Southern
Asia
comprises
those
countries
lying
between
the
Himalaya
range
of
mountains
and
the
Indian
Ocean
(north
to
south)
and
between
the
Ganga
and
Indus
river
valleys
(east
to
west).
The
Indian
Ocean
shoreline
is
divided
between
the
Arabian
Sea
(in
the
west)
and
the
Bay
of
Bengal
(in
the
east).
The
extensive,
triangular-shaped
landmass
of
South
Asia
is
sometimes
referred
to
as
"the
Indian
Subcontinent",
or
simply
"the
Subcontinent"
The
influence
of
historical
Indian
culture
can
be
seen
everywhere.
Two
of
the
main
"world
religions"
have
their
origins
within
South
Asia:
Hinduism
and
Buddhism.
A
third,
Islam,
was
introduced
by
Muslim
invaders
starting
around
the
7th
century
and
rose
to
prominence
during
the
Mughal
Empire.
While
India
and
Nepal
share
cultural
similarities
in
religion
and
food,
these
two
countries
are
both
worlds
apart
from
China
and
Japan.
From
the
peaks
of
Mt
Everest
to
the
beach
parties
in
Goa,
Southern
Asia
is a
dizzying
array
of
cultures,
famous
landmarks
and
peoples.
Tourists
flock
here
to
conquer
the
world's
tallest
mountain
or
to
see
up
close
the
greatest
declaration
of
love
in
modern
times
at
the
Taj
Mahal.
Regardless
of
your
reasons,
a
trip
to
Southern
Asia
always
leaves
you
longing
to
return.
An
additional
layer
of
Southern
Asian
cultural
unification
derives
from
the
influence
of
British
culture,
and
especially
the
frequent
and
growing
use
of
the
English
language,
as a
result
of
India
having
formed
the
"Jewel
in
the
Crown"
of
the
British
Empire
before
Independence
in
1947.
Population
density:
South
Asia
is
one
of
the
world's
most
densely
populated
regions
-
approximately
1.6
billion
people
(or
roughly
a
quarter
of
humanity)
make
their
home
there.
The
average
population
density
of
305
people
per
square
km
is 7
times
the
world
average.
Southern
Asia
is
home
to
almost
every
kind
of
geographical
terrain.
A
history
of
political
unrest
has
left
much
of
the
region
struggling
with
poverty
and
instability,
while
areas
rich
in
natural
resources
(such
as
Brunei)
enjoy
considerable
wealth.
Delhi blends an historic past and a vibrant present. Legend has it that the Pandavas, the august heroes of the epic Mahabharata, originally founded Delhi, then called Indraprastha, around 1200 B.C. Present day Delhi is built around the ruins of seven ancient cities.
The Kingdom of Nepal is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of bio-diversity due to its unique geographical position and altitude variation. The elevation of the country ranges from 60 meters above sea level to the highest point on earth, Mt. Everest at 8,848 meters.
Sri Lanka is a tourist's paradise. Marco Polo described it as "the finest island of its size in the world". Wonderful pristine beaches, lush-green hills, majestic waterfalls, corals, wild life, heritage sites, pilgrimage sites, exotic cuisine-Sri Lanka has everything that a tourist can imagine.
Sun, sand and sea, a thousand ‘Robinson Crusoe’ islands, massive lagoons with different depths and infinite shades of blue and turquoise, dazzling underwater coral gardens; a perfect natural combination for the ideal tropical holiday destination.
Mumbai's nature as the most eclectic and cosmopolitan Indian city is symbolized in the presence of Bollywood within the city, the centre of the globally-influential Hindi film and TV industries. It is also home to India's largest slum population.
Goa is India's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. Located on the west coast of India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast.
