Asia is the largest and most populous continent or region, depending on the definition. It covers 8.7 percent of the Earth's total surface area, or 29.8 percent of its land area, and it contains more than 60 percent of the world's human population.

Asia is traditionally defined as part of the landmass of Africa-Eurasia – with the western portion of the latter occupied by Europe – lying east of the Suez Canal, east of the Ural Mountains, and south of the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian and Black Seas.

Etymology

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The word Asia entered English, via Latin, from Ancient Greek Ασία (Asia; see also List of traditional Greek place names). This name is first attested in Herodotus (about 440 BC), where it refers to Asia Minor; or, for the purposes of describing the Persian Wars, to the Persian Empire, in contrast to Greece and Egypt. Herodotus comments that he is puzzled as to why three different women's names are used to describe a single land mass (Europa, Asia and Libya, referring to Africa), stating that most Greeks assumed that Asia was named after the wife of Prometheus but that the Lydians say it was named after Asias, son of Cotys who passed the name on to a tribe in Sardis.

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Media Asia: The backstory http://tweetamovie.com/n27117
movienow (tweet a movie) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:46 -0000
Media Asia: The backstory http://tweetamovie.com/n27117
"Best of Asia" by venus76 on Banana Leaf (The Podium) http://bit.ly/3fVC8P #review
munchpunch (MunchPunch) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:14 -0000
"Best of Asia" by venus76 on Banana Leaf (The Podium) http://bit.ly/3fVC8P #review
@PeelSchools That was a great thing you did raising $12k for the Asia-Pacific disasters! http://ow.ly/zQVz
mycollegeadvise (Tony) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:03 -0000
@PeelSchools That was a great thing you did raising $12k for the Asia-Pacific disasters! http://ow.ly/zQVz
RT @lintasberita: Agnes Monica menggebrak KOREA pada Asia Song Festival 2009!http://bit.ly/pnVFa @agnezmo ♥
andry_yo (Andrew Winarjo) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:59:39 -0000
RT @lintasberita: Agnes Monica menggebrak KOREA pada Asia Song Festival 2009!http://bit.ly/pnVFa @agnezmo ♥
Why so many SE Asia tweets mentioning contract drafting? E.g., @keziavionie: klas contract drafting yg membosankan. hoaahm saya ngantuk :(
AdamsDrafting (Ken Adams) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:59:25 -0000
Why so many SE Asia tweets mentioning contract drafting? E.g., @keziavionie: klas contract drafting yg membosankan. hoaahm saya ngantuk :(
the great asia food hunt - a guest post by our UK tummyrub alex, with mention of @karenylh http://bit.ly/1OlW0h #juicyndelicious
juicyjuleswei (jules wei) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:59:15 -0000
the great asia food hunt - a guest post by our UK tummyrub alex, with mention of @karenylh http://bit.ly/1OlW0h #juicyndelicious

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