Indian Subcontinent

(2001 pop. 1.4 billion). "Indian subcontinent" geographically refers to the area covering the southern section of Asia (often called South Asia), but not the Southeast Asian mainland. It comprises the vast peninsula bounded on the north by the Himalayan Ranges and projecting as a triangle in the south far into the Indian Ocean, with the Bay of Bengal lying to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. The area is divided between five major nation-states, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and includes as well the two small nations of Bhutan and the Maldives Republic. The total area can be estimated at 4.4 million square kilometers, or exactly 10 percent of the land surface of Asia. The latitudinal range is between the equator and 37°N, thus embracing various environments from desert to mountain, from dry plateau to humid rain forest. In 2000, the total population was about 22 percent of the world's population and 34 percent of the population of Asia. Life expectancy was then in the range of 55 to 64 years throughout most of the subcontinent.

Robinson, Francis. (1989) Cambridge Encyclopedia of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. New York: Cambridge University Press.