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South Asia

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This article is about the geopolitical region in Asia. For geophysical treatments, see Indian subcontinent.
UN Subregion of Southern Asia.
Indian-Subcontinental border as defined by Indian plate

South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is a southern geopolitical region of the Asian continent, comprising the sub-Himalayan countries and the regions on their west and, for some authorities (see below), on the east as well. It is surrounded (clockwise, from west to east) by Western Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Asia, and Southeastern Asia.

Definitions and usage

South Asia consists of the following countries and territories:

These countries, except the British Indian Ocean Territory, are also currently members of a regional co-operation group, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which was jointly formed by them. For assumed geographic, cultural, and/or historical reasons, the following countries and territories are often included in South Asia:

Geophysically, the term Indian subcontinent is used to describe those regions which lie on the Indian Plate, bordered on the north by the Eurasian Plate. However, a good proportion of the Pakistani land mass is not on the Indian plate, but on the fringes of the Iranian plateau. As in the case of the Hindukush mountains, everything to the south-east of the Iranian Plateau is considered South Asia. But, geopolitically, Southern Asia subsumes the Indian subcontinent and includes both, the territories found internal to the Indian Plate and those in proximity to it. Afghanistan, for instance, is sometimes grouped in this region due to socio-political, historical, and ethnic (Pashtun) ties to neighbouring Pakistan.

Controversy over the definition

The definition of South Asia can vary greatly from person to person. Most, if not all, sources accept Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Chagos Islands, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka as South Asian. The controversy originates over Afghanistan, Iran, and Tibet. Afghanistan and Tibet are often considered South Asian by many universities' departments of South Asian studies, especially those referenced above, but this definition is not universal. Another controversy grows over Iran, as Iran is considered South Asian only by the UN. The G8's definition of the Greater Middle East includes both Pakistan and Afghanistan. See: Middle East and Greater Middle East. Controversial race researcher Richard Lynn has defined Southern Asia as "from Bangladesh in the east through India, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, theGulf states, the near East, and Turkey"[18].

Demography and history

Further information: History of South Asia and Ethnic groups of South Asia
Map of South Asia in native languages.

The peoples of the region possess several distinguishing features that set them apart anthropologically from the rest of Asia; the dominant peoples and cultures are Indo-Aryan and Dravidian, (though the Mongoloid populations in north-east India, Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet are not to be ignored), and have a great affinity with the peoples of Iranian Plateau and the Caucasus particularly in the north west region of South Asia encompassing the modern states of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Persian, Arab and Turkish cultural traditions from the west also form an integral part of Islamic South Asian culture, but have been adapted to form a Muslim culture distinct from what is found in the Middle East e.g. pilgrimage to dargahs is common among many South Asian Muslims.

South Asia ranks among the world's most densely-populated regions. About 1.6 billion people live here – about one-fourth of all the people in the world. The region's population density of 305 persons per square kilometre is more than seven times the world average.

The region has a long history. Ancient civilizations developed in the Indus River Valley and the Dwaraka region. The region was far more prosperous before the 18th century, when the Mughal Empire held sway in the north and the Maratha Empire held sway in the south and central regions of the Indian peninsula. Subsequently, European encroachments, initially by Portugal and the Netherlands,and later by France and British colonialism, led to political destabilisation of the region, leading finally to almost complete occupation and rule by the British. Most of the region gained independence from Europe by the late 1940s, when these colonial powers were weakened by the World War II and could neither control the people of the region nor satisfy their aspirations.

Since 1947, most of the countries of South Asia have achieved tremendous progress in all spheres. Most notable achievements are in the fields of education; industry; health care; information technology and services based on its applications; research in the fields of cutting edge sciences and technologies; defence related self-reliance projects; international/global trade and business enterprises and outsourcing of human resources. In all these areas, Republic of India is leading the group of SAARC nations; her only blemishes being inequitable distribution of wealth and prosperity among its billion plus population, periodic inter-religious violence and perceived or real grievances of religion/caste based minorities. However, the new generation is working diligently on remediation of these aberrations.

Religion

 Afghanistan[19] Sunni Muslim (80%), Shi'a Muslim (19%), other (1%)
 Bangladesh[20] Muslim (82.8%), Hindu (14.2%), Buddhist (1.6%), Christian (1.3%),Believers in tribal faiths (0.1%)
 British Indian Ocean Territory[21] Christian (45.55%), Hindu (38.55%), Muslim (9.25%), Non-Religious (6.50%), Atheist (0.10%), Other (0.05%)
 Bhutan[22] Buddhist (75%), Hindu (25%)
 India[23] Hindu (80.5%), Muslim (13.4%), Christian (2.3%), Sikh (1.9%), Buddhist (0.8%), Jain (0.4%), Others (0.6%)
 Iran[24] Shi'a Muslim (89%), Sunni Muslim (9%), Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i (2%)
 Maldives[25] Sunni Muslim (100%)
 Myanmar[26] Theravada Buddhism (89%), Muslim (4%), Christian (4%) (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Animist (1%), others (including Hinduism) (2%))
 Nepal[27] Hindu (80.6%), Buddhist (10.7%), Muslim (4.2%), Kirat (3.6%)
 Pakistan[28] Muslim (96.28%), Christian (1.59%), Hindu (0.25%), Ahmadi (0.22%)
 Sri Lanka[29] Theravada Buddhist (70.42%), Muslim (10.89%), Hindu (8.78%), Catholic (7.77%), Other Christian (1.96%), Other (0.13%)
 Tibet Buddhist, Bön, Hindu, Muslim, and others... (Data Unknown) (See Tibet)

References

  1. ^ CIA world factbook, Afghanistan - Geography (Location: Southern Asia)
  2. ^ a b Center for South Asia Studies: University of California, Berkeley [1]
  3. ^ a b Center for South Asia Outreach UW-Madison [2]
  4. ^ Department of South Asia Studies: University of Pennsylvania [3]
  5. ^ South Asia: Data, Projects, and Research [4]
  6. ^ MAPS SHOWING GEOLOGY, OIL AND GAS FIELDS AND GEOLOGICAL PROVINCES OF SOUTH ASIA [5] Includes Afghanistan
  7. ^ Afghanistan-Tajikistan Bridge Links Central, South Asia [6] Refers to Afghanistan as South Asian and Tajikistan as Central Asian
  8. ^ University of Washington Jackson School of International Studies: The South Asia Center http://jsis.washington.edu/advise/catalog/soasia-b.html
  9. ^ Syracruse University: The South Asia Center http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/moynihan/programs/sac/
  10. ^ a b http://www.ii.umich.edu/csas/aboutus/contactus
  11. ^ a b http://www.brandeis.edu/registrar/catalog/one-subject.php?subject_id=6550 this sources admits in certain contexts that Tibet and Afghanistan are South Asian
  12. ^ a b http://www.britac.ac.uk/institutes/SSAS/about.htm Tibetan and Afghan flag shown
  13. ^ a b http://oscar.virginia.edu/asp/orgView.asp?txtId=26
  14. ^ a b http://www.hawaii.edu/asiaref/sasia/sawebsites.htm
  15. ^ a b http://southasia.rutgers.edu/
  16. ^ Composition of macro geographical (continental) regions, geographical sub-regions, and selected economic and other groupings, United Nations website
  17. ^ http://www.asianstudies.emory.edu/sa/languages.htm
  18. ^ Race Differences in Intelligence by Richard Lynn pg 79, 2006
  19. ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html#People
  20. ^ http://www.banbeis.gov.bd/bd_pro.htm
  21. ^ http://www.thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_32_1.asp
  22. ^ https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/bt.html#People
  23. ^ http://www.censusindia.net/religiondata/presentation_on_religion.pdf
  24. ^ https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ir.html#People
  25. ^ http://www.themaldives.com/Maldives/Maldives_Religion.htm
  26. ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bm.html#People
  27. ^ http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Nepal.pdf
  28. ^ http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/statistics/other_tables/pop_by_religion.pdf
  29. ^ http://www.statistics.gov.lk/census2001/population/ds_div/t001b.htm

See also

Other subregions in Asia

External links

Template:Countries of South Asia Template:Countries of the Indosphere

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