South Asia
Also referred to as the Indian sub-continent, excluding Afghanistan, this is a volatile region where politics, religion and ethnic issues merge to complicate long standing conflicts and economic development. A region with over 4000 years of history starting with mankinds longest reigning religion and a populace strongly devoted to the rich and philosophical traditions of the past. A continent by it's own right, South Asia's total population exceeds 1.3 billion, clearly over 1/6th of humanity.
The countries concerned with here are varied in population structure, government, economy and culturally. Geographically it is very diverse stretching from the snowy peaks of Ladakh to the sun soaked beaches of the Maldives. In encompasses immensely humid climates to the dry sandy desert. Much of the regions is arable, being blessed by two of Asias great river systems - the Ganges and the Indus. Indeed the Indo-Gangetic plains which starts from southern Pakistan across northern India into the Ganges/Brahmaputra delta of Bangladesh is a major agricultural region and is densely populated.
The countries covered under this region are
India
Largest country in both area and population, India is on the brink of major economic growth as well as having to deal with major insurgent groups in Kashmir and north eastern states.
Pakistan
With a history of military dictatorships, Pakistan is also faced with potential war fronts on its eastern and western borders.
Afghanistan
Decades of war has taken a heavy toll on this nation which lies at ancient crossroads of past conquering empires. Today is no different with warlords, superpower competitors and international terrorists using Afghanistan as a staging post for further battles.
Bangladesh
A densely populated country situated on delta flatlands, Bangadesh is at the mercy of the monsoonal season where floods and cyclones have great impact on people's livelihood.
Nepal
Recently wrecked by Maoist insurgents, landlocked Nepal is facing a new volatile situation.
Bhutan
This small Himalayan kingdom has remained largely estranged to the outside world.
Sri Lanka
With the prospect of peace coming to the island nation for the first time in many years, there are hopes that Sri Lanka's Tamil issue will be solved in a matter of time.
Maldives
Idle lifestyle and serene surroundings help make Maldives a relaxing place to be for holiday makers worldwide.