Portal:Asia

Main

Geography

Projects

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...)

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

edit

Featured article

The empire in 661, when it reached its greatest extent

Civil administration

Military administration

Briefly-controlled areas

The Tang dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Historians generally regard the Tang as a high point of Chinese civilisation, and a golden age of cosmopolitan culture. Tang territory, acquired through the military campaigns of its early rulers, surpassed that of the Han dynasty.

The Li family founded the dynasty after taking advantage of a period of Sui decline and precipitating their final collapse, in turn inaugurating a period of progress and stability in the first half of the dynasty's rule. The dynasty was formally interrupted from 690 to 705 when Empress Wu Zetian seized the throne, proclaiming the Wu Zhou dynasty and becoming the only legitimate Chinese female emperor. The An Lushan rebellion (755–763) led to devastation and the decline of central authority during the latter half of the dynasty. The Tang maintained a civil-service system by recruiting scholar-officials through standardised examinations and recommendations to office. The rise of regional military governors known as jiedushi during the 9th century undermined civil order. The dynasty and central government went into decline by the latter half of the 9th century; agrarian rebellions resulted in mass population loss and displacement, widespread poverty, and further government dysfunction that ultimately ended the dynasty in 907. (Full article...)

List of Featured articles

edit

Selected Country

Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country in Southeast Asia. Its territory comprises a main island, over 60 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. The country is about one degree of latitude (137 kilometres or 85 miles) north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the Strait of Malacca to the west, the Singapore Strait to the south along with the Riau Islands in Indonesia, the South China Sea to the east and the Straits of Johor along with the State of Johor in Malaysia to the north.

In its early history, Singapore was a maritime emporium known as Temasek; subsequently, it was a major constituent of several successive thalassocratic empires. Its contemporary era began in 1819, when Stamford Raffles established Singapore as an entrepôt trading post of the British Empire. In 1867, Singapore came under direct British control as part of the Straits Settlements. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan in 1942 and returned to Britain as a Crown colony following Japan's surrender in 1945. Singapore gained self-governance in 1959 and in 1963 became part of the new federation of Malaysia, alongside Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak. Ideological differences led to Singapore's expulsion from the federation two years later; it became an independent sovereign country in 1965. After early years of turbulence and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland, the nation rapidly developed to become one of the Four Asian Tigers. (Full article...)

List of selected countries

edit

Featured biography

Amir Hamzah, c. 1928–1937

Tengku Amir Hamzah (February 1911 – 20 March 1946) was an Indonesian poet and National Hero of Indonesia. Born into a Malay aristocratic family in the Sultanate of Langkat in North Sumatra, he was educated in both Sumatra and Java. While attending senior high school in Surakarta around 1930, Amir became involved with the nationalist movement and fell in love with a Javanese schoolmate, Ilik Sundari. Even after Amir continued his studies in legal school in Batavia (now Jakarta) the two remained close, only separating in 1937 when Amir was recalled to Sumatra to marry the sultan's daughter and take on responsibilities of the court. Though unhappy with his marriage, he fulfilled his courtly duties. After Indonesia proclaimed its independence in 1945, he served as the government's representative in Langkat. The following year he was killed in a social revolution led by the PESINDO (Pemuda Sosialis Indonesia), and buried in a mass grave.

Amir began writing poetry while still a teenager: though his works are undated, the earliest are thought to have been written when he first travelled to Java. Drawing influences from his own Malay culture and Islam, as well as from Christianity and Eastern literature, Amir wrote 50 poems, 18 pieces of lyrical prose, and numerous other works, including several translations. In 1932 he co-founded the literary magazine Poedjangga Baroe. After his return to Sumatra, he stopped writing. Most of his poems were published in two collections, Nyanyi Sunyi (1937) and Buah Rindu (1941), first in Poedjangga Baroe then as stand-alone books. (Full article...)

List of Featured biographies

edit

General images

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

Image 1A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 2Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 3The 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 4The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 5The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 6The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 7Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 8The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 9Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 10The Battle of Chinkiang of the First Opium War (from History of Asia)
Image 11Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 12Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south. (from History of Asia)
Image 13Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 14Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 15Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 16The 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 17The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 18Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 19The 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 20The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 21The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 22Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 23Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 24the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 25Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 26The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 27Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 28India's middle-class population of 300 million is growing at an annual rate of 5%. Shown here is the skyline in South Mumbai. (from Asian Century)
Image 29Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 30Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 31Map of the Qing Empire in 1832 (from History of Asia)
Image 32Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 33A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 34Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 35The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 36Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 37Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 38Some 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 39Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 40A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 41East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 42Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 43Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 44Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 45Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 46Byzantine and Sasanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 47Expansion of the Delhi Sultanate (from History of Asia)
Image 48The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 49Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 50Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)

edit

Featured picture

kris

Credit: Crisco 1492

The kris or keris is an asymmetrical dagger or sword nowadays most strongly associated with the culture of Indonesia, but also indigenous to Malaysia, Southern Thailand and Brunei. The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade (luk), but many have straight blades as well.

More selected pictures

edit

Did you know...

... that the producers of Assalamualaikum Beijing had to hire an Indonesian embassy chef when shooting on location?
... that Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, Malaysia's first female chief justice, was dubbed "the only man in the Federal Court"?
... that a Korean immigrant to the U.S. contributed to numerous notable buildings in San Diego's skyline?
... that "Be Like Water" is a Mandarin Chinese song recorded by two Malaysian Malay singers?
... that Tanguturi Prakasam, a leader of the Indian independence movement, later became a significant dissenting figure within the Indian government?
... that the Chinese community of Kota Kinabalu sponsored the creation of the Malaysia Monument just 20 days before it needed to be completed to mark the formation of Malaysia?
... that viewers of an Indiana TV station's newscast in 1995 could send emails to the presenter live on air?
... that chef Victor Albisu created a bulgogi taco that honors the Koreatown neighborhood of his hometown of Annandale, Virginia?
... that upon receiving her pay from His Master's Voice, Asiah Aman was taught by an executive how to open a bank account?
... that North Korean series The Taehongdang Party Secretary was created to help promote the consumption of potatoes during a rice shortage?

Updated: 1:05, 8 October 2026

edit

In the news

7 October 2026 – Israeli settler violence: Israeli settlers launch an attack in the occupied West Bank targeting Palestinians, killing a man and wounding 16 other people. (Al Jazeera)
7 October 2026 – 2026 Iran war: 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis; Bulgaria has halted the search for the 12 Syrian sailors missing since yesterday after a merchant ship sank after being hit by a drone strike in its waters. The perpetrators are still unknown. (Al Jazeera)
7 October 2026 –: French Henri B. Kagan from the Paris-Saclay University and Japanese Kensō Soai from the Tokyo University of Science are jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for "the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis". (Reuters)
6 October 2026 – Middle Eastern crisis: Yemeni civil war; 2026 Yemen offensives

More current events...

edit

Related portals

Major Religions in Asia

Middle East (West Asia)

Central Asia

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

edit

Selected panorama

Credit: Kanō Eitoku

Birds and flowers of the four seasons (紙本墨画花鳥図, shihon bokuga kachōzu), part of the Paintings on room partitions in the abbot's quarters (hōjō) (方丈障壁画, hōjō shōhekiga) of Jukō-in (聚光院) of Daitoku-ji (大徳寺), Kyoto, Japan. Ink on paper. This picture shows four of 16 panels on fusuma (sliding doors) in the ritual room (室中). The paintings have been designated as National Treasures of Japan in the category paintings.

More selected panoramas

Read more...

edit