Asia: is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area (or 30% of its land area) and with approximately 4.3 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population. During the 20th century Asia's population nearly quadrupled.

Asia is defined as comprising the eastwards four-fifths of Eurasia. It is located to the east of the Suez Canal, the Ural river, and the Ural Mountains, and south of the Caucasus Mountains (or the Kuma-Manych Depression) and the Caspian and Black Seas.^[4][5] 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.

Given its size and diversity, Asia – a toponym dating back to classical antiquity – "is more a cultural concept" incorporating diverse regions and peoples than a homogeneous physical entity.^[6] Asia differs very widely among and within its regions with regard to ethnic groups, cultures, environments, economics, historical ties and government systems.

Asia

Area	44,579,000 km2 (17,212,000 sq mi)[1]
Population	3,879,000,000 (1st)[2]
Pop. density	87/km2 (225/sq mi)
Demonym	Asian
Countries	48 (list of countries)
Dependencies	List[show]
Unrecognized regions	List[show]
Languages	List of languages
Time Zones	UTC+2 to UTC+12

Special topics: Asian Century Asian cuisine Asian furniture Asian Games Asian Monetary Unit Asian people Eastern world Far East Fauna of Asia Flags of Asia Middle East Eastern Mediterranean Levant Near East Pan-Asianism Lists: List of cities in Asia List of metropolitan areas in Asia by population List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Asia