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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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Dead soldiers from the Japanese 16th and 29th Infantry Regiments and American 7th Marines cover the battlefield after the failed assaults on 25–26 October.

The Battle for Henderson Field, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal or Battle of Lunga Point by the Japanese, took place from 23 to 26 October 1942 on and around Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. The battle was a land, sea, and air battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and was fought between the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy and Allied forces, mainly U.S. Marines and Army. The battle was the last of three major land offensives conducted by the Japanese during the Guadalcanal campaign.

In the battle, U.S. Marine and Army forces repulsed an attack by the Japanese 17th Army under the command of Lieutenant General Harukichi Hyakutake. The American forces were defending the Lunga perimeter that guarded Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, which the Allies had captured from the Japanese in landings on Guadalcanal on 7 August 1942. Hyakutake's force was sent to Guadalcanal in response to the Allied landings with the mission of recapturing the airfield and driving the Allied forces off the island. His soldiers conducted numerous assaults over three days at various locations around the Lunga perimeter, all repulsed with heavy Japanese losses. At the same time, Allied aircraft operating from Henderson Field successfully defended American positions on Guadalcanal from attacks by Japanese naval air and sea forces. (Full article...)

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Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asian mainland, it is bordered to the west by the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk in the north, and the East China Sea in the south. The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands alongside over 14,000 smaller islands. Japan is divided into 47 administrative prefectures and eight traditional regions, and around 75% of its terrain is mountainous and heavily forested, concentrating its agriculture and highly urbanized population along its eastern coastal plains. With a population of almost 123 million as of 2026, it is the world's 11th most populous country. Tokyo is the country's capital and largest city.

The first known habitation of the archipelago dates to the Upper Paleolithic, with the beginning of the Japanese Paleolithic dating to c. 36,000 BC. Between the 4th and 6th centuries, its kingdoms were united under an emperor in Nara and later in Heian-kyō. From the 12th century, actual power was held by military aristocrats known as shōgun and feudal lords called daimyō, enforced by warrior nobility named samurai. After rule by the Kamakura and Ashikaga shogunates and a century of warring states, Japan was unified in 1600 by the Tokugawa shogunate, which implemented an isolationist foreign policy. In 1853, an American fleet forced Japan to open trade to the West, which led to the end of the shogunate and the restoration of imperial power in 1868. (Full article...)

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Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Ṭughj ibn Juff ibn Yiltakīn ibn Fūrān ibn Fūrī ibn Khāqān (8 February 882 – 24 July 946), better known by the title al-Ikhshīd (Arabic: الإخشيد) after 939, was a Abbasid commander and governor who became the autonomous ruler of Egypt and parts of Syria (Levant) from 935 until his death in 946. He was the founder of the Ikhshidid dynasty, which ruled the region until the Fatimid conquest of 969.

The son of Tughj ibn Juff, a general of Turkic origin who served both the Abbasids and the autonomous Tulunid rulers of Egypt and Syria, Muhammad ibn Tughj was born in Baghdad but grew up in Syria and acquired his first military and administrative experiences at his father's side. He had a turbulent early career: he was imprisoned along with his father by the Abbasids in 905, was released in 906, participated in the murder of the vizier al-Abbas ibn al-Hasan al-Jarjara'i in 908, and fled Iraq to enter the service of the governor of Egypt, Takin al-Khazari. Eventually he acquired the patronage of several influential Abbasid magnates, chiefly the powerful commander-in-chief Mu'nis al-Muzaffar. These ties led him to being named governor first of Palestine and then of Damascus. In 933, he was briefly named governor of Egypt, but this order was revoked after the death of Mu'nis, and Ibn Tughj had to fight to preserve even his governorship of Damascus. In 935, he was re-appointed to Egypt, where he quickly defeated a Fatimid invasion and stabilized the turbulent country. His reign marks a rare period of domestic peace, stability and good government in the annals of early Islamic Egypt. In 938 Caliph al-Radi granted his request for the title of al-Ikhshid, which had been borne by the rulers of his ancestral Farghana Valley. It is by this title that he was known thereafter. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 2Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 3Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 4The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 5Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 6Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 7Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 8Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 9Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 10A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 11Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 12Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 13Political map of the world in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 14India'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 15The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 16The 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 17Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 18Expansion of the Mongol Empire 1206–1294 (from History of Asia)
Image 19Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 20Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 21The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 22The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 23The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 24Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 25A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 26Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 27The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 28Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 29the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 30Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 31The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 32Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 33Byzantine and Sasanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 34Map of the Qing Empire in 1832 (from History of Asia)
Image 35The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 36The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 37Some 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 38Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 39The Battle of Chinkiang of the First Opium War (from History of Asia)
Image 40Hinduism 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 41A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 42Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 43Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 44The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 45Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 46Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 47Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 48Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History 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 50The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)

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Featured picture

Petronas Towers

Credit: SomeFormOfHuman

The Petronas Towers, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers are twin skyscrapers. According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)'s official definition and ranking, they were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 and remain the tallest twin towers in the world. The buildings are a landmark of Kuala Lumpur, along with nearby Kuala Lumpur Tower.

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Did you know...

... that in its 1962 election campaign, the Socialist Party of India demanded that twice-yearly inter-caste dining be made a mandatory criterion for government employment?
... that Israel D. Andrews believed that promoting trade with the provinces of British North America would eventually lead to U.S. annexation?
... that villages in India along the border with Bangladesh have protested against a proposed border fence that would leave them inside Indian territory, but beyond the fence?
... that Yonki-no-kai Productions was founded by Akira Kurosawa, Masaki Kobayashi, Kon Ichikawa and Keisuke Kinoshita with the aim of reviving the struggling Japanese film industry?
... that Australian World War II veteran Reg Chard recalled using the pronunciation of "Woolloomooloo" as a test to distinguish Japanese soldiers from Australians?
... that optical physicist Franklin Dollar grew up on a Native American reservation without electricity or running water?
... that the 1984 Indiana's 8th congressional district election was decided by just four votes?
... that had Cambodian swimmer Apsara Sakbun declined her invitation to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics, her sister would have become an Olympian instead?
... that Oscar Goodman was the tournament MVP for the first New Zealand under-17 basketball team to reach the FIBA Under-16 Asia Cup championship game?
... that a drone attack by the Houthi military hit a target in Tel Aviv, but no sirens were activated?

Updated: 16:05, 7 November 2026

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In the news

8 November 2026 –: A magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes central Japan with its epicenter in Shizuoka Prefecture, while also primarily affecting Aichi, Gifu, Nagano and Yamanashi Prefectures. 22 people are injured. (AP) (NHK World)
7 November 2026 – Houthi–Saudi conflict: Saudi airstrikes hit homes near Sanaa, Yemen, killing at least 27 people and wounding 36 others. (AP)
7 November 2026 – 2026 Israeli legislative election: Israeli president Isaac Herzog selects Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot to attempt to form a coalition government following inconclusive Knesset elections. Eisenkot will have 28 days to secure sufficient support in the Knesset. (ABC News Australia) (AFP via The Korea Herald)
6 November 2026 – Houthi–Saudi conflict: Saudi Arabia launches an airstrike against a market in Taiz Governorate, Yemen, killing 30 people and wounding eight more. (AP)
6 November 2026 – 2026 Indonesia wildfires, Australia–Indonesia relations: Australia deploys a C-130 Hercules aircraft, a Cessna Citation aircraft, and 20 personnel to help extinguish wildfires in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. (AFP)
6 November 2026 –: The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China adopts a law regulating Chinese research, tourism, shipping, and other activities in Antarctica, requiring environmental safeguards, waste management, and permits subject to safety conditions. (Reuters)

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Major Religions in Asia

Middle East (West Asia)

Central Asia

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

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Selected panorama

Credit: KennyOMG

The Indus River (locally called Sindhu) is one of the longest rivers in Asia. Originating in the Tibetan Plateau in the vicinity of Lake Manasarovar, the river runs a course through the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, India, towards the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Kashmir and the Hindukush ranges, and then flows in a southerly direction along the entire length of Pakistan to merge into the Arabian Sea near the port city of Karachi in Sindh.