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 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.

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. 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 traded places as the largest economies in the world from 1 to 1800 CE. China was a major economic power for much of recorded history, with the highest GDP per capita until 1500. 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 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...)

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

edit

Featured article

B-29 Superfortress bombers dropping incendiary bombs on Yokohama in May 1945

During World War II, Allied forces conducted air raids on Japan from 1942 to 1945, causing extensive destruction to the country's cities and killing between 241,000 and 900,000 people. During the first years of the Pacific War these attacks were limited to the Doolittle Raid in April 1942 and small-scale raids on military positions in the Kuril Islands from mid-1943. Strategic bombing raids began in June 1944 and continued until the end of the war in August 1945. Allied naval and land-based tactical air units also attacked Japan during 1945.

The United States Army Air Forces campaign against Japan began in earnest in mid-1944 and intensified during the war's last months. While plans for attacks on Japan had been prepared prior to the Pacific War, these could not begin until the long-range Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber was ready for combat. From June 1944 until January 1945, B-29s stationed in India staged through bases in China to make a series of nine raids on targets in western Japan, but this effort proved ineffective. The strategic bombing campaign was greatly expanded from November 1944 when bases in the Mariana Islands became available as a result of the Mariana Islands Campaign. Initial attempts to target industrial facilities using high-altitude daylight "precision" bombing were largely ineffective. From February 1945, the bombers switched to low-altitude night firebombing against urban areas as much of the manufacturing process was carried out in small workshops and private homes: this approach resulted in large-scale urban damage and high civilian casualties. Aircraft flying from Allied aircraft carriers and the Ryukyu Islands also frequently struck targets in Japan during 1945 in preparation for the planned invasion of Japan scheduled for October 1945. During early August 1945, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were struck and mostly destroyed by atomic bombs. (Full article...)

List of Featured articles

edit

Selected Country

Japan is an island country in East Asia. It is in the northwest Pacific Ocean and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north toward the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, and Taiwan in the south. Japan is a part of the Ring of Fire, and spans an archipelago of 14,125 islands, with the four main islands being Hokkaido, Honshu (the "mainland"), Shikoku, and Kyushu. Tokyo is the country's capital and largest city, followed by Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Kobe, and Kyoto.

The Japanese archipelago has been inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic (30,000 BC). Between the fourth and ninth centuries AD, the kingdoms of the region became unified under an emperor and the imperial court based in Heian-kyō. Beginning in the 12th century, political power was held by a series of military dictators (shōgun) and feudal lords (daimyō), and enforced by a class of warrior nobility (samurai). After a century-long period of civil war, the country was reunified in 1603 under the Tokugawa shogunate, which enacted an isolationist foreign policy. In 1854, a United States 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. In the Meiji period, the Empire of Japan adopted a Western-modeled constitution, and pursued a program of industrialization and modernization. Amidst a rise in militarism and overseas colonization, Japan invaded China in 1937 and entered World War II as an Axis power in 1941. After suffering defeat in the Pacific War and two atomic bombings, Japan surrendered in 1945 and came under a seven-year Allied occupation, during which it adopted a new constitution. (Full article...)

List of selected countries

edit

Featured biography

Bust of Shen at the Beijing Ancient Observatory

Shen Kuo (Chinese: 沈括; 1031–1095) or Shen Gua, courtesy name Cunzhong (存中) and pseudonym Mengqi (now usually given as Mengxi) Weng (夢溪翁), was a Chinese polymath, scientist, and statesman of the Song dynasty (960–1279). Shen was a master in many fields of study including mathematics, optics, and horology. In his career as a civil servant, he became a finance minister, governmental state inspector, head official for the Bureau of Astronomy in the Song court, Assistant Minister of Imperial Hospitality, and also served as an academic chancellor. At court his political allegiance was to the Reformist faction known as the New Policies Group, headed by Chancellor Wang Anshi (1021–1085).

In his Dream Pool Essays or Dream Torrent Essays (夢溪筆談; Mengxi Bitan) of 1088, Shen was the first to describe the magnetic needle compass, which would be used for navigation (first described in Europe by Alexander Neckam in 1187). Shen discovered the concept of true north in terms of magnetic declination towards the north pole, with experimentation of suspended magnetic needles and "the improved meridian determined by Shen's [astronomical] measurement of the distance between the pole star and true north". This was the decisive step in human history to make compasses more useful for navigation, and may have been a concept unknown in Europe for another four hundred years (evidence of German sundials made circa 1450 show markings similar to Chinese geomancers' compasses in regard to declination). (Full article...)

List of Featured biographies

edit

General images

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

Image 1The Grand Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region (from Culture of Asia)
Image 2The Qing conquest of the Ming and expansion of the empire (from History of Asia)
Image 3Map of Vietnam showing the conquest of the south (the Nam tiến, 1069–1757). (from History of Asia)
Image 4Indonesian Balinese cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 5The Song dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 1200 (from History of Asia)
Image 6Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 7Sculpture of Prince Shōtoku (from History of Asia)
Image 8The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling (from Culture of Asia)
Image 9Đại Việt, Champa, Angkor Empire and their neighbours, late 13th century (from History of Asia)
Image 10Invasions, destruction and possible population movements during the Late Bronze Age collapse, beginning c. 1200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 11A stone image of the Buddha (from Culture of Asia)
Image 12Map of Marco Polo's travels (from History of Asia)
Image 13The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010 (from Asian Century)
Image 14Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of Asia)
Image 15Korean 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 16A view of the Fort St George in 18th-century Madras. (from History of Asia)
Image 17Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jeruslam (from Culture of Asia)
Image 18Ancient ziggurat, Iraq (from Culture of Asia)
Image 19Byzantine and Sassanian Empires in 600 AD (from History of Asia)
Image 20Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman (from History of Asia)
Image 21The Taj Mahal, Agra, India (from Culture of Asia)
Image 22The Qing Empire in 1832. (from History of Asia)
Image 23Political map of Asia in 1860 (from History of Asia)
Image 24Some 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 25The early Muslim conquests, 622–750 (from History of Asia)
Image 26Deoksugung, the palace where Emperor Gojong established Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 27Hinduism 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 28Map of Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 29The First Persian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 30Map of Asia for early 20th century (from History of Asia)
Image 31India'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 32Projected shares of global GDP by region to 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 33Here a Jesuit, Adam Schall von Bell (1592–1666), is dressed as an official of the Chinese Department of Astronomy. (from History of Asia)
Image 34Language families in South Asia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 35East Asian cultural sphere (from Culture of Asia)
Image 36Badshahi Mosque built under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 37Political cartoon depicting the Afghan Emir Sher Ali with the rival "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion (1878) (from History of Asia)
Image 38Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine in Jerusalem. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 39Tang dynasty Chinese poet Li Bai, in a 13th-century depiction by Liang Kai (from Culture of Asia)
Image 40The Hindu-Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat. (from History of Asia)
Image 41Borobudur, a Buddhist temple in Indonesia (from Culture of Asia)
Image 42Gyeonghoeru of Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon dynasty's royal palace. (from History of Asia)
Image 43British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops (from History of Asia)
Image 44Machiya in Heian period (from History of Asia)
Image 45Gojong (1852–1919), the 26th king of Joseon dynasty and the first emperor of Korean Empire. (from History of Asia)
Image 46Philippine cuisine (from Culture of Asia)
Image 47The 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 48A typical example of Dravidian architecture (from Culture of Asia)
Image 49Detail 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 50Chicken tikka, a well-known dish across the globe, reflects the South Asian cooking style. (from Culture of Asia)
Image 51The Han dynasty and main polities in Asia c. 200 BC (from History of Asia)
Image 52The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. (from History of Asia)
Image 53The 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 54the Goryeo ware, which shows splendid culture of Goryeo in mediaeval Korea. (from History of Asia)
Image 55The Silk Road in Asia (from History of Asia)
Image 56Kabsa also called Majboos, famous in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (from Culture of Asia)
Image 57Population concentration and boundaries of the Western Zhou dynasty in China (from History of Asia)
Image 58Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire (from Culture of Asia)
Image 59Daian-ji temple at Nara, Japan (from Culture of Asia)
Image 60The Delhi Sultanate. (from History of Asia)
Image 61Projected GDP of 7 largest economies in 2050 (from Asian Century)
Image 62The Russian Znamensky Cathedral in Tyumen built in 1768 (from Culture of Asia)
Image 63Detail 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 64A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea (from Culture of Asia)
Image 65The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period (from History of Asia)
Image 66The 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 67Balhae in the north, Later Silla in the south (from History of Asia)
Image 68Battle of Talas between Tang dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate c. 751 (from History of Asia)
Image 69Traditional Rajasthani garments from Jaipur, Rajasthan (from Culture of Asia)

edit

Featured picture

Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park

Credit: [Tycho]

Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Bố Trạch and Minh Hóa districts of central Quảng Bình Province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. The park was created to protect one of the world's two largest karst regions with 300 caves and grottoes and also protects the ecosystem of limestone forest of the Annamite Range region in North Central Coast of Vietnam.

More selected pictures

edit

Did you know...

... that although he was a former Indonesian prime minister, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo was not arrested during a political purge as he was considered a non-threat?
... that Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, India's second Muslim president, was also the second Indian president to die in office?
... that the Empire of Japan turned a Korean royal cemetery at what is now Hyochang Park into a golf course?
... that Levantine Arabic is often written in Hebrew characters online by Bedouin, Arab Christians, and Druze in Israel?
... that Ein Samiya, which provides the water for Taybeh, the first beer brewed in Palestine, was depopulated in 2023 after harassment by neighboring Israeli settlers?
... that the popularity of "10 Minutes" by Korean singer Lee Hyori led to 2003 being dubbed the "year of Hyori" by domestic media?
... that Sun Haiyan is the first Chinese ambassador to Singapore who was not a member of the Foreign Ministry of China?
... that University of Nebraska alumnus M. Khalid Roashan helped draft the 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan?
... that the Pakistani film Shehr e Tabassum was the first animated cyberpunk film to be made by an Urdu development team?
... that the Te'omim Cave in Israel was home to a Bronze Age alabaster quarry, a refuge cave during the Jewish–Roman wars, and a possible center for necromantic activity in late antiquity?

Updated: 6:33, 14 February 2024

edit

In the news

9 June 2024 – 2024 Lakki Marwat bombing: An IED kills seven Pakistan Army personnel in Lakki Marwat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (Reuters)
9 June 2024 – Israel–Hezbollah conflict: Two people are killed by Israeli attacks near Aitaroun, Lebanon, according to the National News Agency. (Al Jazeera)
9 June 2024 –: At least nine people are killed and 33 others are injured near Reasi, Jammu and Kashmir, India, after a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims falls into a ravine following a suspected shooting attack. (Al Jazeera)
9 June 2024 – North Korea–South Korea relations: South Korea announces that it will resume loudspeaker broadcasts over the Korean Demilitarized Zone for the first time since 2018 in response to North Korea sending hundreds of balloons carrying garbage across the border. (BBC News)
9 June 2024 – Israel–Hamas war: Israeli war cabinet; War Cabinet member Minister Benny Gantz resigns after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to present a post-war plan for Gaza by Gantz's previously announced June 8 deadline. Minister Gadi Eisenkot also resigns. (BBC News)

More current events...

edit

Related portals

Major Religions in Asia

Middle East

Central Asia and Surroundings

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

edit

Selected panorama

150pxThe view of Nanga Parbat, taken 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from the base camp.

Credit: Waqas.usman

Nanga Parbat is the ninth highest mountain on Earth, the second highest mountain in Pakistan and among the eight-thousanders with a summit elevation of 8,126 meters (26,660 ft).

More selected panoramas

Read more...

edit