South Asia

Countries 7 to 10 (see text)

Territories 0, 1, or 2 (see text)

GDP (Nominal) $1.854 trillion (2009)

GDP per capita(Nominal)

$1,079 (2009)

Languages Assamese/Asomiya, Balochi,

Bengali, Bodo, Burmese, Dari,[1]

Dhivehi, Dogri, Dzongkha,English, Gujarati, Hindi, Hindko,Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani,Maithili, Malayalam, Marathi,Manipuri, Nepali, Oriya, Pahari,Pashto, Punjabi, Sanskrit,Santhali, Sindhi, Sinhala, Saraiki,Tamil, Telugu, Tibetan, Urdu,and others

Time Zones UTC +6:30 (Burma) to UTC+3:30 (Iran)

Largest Cities Ahmedabad, Amritsar,Bangalore, Chittagong, Chennai,Cochin, Colombo, Delhi, Dhaka,Faisalabad, Hyderabad,Hyderabad, Islamabad, Jaipur,Kanpur, Karachi, Kathmandu,Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lahore,Lhasa, Lucknow, Malé, Multan,Mumbai, Patna, Peshawar, Pune,Quetta, Rawalpindi, Sukkur,Surat, Thimpu,Thiruvanathapuram,Visakhapatnam and Yangon

Various definitions of South Asia.

South AsiaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

South Asia or Southern Asia or Indian Subcontinent is the southern region of the Asian continent, whichcomprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities, also includes the adjoining countries to the westand the east. Topographically, it is dominated by the Indian Plate, which rises above sea level as the Indiansubcontinent south of the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush. South Asia is bounded on the south by the IndianOcean and on land (clockwise, from west) by West Asia, Central Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Different sources vary in their statements of which nations are part of the region. For example, according to the

United Nations geographical region classification,[2] Southern Asia comprises the countries of Bangladesh,Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. However, the United Nations notes that the "assignmentof countries or areas to specific groupings is for statistical convenience and does not imply any assumption

regarding political or other affiliation of countries or territories."[3] By some definitions, some of those nations arenot part of the region, and by some definitions, Afghanistan, Iran, Burma and Tibet are also included in the region(see below).

South Asia is home to well over one fifth of the world's population, making it both the most populous and the most

densely populated geographical region in the world.[4] The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation isan economic cooperation organization in the region.

Contents

1 Definitions

1.1 Indian subcontinent1.2 Definition by South Asian Studies programs

2 Geography

3 History4 Territory and region data

4.1 Core countries4.2 Countries and territories from extended definitions

4.3 Regional groups of countries

5 Demographics5.1 Ethnic groups

5.2 Languages5.3 Religions

6 Economy

7 Governance8 Health and nutrition

9 See also

10 Notes and references11 External links

Definitions

See also: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and South Asian Free Trade Area

Although there's a distinct core of countries that were formerly part of the British Empire, there is much

variation as to which (if any) other countries are included.[5] The current territories of India, Pakistan, and

Bangladesh form the core, but Sri Lanka and Burma are often added.[6] The Aden Colony, BritishSomaliland and Singapore, though administered at various times under the Raj have not been proposed

as any part of South Asia.[7]

The Raj also encompassed the 562 protected princely states that were not directly ruled by the Raj,[8]

some of which joined the Union of India while some joined the Dominion of Pakistan.[9][10]

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), a contiguous block of countries,started in 1985 with seven countries — Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri

Lanka — but was extended to include Afghanistan as an eighth member in 2006.[11][12] The World Bank

grouping includes only the original seven members of SAARC, and leaves Afghanistan out.[13] This blocof countries include three independent countries that were not under the British rule - Nepal, Bhutan andAfghanistan. The South Asia Free Trade Agreement endorsed by SAARC has been signed by the seven original members of the organization, though it has a special

provision for the Maldives.[14]

The "Indian subcontinent" is a

semantic term referring to the large,

self-contained landmass which covers

most of South Asia.

The United Nations Population Information Network (POPIN) includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as part of South

Asia, while Maldives, in view of its characteristics, was admitted as a member country of the Pacific POPIN subregional network in principle.[15] The British Indian

Ocean Territory is connected to the region by a publication of Jane's for security considerations.[16] The United Nations scheme of sub-regions include all eight members

of the SAARC as part of Southern Asia, along with Iran,[17] while the Hirschmann-Herfindahl Index of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and

the Pacific for the region includes only the original seven signatories of SAARC.[18]

A lack of coherent definition for South Asia has resulted in not only a lack of academic studies, but also in a lack interest for such studies.[19] Identification with a South

Asian identity was also found to be significantly low among respondents in a two-year survey across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.[20]

Indian subcontinent

Main article: Indian subcontinent

By dictionary entries, the term subcontinent signifies "having a certain geographical or political independence" from the rest of

the continent,[21] or "a vast and more or less self-contained subdivision of a continent."[22] The terms "Indian subcontinent" and

"South Asia" are used interchangeably.[23][24][25][26][27] Due to political sensitivities, some prefer to use the terms "South Asian

Subcontinent",[28][28][29] the "Indo-Pak-Bangladesh Subcontinent",[30] the "Indo-Pak Subcontinent",[31] "the Subcontinent", or

simply "South Asia"[32] over the term "Indian subcontinent". According to historians Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal, Indian

Subcontinent has come to be known as South Asia "in more recent and neutral parlance."[32] Indologist Ronald B. Indenargues that the usage of the term "South Asia" is getting more widespread since it clearly distinguishes the region from East

Asia;[33] some academics hold that the term "South Asia" is in more common use in Europe and North America, rather than the

terms "Subcontinent" or the "Indian Subcontinent".[34][35]

Like "South Asia", the definition of the geographical extent of the Indian subcontinent varies. Physiographically, it is a peninsularregion in south-central Asia, rather resembling a diamond which is delineated by the Himalayas in the north, the Hindu Kush in

the west, and the Arakanese in the east,[36] and extending southward into the Indian Ocean. Geopolitically, it has historicallyformed the whole territory of Greater India, and now it generally comprises the countries of India, Pakistan, and

Bangladesh;[37] prior to 1947, the three nations were historically combined and constituted British India. It almost always also

includes Nepal, Bhutan, and the island country of Sri Lanka[38] and may also include Afghanistan and the island country of

Maldives.[23][39][40] The region may also include the disputed territory of Aksai Chin, which was part of the British Indian

princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, but is now administered as part of the Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang.[41] Abooklet published by the United States Department of State in 1959 includes Afghanistan, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), India, Nepal,

and Pakistan (including East Pakistan, now Bangladesh) as part of the "Subcontinent of South Asia".[42] When the term Indian subcontinent is used to mean South Asia,

the islands countries of Sri Lanka and the Maldives may sometimes not be included,[23] while Tibet and Nepal may be included[43] or excluded[44] intermittently,depending on the context.

Definition by South Asian Studies programs

See also: Indology

When the Centre for South Asian Studies at the University of Cambridge was established, in 1964, it was primarily responsible for promoting within the university the

study of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Himalayan Kingdoms (Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim[45]), and Burma (now officially Myanmar). However, it has since

extended its activities to include Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines and Hong Kong.[46]

The Centers for South Asian Studies at both the University of Michigan and the University of Virginia include Tibet along with seven members of SAARC in their

research programs, but leave the Maldives out.[47][48] The South Asian Studies Program of Rutgers University and the University of California, Berkeley Center for

South Asia Studies do the same without leaving out the Maldives,[49][50] while the South Asian Studies Program of Brandeis University defines the region as comprising

"India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and in certain contexts Afghanistan, Burma, Maldives and Tibet".[51] The similar program of Columbia University

also includes Tibet, but leaves out both Afghanistan and the Maldives.[52]

Geography

See also: Geography of India, Geography of Pakistan, Geography of Bangladesh, Geography of Bhutan, Geography of Sri Lanka, Geography of

Nepal, and Geography of the Maldives

While South Asia had never been a coherent geopolitical region, it has a distinct geographical identity.[54] The boundaries of South Asia vary based on how the region isdefined. South Asia's northern, eastern, and western boundaries vary based on definitions used, while the Indian Ocean is the southern periphery. Most of this region

rests on the Indian Plate and is isolated from the rest of Asia by mountain barriers.[55][56] The Indian Plate includes most of South Asia, forming a land mass whichextends from the Himalayas into a portion of the basin under the Indian Ocean, including parts of South China and Eastern Indonesia, as well as Kuen Lun and

Karakoram ranges,[57][58][59] and extending up to but not including Ladakh, Kohistan, the Hindu Kush range and Balochistan.[60][61][62] It may be noted thatgeophysically the Yarlung Tsangpo River river in Tibet is situated at the outside of the border of the Subcontinental structure, while the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan are

situated inside that border.[63]

Much of the region comprises a peninsula in south-central Asia, rather resembling a diamond which is delineated by the Himalayas on the north, the Hindu Kush in the

west, and the Arakanese in the east,[64] and which extends southward into the Indian Ocean with the Arabian Sea to the southwest and the Bay of Bengal to the

southeast.[23][37]

United Nations geoscheme for Asia:

North Asia

Central Asia

Western Asia

South Asia

East Asia

Southeast Asia

Natural vegetation zones of South Asia,

loosely based on a Grolier map[53]

Map of South Asia illustrating stability and historical

permanency of the regional cultural frontiers and

areas.

Per the UN, the wider subregion's northern frontier is the Himalayas andsoutherly post-Soviet states of Central Asia (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, andTurkmenistan, bordering northern Afghanistan and Iran), its westernboundary is the westerly border of Iran (with Azerbaijan, Armenia,Turkey, and Iraq), and its eastern boundary is the westerly border ofBurma (with India and Bangladesh).

Most of this region is a subcontinent resting on the Indian Plate (thenortherly portion of the Indo-Australian Plate) separated from the rest ofthe Eurasian Plate. It was once a small continent before colliding with theEurasian Plate about 50-55 million years ago and giving birth to theHimalayan range and the Tibetan plateau. It is the peninsular region southof the Himalayas and Kuen Lun mountain ranges and east of the Indus

River and the Iranian Plateau, extending southward into the Indian Ocean between the Arabian Sea (to the southwest) andthe Bay of Bengal (to the southeast).

The region is home to a variety of geographical features, such as glaciers, rainforests, valleys, deserts, and grasslands thatare typical of much larger continents. It is surrounded by three water bodies — the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean andthe Arabian Sea. The climate of this vast region varies considerably from area to area from tropical monsoon in the southto temperate in the north. The variety is influenced by not only the altitude, but also by factors such as proximity to the seacoast and the seasonal impact of the monsoons.

Southern parts are mostly hot in summers and receive rain during monsoon period(s). The northern belt of Indo-Gangetic plains also is hot in summer, but cooler inwinter. The mountainous north is colder and receives snowfall at higher altitudes of Himalyan ranges.

As the Himalayas block the north-Asian bitter cold winds, the temperatures are considerably moderate in the plains down below. For most part, the climate of the regionis called the Monsoon climate, which keeps the region humid during summer and dry during winter, and favors the cultivation of jute, tea, rice, and various vegetables inthis region.

History

Further information: History of South Asia

The pre-history of South Asia culminates in the Indus Valley Civilization, which is followed by the legends ofancient Vedic period and the sketchy references to the rise and fall of Mahajanapadas - the precursors of regionalkingdoms and later ancient empires. Proto-Indo-Europeans migrated from Eastern Europe and Central Asia

3,000–8,000 years ago.[65][66]

Almost all South Asian countries were under direct or indirect Muslimrule. From the late 18th century the regionsaw begining of European Colonial occupation. Parts of modern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka andBurma were occupied by Great Britain starting from 1773, when East India Company appointed firstrepresentative in Bengal and reaching their zenith in 1886 after the 3rd Anglo-Burma war, ruling till 1947. Nepal,Bhutan & Maldives were protectorates of Great Britain until World War II. In the millennia long history of SouthAsia, the European colonization period is rather short, but its proximity to the present and its lasting impact on theregion make it prominent.

The network of means of transportation and communication as well as banking and training of requisiteworkforce, and also the existing rail, post, telegraph, and education facilities have evolved out of the baseestablished in the colonial era, often called the British Raj. As an aftermath of World War II, most of the regiongained independence from Europe by the late 1940s.

Since 1947, most South Asian countries have achieved tremendous progress in all spheres.[citation needed] Mostnotable achievements are in the fields of education; industry; health care; information technology and otherservices based on its applications; research in the fields of cutting edge sciences and technologies; defence related self-reliance projects; international/global trade andbusiness enterprises and outsourcing of human resources. Areas of difficulty remain, however, including religious extremism, high levels of corruption, disagreements onpolitical boundaries, and inequitable distribution of wealth.

Territory and region data

2009 referenced population figures except where noted.

Core countries

With the core seven countries, the area covers about 4.48 million km² (1.7 million mi²), which is 10% of the Asian continent or 2.4% of the world's land surface

area.[67][68][69] They account for about 34% of Asia's population (or over 16.5% of the world's population) and are home to a vast array of peoples.[67][68][69]

countryArea

(km²)

Population(2009-

2012)

density

(/km²)

GDP(nominal)

(2009/2012)

GDP

per

capita(2011)

Capital Currency GovernmentOfficial

languages

Coat

of

Arms

Bangladesh147,570 152,518,015[70] 1,099

$115,002 million[2011]

$678 Dhaka TakaParliamentarydemocracy

Bengali

Bhutan 38,394 697,000[70] 18 $1,269 million $2,121 ThimphuNgultrum,

Indian rupee

Constitutional

monarchyDzongkha

India 3,287,240 1,210,193,422[71] 382[71] $1,848,966

million[72] $1,389 New Delhi Indian rupee

Federalrepublic,

Parliamentary

democracy

Bengali,

Gujarti, Hindi,

Kannada,Oriya,

Marathi,

Malayalam,

Telugu, Tamil,English

Maldives298 396,334[70] 1,330 $1,357 million $5,973 Malé Rufiyaa Republic Dhivehi

Nepal 147,181 26,620,080[70] 200 $22,615 million $850 KathmanduNepaleserupee

DemocraticRepublic

Nepali

Pakistan796,095 180,440,000[70] 225 $210,566 million $1,201 Islamabad

Pakistani

rupeeIslamic Republic

Urdu,

English[73]

SriLanka

65,610 20,277,597[70] 309 $59,095 million $2,877

Sri

Jayawardenapura-

Kotte

Sri Lankanrupee

Democratic

Socialist

Republic

Sinhala, Tamil

Countries and territories from extended definitions

country orregion

Area(km²)

Population(2009)

density

(per

km²)

GDP(nominal)(2009)

GDP

percapita

(2011)

Capital Currency GovernmentOfficial

languages

Coat

of

Arms

Afghanistan 652,230 28,150,000[74] 52 $14,044 million $585 Kabul Afghani Islamic republic Pashto, Persian

British IndianOcean Territory

60 3,500 59 N/A N/ADiegoGarcia

US DollarBritish OverseasTerritory

English

Burma 676,578 48,137,141 71 $27,553 million $832 NaypyidawMyanma

kyatMilitary Junta

Burmese; Jingpho,

Shan, Karen, Mon,(Spoken in Burma's

Autonomous

States.)

Iran 1,648,195 75,149,665 71 $331,553 million $6,360 Tehran Rial Islamic republic Persian

China - Tibet

Autonomous

Region

1,228,400 2,740,000 2 $6,458 million $3,108 Lhasa Chinese yuanAutonomousregion of China

Tibetan, MandarinChinese

Regional groups of countries

Map of South Asia in native languages.

Name of

country/region,

with flag

Area(km²)

Population*

Population

density

(per km²)

Capital orSecretariat

Currency Countries includedOfficial

languages

Coat

of

Arms

Core Definition (above)

of South Asia4,482,388 1,596,000,000 400.1 N/A N/A

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,

Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri LankaN/A N/A

UN subregion of South

Asia6,778,083 1,702,000,000 270.77 N/A N/A

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,

Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri

Lanka

N/A N/A

SAARC 4,637,469 1,626,000,000 350.6 Kathmandu N/AAfghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,

Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,None N/A

Demographics

Total population of South Asia is about 1.70 billion.[75]

Ethnic groups

Main article: South Asian ethnic groups

South Asia, which consists of the nations of Iran, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, isethnically diverse, with more than 2,000 ethnic entities with populations ranging from hundreds of millions to small tribalgroups. South Asia has been invaded and settled by many ethnic groups over the centuries - including various Dravidian,Indo-Aryan and Iranian groups - and amalgamation of Dravidian, Indo-Aryan and native societies has producedcomposite cultures with many common traditions and beliefs. But, the traditions of different ethnic groups in South Asiahave diverged throughout earlier times, sometimes giving rise to strong local traditions such as the distinct South Indianculture.

Other ethnic groups, successively streaming in later mainly from Central Asia e.g. Sakas, Kushans, Huns etc. influencedpre-existing South Asian cultures. Among the last of these new arrivals were the Arabs followed by the Turks, thePashtuns and the Moghuls. However, Arab influence remained relatively limited in comparison to that of the Turks,Pashtuns and Moghuls, who brought in much cultural influence and contributed to the birth of Urdu, a syncretic languageof combined Indo-Persian heritage, which is widely spoken today. Ethnic Englishmen and other Britons are nowpractically absent after their two centuries long colonial presence, although they have left an imprint of western culture inthe elite society.

Languages

See also: Languages of South Asia

The largest spoken language in this region is now Hindustānī, its speakers numbering almost 422 million;[76] the second largest spoken language is Bengali, with about

210 million speakers.[77] Urdu is also a major language spoken in the subcontinent, especially in Pakistan and India, and is similar linguistically to Hindi; Hindi and Urdutogether make up Hindustānī. Although Hindi is spoken in some states of India, many people are not aware of the fact that most of the Indians speak local languages andare not familiar with Hindi. Other languages of this region fall into a few major linguistic groups: the Dravidian languages and the Indo-Aryan languages, a sub-branch ofthe Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages.

The other great sub-branch of Indo-Iranian, the Iranian languages, also have significant minority representation in South Asia, with Pashto and Balochi being widelyspoken along the northwestern fringes of the region, in modern-day Pakistan. Many Tibeto-Burman ethnic groups, who are speakers of their language-group, are foundin northeast India, Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan. Other small groups, speaking Austroasiatic languages, are also present in South Asia. English is another language whichdominates South Asia, especially as a medium of advanced education and government administration.

Most of South Asia writes using various abugidas of Brāhmī origin while languages such as Urdu, Pashto, and Sindhi use derivatives of the Perso-Arabic script. Not alllanguages in South Asia follow this strict dichotomy though. For example, Kashmiri is written in both the Perso-Arabic script and in the Devanagari script. The same canbe said for Punjabi, which is written in both Shahmukhi and Gurmukhī. Dhivehi is written in a script called Tāna that shows characteristics of both the Arabic alphabet andof an abugida.

Religions

Further information: Religion in Bangladesh, Religion in Bhutan, Religion in India, Religion in Nepal, Religion in Pakistan, and Religion in Sri Lanka

About 64% of the South Asia population is Hindu, 33% is Muslim, 2% is Buddhist and 1% is Christians.[citation needed]

In South Asia Hinduism and Islam and in some of its countries Buddhism are the dominant religions. Other Indian religions and Christianity are practiced by significant

number of people.[citation needed]

Historically, fusion of Indo-Aryan Vedic religion with native South Asian non-Vedic Shramana traditions and other Dravidian and local tribal beliefs gave rise to theancient religions of Hinduism and Jainism. As a consequence, these two religions share many similar cultural practices, festivals and traditions.

Hindu priest saluting the sun in the

Ganges, Varanasi, India

Jama Masjid, the main mosque in

Delhi, India.

Arabs brought the Abrahamic religion of Islam to South Asia, first in the present day Kerala, Sri Lanka and the Maldive Islandsand later in Sindh, Balochistan and much of Punjab. Subsequently, Muslim Turks/Pashtuns/Moghuls furthered it not only amongthe Punjabi and Kashmiri people but also throughout the Indo-Gangetic plains and farther east, and deep south up to theDeccan.

Afghanistan[1] Islam (99%), Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity (1%)

Bangladesh[78] Islam (89.5%), Hinduism (9.5%), Buddhism (0.7%), Christianity (0.3%)

British Indian Ocean

Territory[79] Christianity (45.55%), Hinduism (38.55%), Islam (9.25%), Others (6.65%)

Bhutan[80] Buddhism (75%), Hinduism (25%)

Burma[81] Theravada Buddhism (89%), Islam (4%), Christianity (Baptist and Roman Catholic) (4%), Animism

(1%), Others (including Hinduism) (2%)

India[80][82] Hinduism (80.5%), Islam (13.4%), Christianity (2.3%), Sikhism (1.9%), Buddhism (0.8%), Jainism

(0.4%), Others (0.6%)

Maldives[83] Sunni Islam (100%) (One must be a Sunni Muslim to be a citizen on the Maldives[84][85])

Nepal[86] Hinduism (80.6%), Buddhism (10.7%), Islam (4.2%), Kirat (1.5%)

Pakistan[87] Islam (96.28%), Hinduism (1.85%), Christianity (1.59%), Ahmaddiyya (0.22%)

Sri Lanka[88] Theravada Buddhism (70.19%), Hinduism (12.61%), ), Islam (9.71%), Christianity ( 7.45%).

Economy

Further information: Economy of Bangladesh, Economy of India, Economy of Nepal, Economy of Pakistan, and Economy of Sri Lanka

South Asia is the poorest region on the earth after Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the UN's Multidimensional Poverty Index, just over a quarter of the world's MPIpoor people live in Africa, while a half live in South Asia. The study also found there are more poor people in eight Indian states than in the 26 poorest African countries.[89] According to the index, 55 per cent of people in South Asia are MPI-poor and in sub-Saharan Africa, 64.5 per cent of people are MPI-poor.[89] And according tothe poverty data of World Bank, more than 40% of the population in the region lived on less than the International Poverty Line of $1.25 per day in 2005, compared to

50% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa.[90]

Sri Lanka has the highest GDP per capita in the region, while Afghanistan has the lowest. India is the largest economy in the region (US$ 1.90 trillion) and makes upalmost 82% of the South Asian economy; it is the world's 11th largest in nominal terms and 3rd largest by purchasing power adjusted exchange rates. Pakistan has the

next largest economy and the 5th highest GDP per capita in the region,[91] followed by Bangladesh. According to a World Bank report in 2007, South Asia is the leastintegrated region in the world; trade between South Asian states is only 2% of the region's combined GDP, compared to 20% in East Asia. The Economist has blamed

this on Indian neglect of its neighbors.[92]

Governance

India[93] and Pakistan[94][95] are the dominant political powers in the region. India is by far the largest country in the area covering around three-fourths the land area of

the subcontinent.[96] It also has the largest population of around three times the combined population of the 6 other countries in the subcontinent.[97] India is also the most

populous democracy in the world[98] and is a nuclear power.

The second largest country in the subcontinent in terms of area and population is Pakistan and has traditionally maintained the balance of power in the region due to its

strategic relationships with nearby Arab states[99] and neighboring China.[100] Pakistan is the 6th[101] most populous country in the world and is also a nuclear power.

Bangladesh is the third largest populous country in the region. The single largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations is Pakistan.[102]

Diplomacy among the countries of South Asia has been mainly driven by populist politics, with the center stage taken by India-Pakistan conflict ever since theirindependence in 1947, and then the creation of Bangladesh under tense circumstances in 1971. While the elite rulers of Pakistan chose the USA led bloc during the coldwar era, India formed the Non-Aligned Movement.

The political situation in Sri Lanka has been dominated by an increasingly assertive Sinhalese nationalism, and the emergence of a Tamil separatist movement underLTTE, which was suppressed recently. Burma's politics is dominated by a military Junta, which has sidelined the democratic forces led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

Health and nutrition

There are 421 million MPI-poor people in eight Indian states alone - Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West

Bengal - while there are 410 million in the 26 poorest African countries combined.[103] Roughly 42% of Indian children under age 5 suffer from malnutrition.[104]

According to the World Bank, 70% of the South Asian population and about 75% of South Asia's poor live in rural areas and most rely on agriculture for their

livelihood.[105] According to the Global Hunger Index, South Asia has one of the highest child malnutrition rates in the world.[106] In a latest report published by UNICEF

in 2008 on global hunger shows that the actual number of child deaths was around 2.1 million.[107] As of 2008 India is ranked 66th on the global hunger

index.[citation needed]

The 2006 report stated that "the low status of women in South Asian countries and their lack of nutritional knowledge are important determinants of high prevalence ofunderweight children in the region". Corruption and the lack of initiative on the part of the government has been one of the major problems associated with nutrition inIndia. Illiteracy in villages has been found to be one of the major issues that need more government attention. The report mentioned that, although there has been a

reduction in malnutrition due to the Green Revolution in South Asia, there is concern that South Asia has "inadequate feeding and caring practices for young children".[108]

See also

South Asian cuisine

South Asia Disaster Report (book)Genetics and archaeogenetics of South Asia

Notes and references

1. ̂a b "Afghanistan" (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html#People) . The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. December 13,2007. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html#People.

2. ^ "United Nations geoscheme" (http://millenniumindicators.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm) . Millenniumindicators.un.org. 2011-09-20.http://millenniumindicators.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm. Retrieved 2012-08-25.

3. ^ "Standard Country or Area Codes for Statistical Use" (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49.htm) . Millenniumindicators.un.org.http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49.htm. Retrieved 2012-08-25.

4. ^ [1] (http://www.sardeg.org/marketana.asp)

5. ^ Bertram Hughes Farmer, An Introduction to South Asia, pages 1, Routledge, 1993, ISBN 0-415-05695-0

6. ^ Arthur Berriedale Keith, A Constitutional History of India: 1600-1935, pages 440-444, Methuen & Co, 1936

7. ^ United Nations, Yearbook of the United Nations, pages 297, Office of Public Information, 1947, United Nations

8. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica: A New Survey of Universal Knowledge (volume 4), pages 177, Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 1947

9. ^ Ian Copland, The Princes of India in the Endgame of Empire: 1917-1947, pages 263, Cambridge University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-521-89436-0

10. ^ Ben Cahoon. "Pakistan Princely States" (http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Pakistan_princes.html) . Worldstatesmen.org.http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Pakistan_princes.html. Retrieved 2010-08-23.

11. ^ Sarkar, Sudeshna (16 May 2007). "SAARC: Afghanistan comes in from the cold" (http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Current-Affairs/Security-Watch/Detail/?ots591=4888CAA0-B3DB-1461-98B9-E20E7B9C13D4&lng=en&id=53216) . Current Affairs - Security Watch. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich.http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Current-Affairs/Security-Watch/Detail/?ots591=4888CAA0-B3DB-1461-98B9-E20E7B9C13D4&lng=en&id=53216. Retrieved 6 April 2011.

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External links

World Bank, South Asia Region(http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/0,,pagePK:158889~piPK:146815~theSitePK:223547,00.html)BBC South Asia (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/default.stm)

Birding in South Asia (http://www.birding.in/)South Asian Awareness Network Conference Website (http://www.saanconf.org/)Digital South Asia Library (http://dsal.uchicago.edu/)

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Categories: South Asia Regions of Asia

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