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South Asia is a subregion of Asia comprising the modern states of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. It covers about 4,480,000 km², or 10 percent of the continent and is also known as the Indian subcontinent.
Subregions of South Asia include:
- Himalayan States - Northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh
- Indian Ocean Island Nations - Sri Lanka, the Maldives
- Southern India, Pakistan
South Asia ranks among the world's most crowded places. About 1 1/3 billion people live there—about a third of all Asians and a fifth of all the people in the world. The region's population density of 305 persons per km² is more than seven times the world average.
The region has a long history. Ancient civilisations developed in the Indus River Valley. The region was at its most prosperous before the 17th century, when the Mughal Empire held sway in the north; European colonialism lead 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.
- See also: History of South Asia
Southern Asia sometimes refers to all of Asia that was not part of the Soviet Union.
