24The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 25Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 26Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 27The 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 28The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 29Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 30Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 31Korean 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 32A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 33Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 34Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 35Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 36Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 37The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 38Map of Asia for early 20th century (from History of Asia)
Image 39India'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 40East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 41Some 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 42Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 43Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 44Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 45the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 46Hinduism 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 47The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 48The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 49A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 50Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 51Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 52Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 53Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 54Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 55Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture 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 57Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 58Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 59Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 60Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 61Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 62Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 63The 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 64The Delhi Sultanate. (from History 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 66The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 67Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 68Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 69Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)

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History of coffee

Credit: Keystone View Company

The earliest credible evidence of either coffee drinking or knowledge of the coffee tree appears in the late 15th century, by Sufi Imam Muhammad Ibn Said Al Dhabhani who is known to have imported goods from Ethiopia to Yemen. From the Arabian peninsula its use spread across the globe. The picture shows Palestinian women grinding coffee beans.

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Did you know...

... that the building housing the city council of Palembang, Indonesia, was claimed to be the "grandest" of its kind?
... that Japanese voice actors provided voice-overs to El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron for a domestic audience, although they were chosen for their "foreign"-sounding voices?
... that the newly opened shopping mall The Wai has Hong Kong's largest indoor bicycle parking lot?
... that Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures excludes mentions of Nazism that are present in the Indiana Jones films?
... that Gurdev Singh Gill was the first Canadian physician of Indian descent?
... that Korean brick toys, colloquially called "Korean Lego", often feature themes of "war and danger", including sets such as military vehicles?
... that Samuel Green printed the Eliot Indian Bible, the first Bible printed in British America, in 1663?
... that Israel's destruction of trees and farmland in Gaza has been described as an ecocide?
... that until the release of the documentary Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop, sexual abuse claims involving record producer Johnny Kitagawa went widely unreported in Japanese media?
... that North Korean child prodigy Ri Jong-yol defected to South Korea after winning silver at the 2016 International Mathematical Olympiad in Hong Kong?

Updated: 21:05, 24 February 2025

In the news

24 February 2025 – War against the Islamic State: Puntland forces capture key locations, including Dararmadobe, Uraar and the Four Corners of Mountains in Gaatir Oodan, which have served as command and defense bases for the Islamic State militias. Troops uncover mass graves, including the bodies of senior Middle East ISIS members killed in UAE and US airstrikes. Vehicles and motorbikes rigged with explosives were found in the Cal Miskaad mountains of Puntland’s Bari Region. (Garowe Online) (Hiiraan Online)
23 February 2025 – Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Israeli occupation of the West Bank; 2025 Israeli operation in the West Bank; The Israel Defense Forces deploy tanks into the West Bank for the first time since 2002, declaring that the 40,000 Palestinians who fled refugee camps in the region cannot return. (AP) (PBS)
23 February 2025 – Israeli invasion of Lebanon: Israel launches airstrikes in the Baalbek area in northeastern Lebanon and other areas in the south of the country. (Times of Israel)
23 February 2025 –: American Airlines Flight 292, flying from New York, United States, to New Delhi, India, is forced to divert to Rome Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy, due to an unspecified security concern later deemed to be non-credible. The flight was over the Caspian Sea near Turkmenistan when it diverted back towards Europe. (AP)

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Selected panorama

Credit: Benh Lieu Song

Panorama of the city of Luang Prabang in northern Laos, as seen from Phu Si hill. The city was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name, and after Laos's independence from France, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. This view features the Nam Khan river on the left, and Luang Prabang International Airport on the very far left.

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