PORTAL:JERUSALEM

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)

Featured article

Rusa shortly after peak intensity on August 29

Typhoon Rusa was the most powerful typhoon to strike South Korea in 43 years. It was the 21st JTWC tropical depression, the 15th named storm, and the 10th typhoon of the 2002 Pacific typhoon season. It developed on August 22 from the monsoon trough in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, well to the southeast of Japan. For several days, Rusa moved to the northwest, eventually intensifying into a powerful typhoon. On August 26, the storm moved across the Amami Islands of Japan, where Rusa left 20,000 people without power and caused two fatalities. Across Japan, the typhoon dropped torrential rainfall peaking at 902 mm (35.5 in) in Tokushima Prefecture.

After weakening slightly, Rusa made landfall on Goheung, South Korea with winds of 140 km/h (85 mph 10 minute sustained). It was able to maintain much of its intensity due to warm air and instability from a nearby cold front. Rusa weakened while moving through the country, dropping heavy rainfall that peaked at 897.5 mm (35.33 in) in Gangneung. A 24-hour total of 880 mm (35 in) in the city broke the record for the highest daily precipitation in the country; however, the heaviest rainfall was localized. Over 17,000 houses were damaged, and large areas of crop fields were flooded. In South Korea, Rusa killed at least 233 people, making it the deadliest typhoon there in over 43 years, and caused $4.2 billion in damage. The typhoon also dropped heavy rainfall in neighboring North Korea, leaving 26,000 people homeless and killing three. Rusa also destroyed large areas of crops in the country already affected by ongoing famine conditions. The typhoon later became extratropical over eastern Russia on September 1, dissipating three days later. ( Full article...)

List of Featured articles

Selected Country

Lebanon ( /ˈlɛbənɒn, -nən/ ^ⓘ LEB-ə-non, -⁠nən; Arabic: لُبْنَان, romanized: Lubnān, local pronunciation: [lɪbˈneːn]), officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, by Israel to the south, and by the Mediterranean Sea to the west; Cyprus lies a short distance away from the country's coastline. Lebanon's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterlands has contributed to the country's rich history and shaped a unique cultural identity shaped by religious diversity. Lebanon has a population of more than five million people and covers an area of 10,452 square kilometres (4,036 sq mi). Lebanon's capital and largest city is Beirut, followed by Tripoli and Jounieh. While Arabic is the official language, French is also recognized in a formal capacity; Lebanese Arabic is the country's vernacular, though French and English play a relatively significant role in everyday life, with Modern Standard Arabic being limited to news and government matters.

The earliest evidence of human civilization in Lebanon dates back to 5000 BCE. From 3200 to 539 BC, what was to become Lebanon was part of Phoenicia, a maritime empire that stretched the Mediterranean Basin. In 64 BC, the Roman Empire conquered the region, and Lebanon soon became a major center for Christianity under the aegis of the Byzantine Empire. In the 7th century, the Muslim conquest of the Levant brought the region under the control of the Rashidun Caliphate. The 11th century saw the beginning of the Crusades and the establishment of Crusader states, which later fell to the Ayyubids and the Mamluks, who in turn ceded the territory to the Ottoman Turks in the aftermath of the Ottoman–Mamluk War of 1516–1517. Under Ottoman ruler Abdulmejid I, the first Lebanese proto-state was established in the form of the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate, created in the 19th century as a home for Maronite Christians under the Ottoman " Tanzimat" period. ( Full article...)

List of selected countries

Featured biography

Portrait of Oerip, c. 1947

General Raden Oerip Soemohardjo ( [urɪp sumɔˈhardʒɔ]; Perfected Spelling: Raden Urip Sumoharjo, 22 February 1893 – 17 November 1948) was an Indonesian general, the first chief of staff of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, and the interim Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. He received several awards from the Indonesian government, including the title National Hero of Indonesia in 1964. He was also a recognized Catholic by the Holy See, by which Pope Paul VI dedicated a memorial chalice for him with a Latin inscription acknowledging his legacy.

Born in Purworejo, Dutch East Indies, Raden Oerip Soemohardjo exhibited leadership skills from an early age. As his parents wanted him to become a regent, after elementary school Oerip was sent to the School for Native Government Employees in Magelang. His mother died during his second year at the school, and Oerip left to undertake military training in Meester Cornelis, Batavia (modern-day Jatinegara, Jakarta). Upon graduating in 1914, he became a lieutenant in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army; during almost 25 years of service he was stationed on three different islands and promoted several times, eventually becoming the highest-ranking Native officer in the country. ( Full article...)

List of Featured biographies

General images

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

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

Featured picture

Nataraja

Credit: Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Nataraja is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation.

More selected pictures

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

In the news

1 June 2024 – Capital punishment in Yemen: A court run by the Houthis in Yemen sentences 44 people to death on charges of collaborating with the Saudi coalition. (ABC News)
1 June 2024 – 2024 Indian general election: The final phase of the general election in India is held, with the ruling National Democratic Alliance projected to win a majority. Results will be announced on June 4. (Reuters)
31 May 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine: Ukraine and Russia announce their first exchange of prisoners of war in nearly four months, with 150 people freed following negotiations mediated by the United Arab Emirates. (Reuters)
31 May 2024 – Red Sea crisis: The death toll from yesterday's U.S. Navy and British Navy airstrikes in Yemen increases to 16 with 35 others injured. (AP)
31 May 2024 – Israel–Hezbollah conflict: A medic is killed and another is injured in an Israeli airstrike against an ambulance in Naqoura, Lebanon. (Al Jazeera)
31 May 2024 –: France bans Israeli defense firms from exhibiting at the Eurosatory arms expo. (Times of Israel)

More current events...

Related portals

Major Religions in Asia

Middle East

Central Asia and Surroundings

Indian Subcontinent

Southeast Asia

East Asia

Selected panorama

Credit: Benh Lieu Song

The Ratchaprasong and Sukhumvit skylines of Bangkok, the capital of and largest city in Thailand, with Lumphini Park in the center, as viewed from the Sathon District. Known in Thai as Krung Thep ("city of angels"), it became the capital in 1768 after the destruction of Ayutthaya by Burmese invaders.