Composite satellite image of the Indian subcontinent

Map of South Asia. (Note that this map represents the line of control in Kashmir as the international border between India and Pakistan, a position that neither party considers acceptable.)

South Asia is usually taken as a cover term for the political entities of the Indian subcontinent, and neighbouring island states: Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x958, 167 KB) India This is a NASA World Wind screenshot. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x958, 167 KB) India This is a NASA World Wind screenshot. ... cropped from PD image which image is that? RedWolf 01:51, Jan 11, 2005 (UTC) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... cropped from PD image which image is that? RedWolf 01:51, Jan 11, 2005 (UTC) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Map of the State of Jammu and Kasmir depicting the LOC and LAC. The Line of Control (LOC) is a line which demarcates the boundary between the territories controlled by two militaries or political entities. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

• the Republic of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh; constituting the bulk of the subcontinent proper
• Himalayan States: Nepal and Bhutan
• Indian Ocean Island Nations - Sri Lanka, the Maldives

These countries are all members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Himalayan states is the name given collectively to all the countries/states which contain the mountain range of the Himalayas. ... The South Asian Association for Regional Co-Operation, or SAARC, proposed by Ziaur Rahman, the then-president of Bangladesh, was established on December 8, 1985. ...

Geographically, the Indian subcontinent would additionally include some disputed territory currently controlled by China, and Myanmar. It covers about 4,480,000 km² (1,729,738 mi²), or 10 percent of the Asian continent. Some or all of Afghanistan is sometimes considered part of the subcontinent because the people of Afghanistan historically have the same Aryan bloodline & heritage as those of Northern India. Also, many people from Afghanistan have similar physical features as those of North India & Pakistan. Culture in Afghanistan also shares many things in common with Indian culture, such as various musical instruments, languages, & dress. Being the only region in the world that is commonly described as a subcontinent, it is often simply called the Subcontinent. The term "South Asia" is often used synonymously with the term "Subcontinent", although technically 'South Asia' refers more specifically to a political entity (the various countries that make up the Subcontinent), while 'Indian subcontinent' signifies a geographical area. The term 'South Asia' has thus become the politically correct term of what in times before 1947, the end of the British Raj and the beginning of the First Indo-Pakistani War, was simply known as "India": citizens of South Asian countries other than the Republic of India can sometimes be offended by the use of "India" or "Indian" in relation to them or their culture. "Greater India", a term that historians would use, intended simply to refer to India and its neighbours, is even more discredited. A territorial dispute is a disagreement over the possession/control of land between two or more states, or over the possession/control of land by one state after it has conquered it from a former state no longer currently recognized by the occupying power. ... Political correctness is the alteration of language to redress real or alleged injustices and discrimination or to avoid offense. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The British Raj is an informal term for the British colonial administration of most of the Indian subcontinent, or present-day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, also included from 1886 was Burma. ... The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 sometimes known as the First Kashmir War was a war fought between India and Pakistan over the region of Kashmir from 1947 to 1949. ... The region from Central Asia in the North to tropical Indonesia in the South, and from the borderlands of Persia to Tibet and western China, which has had a significant Indian influence on its culture and civilizaton, including religious thought, language, art and literature. ...

Geography

Geographically, the region is bound by the Himalaya to the north and east, and the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal to the south. The Hindu Kush mountains between Pakistan and Afghanistan/Iran are usually considered the westernmost edge of the subcontinent. The Himalaya is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. ... Map of the Arabian Sea. ... The Bay of Bengal is a bay that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. ... The Hindu Kush or Hindukush (هندوکش in Persian) is a mountain range in Afghanistan as well as in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ...

Geologically, this region is a subcontinent because it rests on a tectonic plate of its own, the India Plate, separate from the rest of Eurasia and was once a small continent before colliding with the Eurasian Plate and giving birth to the Himalayan range and the Tibetan plateau. Even now the India Plate continues to move northward with the result that the Himalaya are growing taller by a few centimetres each decade. In addition, the region is also home to an astounding variety of geographical features that are typical of much larger continents, such as glaciers, rainforests, valleys, deserts, and grasslands in an area about half the size of the United States. Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. ... Subcontinent - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century. ... India Plate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... African-Eurasian aspect of Earth Eurasia is the landmass composed of the continents of Europe and Asia. ... Categories: Plate tectonics | Geology stubs ... NASA satellite image of Tibetan Plateau The Tibetan Plateau is a large, elevated region in Central Asia, covering much of Tibet. ... Mouth of the glacier Schlatenkees near Innergschlöß, Austria. ... Rainforest on Fatu-Hiva, Marquesas Islands A rainforest is a forested biome with high annual rainfall due to the Intertropical convergence zone. ... Fljótsdalur in East-Iceland A valley is a landform, which can range from a few square miles (square kilometers) to hundreds or even thousands of square miles (square kilometers) in area. ... A dune in the Egyptian desert Desert in California In geography, a desert is a landscape form or region that receives little precipitation, less than 200 mm per year. ... An Inner Mongolia Grassland. ...

South Asia ranks among the world's most densely-populated regions. About 1.5 billion people live there — about a quarter 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 World in plate carrée projection The World In English, world is rooted in a compound of the obsolete words were, man, and eld, age; thus, its oldest meaning is Age of Man. ...

The region has a long history. Ancient civilisations developed in the Indus River Valley. The region was at its most prosperous before the 18th century, when the Mughal Empire held sway in the north; European colonialism led to a new conquering of the region, by Portugal and Holland, and later Britain and to a lesser degree France. Most of the region gained independence from Europe in the late 1940s. The Indus (Daria-e-Sindh) (known as Sindhu to Indians and in Sanskrit, as Sinthos in Greek, and Sindus in Latin) is the principal river of Pakistan. ... The Mughal Empire (Urdu: مغل باد شاہ, Mughal Baadshah, alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of the Indian Subcontinent was founded by the Mongol leader Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... World map showing location of Europe When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... World map of colonialism circa 1945. ... Motto: Je Maintiendrai (French) for I will maintain) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam. ... // Events and trends The 1940s were dominated by World War II, the most destructive armed conflict in history. ...

See also

• History of South Asia

This article is about the History of South Asia. ...

Other subregions of Asia

• East Asia
• Southeast Asia
• Central Asia
• Southwest Asia or West Asia (One definition of the Middle East is synonymous with Southwest Asia)
• North Asia (Siberia)
• Northern Eurasia (Extends into Europe)
• Central Eurasia (Extends into Europe)

East Asia can be defined in either cultural or geographic terms. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... A map showing Southwest Asia - The term Middle East is more often used to refer to both Southwest Asia and some North African countries Southwest Asia (similar to the Middle East) is the southwestern part of Asia. ... A map showing Southwest Asia - The term Middle East is more often used to refer to both Southwest Asia and some North African countries Southwest Asia, or West Asia, is the southwestern part of Asia. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... North Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Siberia Siberia (Russian: , common English transliterations: Sibir’, Sibir; from the Tatar for “sleeping land”) is a vast region of Russia and northern Kazakhstan constituting almost all of northern Asia. ... North Eurasia often refers to Europe except for Mediterranean and Black Sea countries; Russia except for the Northern Caucasus; Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Xinjiang, Manchuria and northern Japan. ... World map showing location of Europe When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... Central Eurasia is a geographic term. ... World map showing location of Europe When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ...

External links

• SAARC Secretariat
• Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
• Vernon Corea South Asian Broadcaster

. A subregion is a conceptual unit which derives from a larger region or continent and is usually based on location. ... Earth, also known as the Earth, Terra, and (mostly in the 19th century) Tellus, is the third-closest planet to the Sun. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest continent and second most populous after Asia. ... East Africa is a region generally considered to include: Djibouti Eritrea Ethiopia Kenya Somalia Tanzania Uganda [[Image:Example. ... The Great Lakes and the East African coastline as seen from space. ... The Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa as seen from the NASA Space Shuttle, May 1993. ... North Africa is a region generally considered to include: Algeria Egypt Libya Mauritania Morocco Sudan Tunisia Western Sahara The Canary Islands, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Azores and Madeira are sometimes considered to be a part of North Africa, though they do not share a common culture with the countries listed above. ... (see also North Africa, Tamazgha, Arab Maghreb Union, Mashreq) The Maghreb (or Moghreb), meaning western in Arabic, is the region of the continent of Africa north of the Sahara desert and west of the Nile - specifically, the modern countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and to a lesser extent Libya and... A map showing Northwest Africa Northwest Africa is the northwestern part of Africa. ... The Sahel (from Arabic ساحل, sahil, shore or border) is the boundary zone in Africa between the Sahara to the north and the more fertile region to the south, known as the Sudan (not to be confused with the country of the same name). ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Southern Africa ... A satellite composite image of Africa showing the ecological break between North and Sub-Saharan regions Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa south of the Sahara Desert, is the term used to describe those countries of Africa that are not part of North Africa. ... West Africa is the region of western Africa that, most strictly speaking, includes the countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte dIvoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. ... Map of the Americas by Jonghe, c. ... The Andean States are nations in South America that consist of the Andes mountain range. ... ... Central America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. ... The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes on or near the United States-Canadian border. ... The Great Plains states. ... Guiana (also known as the Guiana highlands or the Guiana shield) forms a portion of the northern coast of South America. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west... // For the town, see Patagonia, Arizona. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... The term Southern Cone (Cono Sur) refers to the southernmost countries of South America. ... World map showing location of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of Eurasia, defined by subtracting Europe from Eurasia. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... East Asia can be defined in either cultural or geographic terms. ... The Indies, on the display globe of the Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois The Indies or East Indies (or East India) is a term used to describe lands of South and Southeast Asia, occupying all of the former British India, the present Indian Union, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Maldives... Far East is an inexact term often used for East Asia and Southeast Asia combined, sometimes including also the easternmost territories of Russia, i. ... Composite satellite image of the Indian subcontinent Map of South Asia. ... North Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... A map showing Southwest Asia - The term Middle East is more often used to refer to both Southwest Asia and some North African countries Southwest Asia (similar to the Middle East) is the southwestern part of Asia. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... The Near East is a term commonly used by archaeologists and historians, less commonly by journalists and commentators, to refer to the region encompassing the Levant (modern Israel, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon), Anatolia (modern Turkey), Mesopotamia (Iraq and eastern Syria), and the Iranian Plateau (Iran). ... The Levant or Sham (Arabic root word related to the term Semite) is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in Southwest Asia south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and the north Arabian Desert and Mesopotamia to the east. ... Anatolia (Greek: ανατολή anatolÄ“ or anatolí, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish associated with Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to the Asian portion... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... World map showing location of Europe When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe southeastern Europe (see the Definitions and boundaries section below). ... The Baltic Sea The Baltic region (sometimes briefly The Baltics) is an ambiguous term used to denominate an arbitrary region connected to the Baltic Sea (also called The Baltics). ... Benelux Benelux Benelux is the region of Europe comprising Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. ... The British Isles consist of Great Britain, Ireland and a number of much smaller surrounding islands. ... Historical lands and provinces in Central Europe Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ... Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange) and other former communist regimes (light orange). ... Northern Europe is marked in blue Northern Europe is a name of the northern part of the European continent. ... Scandinavia, Fennoscandia, and the Kola Peninsula. ... Southern Europe is a region of Europe. ... Western Europe is distinguished from Eastern Europe by differences of history and culture rather than by geography. ... African-Eurasian aspect of Earth Eurasia is the landmass composed of the continents of Europe and Asia. ... The Caucasus , a region bordering Asia Minor, is located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea which includes the Caucasus mountains and surrounding lowlands. ... Satellite image The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. ... The Post-Soviet states, also commonly known as former Soviet republics, are the independent nations which split off from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in its breakup in 1991. ... Map of Oceania. ... Australasia is the area that includes Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and the many smaller islands in the vicinity, most of which are the eastern part of Indonesia. ... Melanesia (from Greek black islands) is a region extending from the west Pacific to the Arafura Sea, north and north-east of Australia. ... Polynesia is generally defined as the islands within the triangle Polynesia (from Greek, poly = many and nesos = island) is a large grouping of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. ... Looking down the Aleutians from an airplane. ... Map of the Pacific Rim and List of the Pacific Rim Nations The USS Abraham Lincoln Battle Group along with ships from Australia, Chile, Japan, Canada, and Korea speed towards Honolulu in RIMPAC 2000. ... Earths polar regions are the areas of the globe surrounding the poles, north of the Arctic circle, or south of the Antarctic Circle. ... The red line indicates the 10°C isotherm in July, commonly used to define the Arctic region border The Arctic is the area around the Earths North Pole. ... Greek ἀνταρκτικός, opposite the arctic) is a continent surrounding the Earths South Pole. ...