Shifting Geo politics in the Greater South Asia Region

Abstract

This paper discusses and explains the South Asia region, which, depending on how you define it, is home to some 1.7 billion people. It also points to some future challenges and possibilities for this important region. Geographically, South Asia comprises the Indian subcontinent and its immediate surrounds. However, apart from geography and some shared history, there is little that encourages, or compels, the South Asia region to cohere. Based on membership of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the regional organization that represents South Asian nations, South Asia comprises (in alphabetical order): Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Like all geo-political regions, however, South Asia is neither neat nor precise: all South Asian nations have connections with neighboring regions. Afghanistan straddles Central Asia and Southwest Asia, plus it has a connection with Northeast Asia via a short border with China. Bhutan, India and Nepal have connections with Northeast Asia by virtue of their common borders with Chinese-controlled Tibet (Xizang).

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2016
Accession Number
AD1032415

Entities

People

  • Christopher Snedden

Organizations

  • Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Buddhism
  • Central Asia
  • Geography
  • Governments
  • National Security
  • Navies (Foreign)
  • South Asia
  • Southeast Asia
  • Southwest Asia
  • Sri Lanka
  • Terrain
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • Topography
  • United States

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union