Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. Today, it is divided among Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.

Though the words Indian subcontinent and South Asia are sometimes used to mean the same thing, they have different meanings. The Indian subcontinent describes a natural, geophysical area shaped by Earth's surface features. South Asia, on the other hand, is a geopolitical term that includes more countries, such as Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Sometimes, South Asia is also stretched to include Afghanistan, though Afghanistan is not geographically part of the subcontinent.

This area has a rich history, diverse cultures, and many languages, making it an important part of the world.

Name

Historically, the area around the Indus River was often called India. Even today, historians use this name when talking about the past of the entire Indian subcontinent before the time of the British Raj. Over time, the word India came to mean a specific country.

The word subcontinent means a large piece of land that is smaller than a whole continent. People started using this term in the early 1900s when most of this area was part of the British Empire. Today, some people use the term South Asia instead, especially in Europe and North America, to make it clear they are talking about this particular region.

Geology

See also: Indian plate and Himalayas § Geology

The Indian subcontinent was once part of a large ancient landmass called Gondwana. Over millions of years, it moved northward and collided with another landmass called Eurasia. This collision created the tall Himalayas mountains and changed the shape of the land.

Before this happened, two smaller land areas called the Qiangtang terrane and Lhasa terrane had already joined Eurasia. These areas are now parts of countries like Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, China, and others. The movement of these lands caused changes in the oceans and created new land shapes, including areas we now know as Ladakh in Kashmir and Kohistan in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.