South Asia

What is South Asia?

According to the UN definition, South Asia, geographically divided from the northern part of Asia by vast mountain ranges, consists of the following countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The population is about 1.5 billion people, with two-thirds of the people living in India alone. This country also, however, comprises of 72% of the total land mass of South Asia. In terms of population, goods production, Gross National Product, and economic growth, India makes up a higher share than all of the neighboring countries put together.

South Asia has a geographically diverse layout, from the high glacier-covered mountain regions of the Himalayas in India, Nepal and Bhutan, the dry steppe in Pakistan and northern India, the delta regions in Bangladesh, to the tropical coasts of South India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Among the south Asian countries there are many historical, linguistic, religious and economic similarities. Thus, all states in this region were the product of the British colonial rule (except for Nepal). In almost all of the countries, communities of linguistically and religiously diverse people can be found living together. While Indian and Nepal have a Hindu majority, Muslims predominately live in Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives. In Sri Lanka and Bhutan the majority of the population is Buddhist.

The South Asian economy is characterized by a high ratio of workers employed in agricultural production and persistent conflict. This heritage includes the disputed boundary between India and Pakistan, the recently ended civil war in Sri Lanka between the local military and the Tamil Separatists, as well as the conflict between Muslims and Hindus in many parts of India.

In December 1985, the leaders of seven countries founded the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The SAARC headquarters is located in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. The aim is to collaborate on industrial and technical affairs, especially in coordination on customs and cross border trade.

The Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology in Tübingen is concerned with numerous topics, some being global influences, modernization and development initiatives, rituals, gender relations, medical systems and Diaspora. The regional emphasis is currently India, focusing on Tamil Nadu and Kerala, with future plans to include Bangladesh.