South Asia

Countries	7 to 10 (see page)
Territories	1 or 2 (see page)
GDP
GDP per capita
Languages	Assamese/Asomiya, Bengali, Bodo, Burmese, Chinese, Dari[1], Dhivehi, Dogri, Dzongkha, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Marathi, Manipuri, Nepali, Oriya, Pashto, Persian, Punjabi, Urdu, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Sinhala, Siraiki, Tamil, Telugu, Tibetan, and others
Time Zones	UTC +8:00 (Tibet, PRC) to UTC +3:30 (Iran)
Largest Cities	Colombo, Dhaka, Diego Garcia, Kabul, Karachi, Kathmandu, Lhasa, Malé, Mumbai, Tehran, Thimpu, and Yangon

Various definitions of South Asia. Assamese (অসমীয়া) (ɔxɔmija is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language, spoken mainly in the state of Assam in North-East Bodo, pronounced BO-RO is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Bodo people of north-eastern India, Nepal and Bangladesh The Burmese language (မြန်မာဘာသာ myà̃mà bàθà MLCTS: myanma bhasa) is the official Language of Burma. Dhivehi Writing Systems Dhivehi (or Divehi) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by more than about 300000 people in the Republic of Maldives where it is the Not to be confused with the Dogrib language. Dogri (डोगरी or ڈوگرى is an Indo-Aryan Language spoken by Dzongkha (dz རྫོང་ཁ Wylie: rdzong-kha, Jong-kă is the national English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Gujarati (ગુજરાતી Gujǎrātī ? Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Kannada (kn [[wiktಕನ್ನಡ ಕನ್ನಡ]] Kannaḍa) is one of the major Dravidian languages of India, spoken predominantly in the state Kashmiri (कॉशुर کٲشُر Koshur) is a Dardic language spoken primarily in the valley of Kashmir, a region situated in the Indian state Konkani ( Devanāgarī: कोंकणी Roman: Konknni Kannada: ಕೊಂಕಣಿ Malayalam: കൊങ്കണി IAST Maithili (मैथिली Maithilī) is a language spoken in the eastern part of India, mainly in the Indian state of Bihar Not to be confused with the Malay language. Malayalam (മലയാളം malayāḷaṁ) is a Dravidian language used Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. Meitei-lon (মেইতেই লোন্ also Meitei-lol (মেইতেই লোল্ and Manipuri (মনিপুরি (and sometimes the 19th century Nepali is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Nepal, Bhutan, and some parts of India and Myanmar (Burma Oriya (ଓଡ଼ିଆ oṛiā) is one of the Indian Languages mainly spoken in the Indian state of Orissa. Pashto ( Naskh: پښتو‎ pəʂ'to also rendered as Pakhto, Pushto, Pukhto, Pashtu, Pushtu, also known as Punjabi (pa ਪੰਜਾਬੀ in Gurmukhi script pa-PK {{Nastaliq پنجابی}} in Shahmukhi script Pañjābī in Transliteration) is an Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Santali is a Language in the Munda subfamily of Austro-Asiatic, related to Ho and Mundari. Sindhi ( Arabic script: سنڌي Devanagari script: सिन्धी Sindhī) is the language of the Sindh region of South Asia Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල ISO 15919: siṁhala ˈsiŋhələ earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the language of the Sinhalese Sarāikī ( Perso-Arabic: سراییکی Gurmukhi: ਸਰਾਇਕੀ Devanagari: सराइकी commonly spelled Seraiki also Siraiki is Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. Tibetan refers to a group of languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering South Asia as well as by overseas Colombo ( Sinhala:, ˈkoləmbə Tamil: கொழும்பு is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. Dhaka (also known as Dacca ( Bangla: ঢাকা ɖʱaka is the Capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka District. Diego Garcia is the largest Atoll, in terms of land area in Chagos Archipelago, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. } Kābul ( Persian and Pashto: کابل, IPA:) is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with (ڪراچي) is the largest city in Pakistan. It is the world's second largest city proper behind Mumbai in terms of population which exceeds 10 million Kathmandu (काठमांडौ येँ is the Capital and the largest city of Nepal. Lhasa, ( in English l̥ʰásə or in Tibetan; Chinese: 拉萨 Pinyin: Lāsà sometimes spelled Lasa, is the administrative capital of the Overview Although Malé is geographically located in Male' Atoll Kaafu Atoll, administratively it is not considered part of it Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial Tehran (or Teheran) ( Persian: تهران Tehrān) is the capital and largest City of Iran, and the administrative center of Thimphu ( is the Capital of Bhutan, and also the name of the surrounding valley and Dzongkhag Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city and a former capital of Burma.

UN Subregion of Southern Asia. United Nations geoscheme, created by the United Nations Statistics Division, divides the world into 'macro-geographical Regions ( Continents and sub-regions

South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is a southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities (see below), also includes the adjoining countries on the west and the east. South is one of Cardinal directions and is opposite to the North. The article is about the geographic sense of the term For other uses including Regions and Regional, see Region (disambiguation. A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions It is surrounded (clockwise, from west to east) by Western Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Asia, and Southeastern Asia. This article refers to the cardinal direction for other uses see West (disambiguation. The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST internal designation HT-7U is an experimental Superconducting Tokamak Magnetic fusion energy Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia (largely overlapping with the Middle East) is the southwestern portion of Asia. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south

Definitions and usage

South Asia consists of the following countries and territories:

•  Bangladesh
•  British Indian Ocean Territory
•  Bhutan^[2][3][4]
•  India
•  Maldives
•  Nepal
•  Pakistan
•  Sri Lanka

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. ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially The Kingdom of Bhutan (buːˈtɑːn is a Landlocked nation in South Asia. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ( SAARC) is an economic and political organization of eight countries in Southern Asia. For assumed geographic, cultural, and/or historical reasons, the following countries and territories are often included in South Asia:

•  Afghanistan^{[1][5][6][7][3][4][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]}(Otherwise considered Central Asian or Middle-Eastern^[17]) (Now a member of SAARC)
•  Myanmar, (Prior to August 1947, for nearly a century, it was part of the British Raj region of South Asia proper. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ( SAARC) is an economic and political organization of eight countries in Southern Asia. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British ) (Otherwise considered Southeast Asian)
• Tibet, PRC^{[5][6][11][12][13][14][15][16][18]} (Otherwise considered Central Asian^[19]) (The People's Republic of China, which governs Tibet, is an observer member of SAARC)

The United Nations also includes Iran, but not Tibet or Burma, as part of Southern Asia:^[20]

•  Iran (Iran is an observer nation in SAARC) (Otherwise considered Southwest 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. Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ( SAARC) is an economic and political organization of eight countries in Southern Asia. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ( SAARC) is an economic and political organization of eight countries in Southern Asia. Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia (largely overlapping with the Middle East) is the southwestern portion of Asia. This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. The India or Indian Plate is a Tectonic plate that was originally a part of the ancient continent of Gondwanaland from which it split off eventually The Eurasian Plate is a Tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the traditional Continents of Europe However, a good proportion of the Pakistani land mass is not on the Indian plate, but on the fringes of the Iranian plateau. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The Iranian Plateau, also known as the Persian plateau is a Geological formation in Southwest Asia, Southern As in the case of the Hindukush mountains, everything to the south-east of the Iranian Plateau is considered South Asia. The Hindu Kush is a Mountain range located between Afghanistan and Pakistan. 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. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت,

Differences in definitions

The definition of South Asia can vary greatly from person to person. Most sources accept Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Chagos Islands, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka as South Asian. The Chagos Archipelago (formerly Oil Islands) is a group of seven Atolls comprising more than 60 individual tropical Islands roughly in the centre of Most of the controversy originates over Afghanistan, Iran, and Tibet. Afghanistan and Tibet are often considered South Asian by the Departments of South Asian Studies of several universities, especially those referred to above; but this definition is by no means universal. Another controversy grows over Iran, for Iran is considered South Asian by the UN on the one hand, but none of those departments above on the other. The G8's definition of the Greater Middle East further obfuscates matters by including both Pakistan and Afghanistan. See: Middle East and Greater Middle East. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. The Greater Middle East (also known as " The New Middle East " is a political term coined by the Bush administration to englobe together various Controversial race researcher Richard Lynn has defined Southern Asia as "from Bangladesh in the east through India, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, the Gulf states, the near East, and Turkey". Richard Lynn (born 1930 is a British Professor Emeritus of Psychology who is known for his controversial views on racial and ^[21]

Geography

Natural vegetation zones in South Asia:

Tropical Rainforest	Tundra
Desert	Semi-desert
Tropical Grassland and savanna

Boundaries

The boundaries of South Asia vary based on how South Asia is defined. Tropical rainforests are generally found near the Equator. They are common in Asia, Australia, Africa, South America, Central In physical Geography, tundra is an area where the Tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. A Semi-arid climate or steppe climate generally describes climatic regions that receive low annual Rainfall (250-500 mm or 10-20 in The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 A savanna or savannah is a Tropical or Subtropical Grassland or Woodland Ecosystem.

Climate

Mostly hot summers and rain, some parts are snowy and cold.

Environment

Economy

Demography and history

History

Further information: History of South Asia

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. The term South Asia usually refers to the political entities of the Sub- Himalayan region - namely Republic of India, Pakistan, Dravidian peoples refers to the peoples that natively speak languages belonging to the Dravidian language family. The Iranian Plateau, also known as the Persian plateau is a Geological formation in Southwest Asia, Southern The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, 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. layout and formatting it should ensure no clashes with the top of the infobox The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. g. pilgrimage to dargahs is common among many South Asian Muslims. A dargah ( درگه) is a Sufi Shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure often a Sufi Saint.

South Asia ranks among the world's most densely-populated regions. "The world " is a proper noun for the planet Earth envisioned from an Anthropocentric or Human Worldview, as a place 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. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume

The region has a long history. Ancient civilizations developed in the Indus River Valley and the Dwaraka region. The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd 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. The Mughal Empire ( Persian and self-designation گورکانی; مغلیہ سلطنت) was an Islamic imperial power which ruled most The Maratha Empire ( Marathi: मराठा साम्राज्य Marāṭhā Sāmrājya; also transliterated Mahratta 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. Portuguese India (Índia Portuguesa or Estado da Índia) was the aggregate of Portugal 's colonial holdings in India. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands France was a dominant empire in the world from the 1600s to the late 1960s possessing many colonies in various locations around the world See Colony and Colonization for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism Christianity, western culture, modern health care and liberal education got a favourable climate to prosper in their times. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The region became a rich source of revenues and raw materials for Britain and a vast captive market for the products of western industrial revolution, adversely affecting centuries old local industries and craftsmen. Captive markets are Markets where the potential Consumers face a severely limited amount of competitive Suppliers; their only choices are to purchase The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the On the plus side, British economic needs and military considerations led to development of an efficient network of means of transportation and communication as well as banking and training of requisite workforce; the existing rail, post, telegraph, bank and education facilities have evolved out of the base established in the colonial era, often called the British Raj. For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British Most of the region gained independence from Europe by the late 1940s. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be

Since 1947, most South Asian countries have achieved tremendous progress in all spheres. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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. Areas of difficulty remain, however, including religious extremism, high levels of corruption, disagreements on political boundaries, and inequitable distribution of wealth.

Ethnic groups, cultures and languages

Map of South Asia in native languages. A first language (also mother tongue, native language, arterial language, or L1) is the language a human being learns from birth

South Asia, which consists of the nations of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, is ethnically diverse, with more than 2,000 ethnic entities with populations ranging from hundreds of millions to small tribal groups. ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially The Kingdom of Bhutan (buːˈtɑːn is a Landlocked nation in South Asia. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island South Asia has been invaded and settled by many ethnic groups over the centuries including various Dravidian, Indo-Aryan and Iranian groups. Dravidian peoples refers to the peoples that natively speak languages belonging to the Dravidian language family. The Iranian people are a collection of Ethnic groups defined along linguistic lines as speaking Iranian languages. The amalgamation of Dravidian, Indo-Aryan and local tribal cultures over the centuries created common culture, traditions and beliefs. The Vedic Sanskrit language and Vedic religion combined Indo-Aryan, Dravidian and local tribal beliefs to give rise to the ancient South Asian religions of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and also Sikhism, even though Sufi tradition of Islam had also significantly influenced nascent Sikhism and its holiest scripture. Vedic Sanskrit is an ancient Indian language, the language of the Vedas, the oldest Shruti texts of Hinduism. This article discusses the historical religious practices in the Vedic time period see Hinduism and Indian religions for details Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف As a consequence, they share many similar cultural practices, festivals, and traditions. Throughout time, the traditions of different ethnic groups in South Asia have diverged, sometimes giving rise to strong local traditions, such as South Indian culture in earlier times. South India is the area encompassing India 's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union Other ethnic groups, successively streaming in later mainly from Central Asia and Iran, e. g. Sakas, Kushans, Huns etc. The Sakas ( English form of Old Iranian Sakā, Nominative plural masculine case; Ancient Greek Σάκαι, The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads with a Turkic core of aristocracy influenced pre-existing south Asian cultures; the last of these new arrivals - the Turks and Pathans - brought in much cultural influence and the Abrahamic religion of Islam to the Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun, Baloch and Kashmiri people in the northwestern parts of South Asia, to North India and to Bangladesh. The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family Pashtuns ( Pashto: پښتون Paṣtūn, Paxtūn, also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns) also called For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The Punjabi people ( Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی also Panjabi people) are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group from South Asia. Sindhis ( Sindhi: سنڌي) are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating in Sindh in Pakistan. Pashtuns ( Pashto: پښتون Paṣtūn, Paxtūn, also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns) also called The Baloch ( بلوچ; alternative transliterations Baluch Balouch Bloach Balooch Balush Balosh Baloosh Baloush) are an Iranian people inhabiting The Kashmiri people ( Kashmiri: कॉशुर کٲشُر Koshur) are a Dardic ethnic group living in the central valley of Kashmir in ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially However, their Turkish/Persian languages have ceased to be prominent; replaced now by Urdu, a syncretic language of combined Hindi-Persian-Turkic-Arabic heritage. Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised The largest spoken language in this region is now Hindi, its speakers numbering almost 300 million; the second largest spoken language is Bengali, with 240 million speakers. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Other languages of this region fall into a few major linguistic groups: the Dravidian languages and the Indo-Aryan languages, a sub-branch of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. The Dravidian family of languages includes approximately 73 languages (including the four literary languages of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada The Indo-Aryan languages (within the context of Indo-European studies also Indic) are a branch of the Indo-European language family The Indo-Iranian language group constitutes the easternmost extant branch of the Indo-European family of languages Many Tibeto-Burman ethnic groups, who are speakers of their language-group, are found in northeast India, Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan. The Tibeto-Burman family of languages (often considered a sub-group of the Sino-Tibetan Language family) is spoken in various central and south Asian countries including Other small groups, speaking Austro-Asiatic languages, are also present in South Asia. The Austro-Asiatic languages are a large Language family of Southeast Asia, and also scattered throughout India and Bangladesh. English is another language which dominates South Asia, especially as a medium of advanced education and government administration; ethnic Englishmen and other Britons are now practically absent after their two centuries long colonial presence, although they have left an imprint of western culture in the elite society. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States British people, or Britons, are the native inhabitants of Great Britain and their descendants or citizens of the United Kingdom, of the

Writing

Much of South Asia writes using various abugidas of Brahmic origin. An abugida ( from Ge‘ez አቡጊዳ ’äbugida or Amharic አቡጊዳ ’abugida is a segmental Writing system which South Asian languages such as Urdu, Pashto, and Sindhi use derivatives of the Perso-Arabic script. The Perso-Arabic script is a Writing system that is based on the Arabic alphabet. Not all languages in South Asia follow this strict dichotomy though. For example, Kashmiri is written in both the Perso-Arabic script and in the Devanagari script. Kashmiri (कॉशुर کٲشُر Koshur) is a Dardic language spoken primarily in the valley of Kashmir, a region situated in the Indian state The Perso-Arabic script is a Writing system that is based on the Arabic alphabet. The same can be said for Punjabi, which is written in both Shahmukhi and Gurmukhī. Punjabi (pa ਪੰਜਾਬੀ in Gurmukhi script pa-PK {{Nastaliq پنجابی}} in Shahmukhi script Pañjābī in Transliteration) is an Shahmukhi (, Gurmukhi: ਸ਼ਾਹਮੁਖੀ literally "from the King's mouth" is a local variant of the Arabic script Gurmukhī (ਗੁਰਮੁਖੀ Shahmukhi:) is the most common script used for writing the Punjabi language. Dhivehi is written in a script called Tāna that shows characteristics of both the Arabic alphabet and of an abugida. Dhivehi Writing Systems Dhivehi (or Divehi) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by more than about 300000 people in the Republic of Maldives where it is the See also Dhivehi writing systems Thaana, Taana or Tāna (written in Tāna script is the modern writing system of the The Arabic alphabet is the script used for writing several languages of Asia and Africa such as Arabic, Persian, and Urdu. An abugida ( from Ge‘ez አቡጊዳ ’äbugida or Amharic አቡጊዳ ’abugida is a segmental Writing system which

Religions

Afghanistan[1]	Sunni Muslim (80%), Shi'a Muslim (19%), other (1%)
Bangladesh[22]	Muslim (89. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially 8%), Hindu (9. 2%), Buddhist (1. 6%), Christian (1. 3%),Believers in tribal faiths (0. 1%)
British Indian Ocean Territory[23]	Christian (45. 55%), Hindu (38. 55%), Muslim (9. 25%), Non-Religious (6. 50%), Atheist (0. 10%), Other (0. 05%)
Bhutan[2]	Buddhist (75%), Hindu (25%)
India[24]	Hindu (80. The Kingdom of Bhutan (buːˈtɑːn is a Landlocked nation in South Asia. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country 5%), Muslim (13. 4%), Christian (2. 3%), Sikh (1. 9%), Buddhist (0. 8%), Jain (0. 4%), Others (0. 6%)
Iran[25]	Shi'a Muslim (89%), Sunni Muslim (9%), Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i (2%)
Maldives[26]	Sunni Muslim (100%) (One must be a Sunni Muslim to be a citizen on the Maldives)
Myanmar[27]	Theravada Buddhism (89%), Muslim (4%), Christian (4%) (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Animist (1%), others (including Hinduism) (2%)
Nepal[28]	Hindu (80. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. 6%), Buddhist (10. 7%), Muslim (4. 2%), Kirat (3. 6%)
Pakistan[29]	Muslim (96. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and 28%), Hindu (1. 85%), Christian (1. 59%), Ahmadi (0. Ahmadiyya ( احمدیہ Ahmadiyya) is a movement that arose out of mainstream Islam towards the end of the 19th century 22%)
Sri Lanka[30]	Theravada Buddhist (70. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island 42%), Hindu (10. 89%), Muslim (8. 78%), Catholic (7. 77%), Other Christian (1. 96%), Other (0. 13%)
Tibet, PRC	Buddhist, Bön, Hindu, Muslim, and others

Territory and region data

Name of country/region, with flag	Area (km²)	Population	Population density (per km²)	Capital	GDP (Total)	GDP (Per capita)	Currency	Government	Official languages	Coat of Arms
Afghanistan (see above)	647,500	31,889,923	46	Kabul	$32. Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity The article is about the geographic sense of the term For other uses including Regions and Regional, see Region (disambiguation. A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, } Kābul ( Persian and Pashto: کابل, IPA:) is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with 4 billion	$1,490	Afghan afghani	Islamic republic	Dari (Persian), Pashto [1]
Bangladesh	144,000	150,448,340	1045	Dhaka	$331. This article refers to the currency For other uses see Afghani. Islamic Republic is the name given to several states in the Muslim world including the Islamic Republics of Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Mauritania Pashto ( Naskh: پښتو‎ pəʂ'to also rendered as Pakhto, Pushto, Pukhto, Pashtu, Pushtu, also known as ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially Dhaka (also known as Dacca ( Bangla: ঢাকা ɖʱaka is the Capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka District. 9 billion	$2,245	Taka	Parliamentary republic	Bengali
Bhutan	47,000	672,425	45	Thimphu	$4. The taka ( Bengali: টাকা ṭaka) is the Currency of Bangladesh. A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government The Kingdom of Bhutan (buːˈtɑːn is a Landlocked nation in South Asia. Thimphu ( is the Capital of Bhutan, and also the name of the surrounding valley and Dzongkhag 39 billion	$5,477	Ngultrum, Indian rupee	Constitutional monarchy	Dzongkha
British Indian Ocean Territory	60	3,500	58. The ngultrum ( ISO 4217 code BTN) ( Dzongkha: dz དངུལ་ཀྲམ has The rupee (रुपया ( code: INR) is the Currency of India. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is Dzongkha (dz རྫོང་ཁ Wylie: rdzong-kha, Jong-kă is the national 3	Diego Garcia			Pound sterling	British Overseas Territory	English
India	3,287,590	1,128,808,000	329	New Delhi	$4042. Diego Garcia is the largest Atoll, in terms of land area in Chagos Archipelago, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country New Delhi (नई दिल्ली ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ نئی دلی is the Capital city of India. 268 billion	$3690	Indian rupee	Federal republic, Parliamentary democracy	Hindi, English and 20 other official languages
Iran (see above)	1,648,195	71,208,000	42	Tehran	$610 billion	$8,887	Iranian rial	Islamic republic	Persian, Constitutional status for regional languages [31]
Maldives	298	298,842	1,105	Malé	$2. The rupee (रुपया ( code: INR) is the Currency of India. A federal republic is a Federation of States with a republican form of government A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The Constitution of India envisages Hindi as the primary official language to be used by the Union Government, with English as the subsidiary official language For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Tehran (or Teheran) ( Persian: تهران Tehrān) is the capital and largest City of Iran, and the administrative center of The rial (ریال in Persian; ISO 4217 code IRR) is the currency of Iran. Islamic Republic is the name given to several states in the Muslim world including the Islamic Republics of Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Mauritania The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching Overview Although Malé is geographically located in Male' Atoll Kaafu Atoll, administratively it is not considered part of it 569 billion	$7,675	Rufiyaa	Republic	Dhivehi
Myanmar (see above)	676,578	55,400,000	75	Yangon	$93. The rufiyaa ( Dhivehi: ދިވެހި ރުފިޔާ is the currency of the Maldives. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Dhivehi Writing Systems Dhivehi (or Divehi) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by more than about 300000 people in the Republic of Maldives where it is the Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city and a former capital of Burma. 77 billion	$1,691	Myanmar kyat	Military Junta	Burmese; Jingpho, Shan, Karen, Mon, (Spoken in Myanmar's Autonomous States. The kyat ( dʒɛʔ or tʃɛʔ ISO 4217 code MMK is the Currency of Myanmar / Burma. A military junta is a government ruled by a committee of military leaders The Burmese language (မြန်မာဘာသာ myà̃mà bàθà MLCTS: myanma bhasa) is the official Language of Burma. "Kachin language" redirects here For other meanings of word "Kachin" see Kachin (disambiguation The Jingpho language (also The Shan language is related to the Thai language and is called Tai-Yai, or Tai Long in the Tai languages The Karen languages are Tonal languages spoken by the Karen people and are classified as part of the Tibeto-Burman group of the Sino-Tibetan language The Mon language is an Austroasiatic language spoken by the Mon, who live in Burma and Thailand. )
Nepal	147,181	28,901,790	184	Kathmandu	$41. Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. Kathmandu (काठमांडौ येँ is the Capital and the largest city of Nepal. 18 billion	$1,500	Nepalese rupee	Interim government	Nepali
Pakistan	880,940	162,423,000	206	Islamabad	$503. The rupee (रूपैयाँ ( sign: ₨; code: NPR)is the official Currency of Nepal. A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a previous administration or regime Nepali is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Nepal, Bhutan, and some parts of India and Myanmar (Burma Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and |name = Islamabad|native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Capital City |total_type 3 billion	$3210. 12	Pakistani rupee	Islamic Republic	Urdu, English, Balochi, Pashto, Punjabi, Siraiki, Sindhi[32]
Sri Lanka	65,610	19,668,000	310	Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte	$86. The rupee ( sign: ₨; code: PKR) is the Currency of Pakistan. Islamic Republic is the name given to several states in the Muslim world including the Islamic Republics of Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Mauritania Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Balochi (بلوچی also Baluchi, Baloci or Baluci) is a Northwestern Iranian language. Pashto ( Naskh: پښتو‎ pəʂ'to also rendered as Pakhto, Pushto, Pukhto, Pashtu, Pushtu, also known as Punjabi (pa ਪੰਜਾਬੀ in Gurmukhi script pa-PK {{Nastaliq پنجابی}} in Shahmukhi script Pañjābī in Transliteration) is an Sarāikī ( Perso-Arabic: سراییکی Gurmukhi: ਸਰਾਇਕੀ Devanagari: सराइकी commonly spelled Seraiki also Siraiki is Sindhi ( Arabic script: سنڌي Devanagari script: सिन्धी Sindhī) is the language of the Sindh region of South Asia Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte (ශ්‍රී ජයවර්ධනපුර කෝට්ටේ in Sinhalese and ஸ்ரீ ஜயவர்த்தனபுரம் கோட்டே 72 billion	$4,600	Sri Lankan rupee	Democratic Socialist Republic	Sinhala, Tamil
Tibet Autonomous Region, PRC (see above)	1,228,400	2,740,000	2. The rupee ( Sinhala: රුපියල, Tamil: ரூபாய் ( sign: ₨; code: LKR) is the Currency Democratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements tendencies and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල ISO 15919: siṁhala ˈsiŋhələ earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the language of the Sinhalese Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR also called Xizang Autonomous Region (བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས་ Wylie: Bod-rang-skyong-ljongs Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES 2	Lhasa	CNY 29. Lhasa, ( in English l̥ʰásə or in Tibetan; Chinese: 拉萨 Pinyin: Lāsà sometimes spelled Lasa, is the administrative capital of the 01 billion	CNY 10,322	Chinese yuan	Autonomous region of China	Tibetan, Chinese

See also

• History of South Asia
• South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
• South Asian Economic Union
• Indosphere
• Greater India
• Indology
• India (disambiguation)
• Islamic conquest of South Asia
• List of South Asian stock exchanges
• South Asian cuisine
• British Indian
• Indian American

Other subregions in Asia

• East Asia
• Southeast Asia
• Central Asia
• North Asia
• West Asia

References

External links

• World Bank, South Asia Region
• BBC News South Asia
• Himal Southasian magazine
• South Asian Note
• Birding in South Asia
• South Asian Awareness Network Conference Website
• Global Media Publications Website
• Digital South Asia Library