South Asia
Subregion in Asia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethnic-cultural terms. As commonly conceptualized, the modern states of South Asia include Afghanistan,[6] Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.[7] South Asia borders East Asia to the northeast, Central Asia to the northwest, West Asia to the west and Southeast Asia to the east. Topographically, it is dominated by the Indian subcontinent and is bounded by the Indian Ocean in the south, and the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Pamir Mountains in the north.[8]
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| Area | 5,222,321 km2 (2,016,349 sq mi) |
|---|---|
| Population | 2.04 billion (2024)[1] |
| Population density | 362.3/km2 (938/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | $18.05 trillion (2024)[2] |
| GDP (nominal) | $5.04 trillion (2024)[3] |
| GDP per capita | $2,650 (nominal) (2024) $9,470 (PPP) (2024)[4] |
| HDI |  0.641 (2019)(medium)[5] |
| Ethnic groups | Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Dravidian, Sino-Tibetan, Austroasiatic, Turkic etc. |
| Religions | Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Irreligion |
| Demonym |
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| Countries | |
| Dependencies | External (1)
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| Languages | Official languages (national level) Other official languages (provincial/regional level) |
| Time zones | |
| Internet TLD | .af, .bd, .bt, .in, .io, .lk, .mv, .np, .pk |
| Calling code | Zone 8 & 9 |
| Largest cities | |
| UN M49 code | 034 – Southern Asia142 – Asia001 – World |
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an economic cooperation organization in the region which was established in 1985 and includes all eight nations comprising South Asia.[9] South Asia has a total area of 5.2 million sq.km (2 million sq.mi), which is 10% of the Asian continent.[7] According to the United Nations, the population of South Asia, including Iran, is estimated to be 2.04 billion[10][11] or about one-fourth of the world's population, making it both the most populous and the most densely populated geographical region in the world.[12]
In 2022, South Asia had the world's largest populations of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, and Zoroastrians.[13] South Asia alone accounts for 90.47% of Hindus, 95.5% of Sikhs, and 31% of Muslims worldwide, as well as 35 million Christians and 25 million Buddhists.[14][15][16][17]