South Asia
Himalayan nations' neighborhood
South Asia is the region comprising the Indian subcontinent and surrounding areas—typically India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives, with Afghanistan sometimes included.
The region is home to nearly two billion people and shares cultural, historical, and linguistic ties rooted in ancient civilizations.
South Asian cuisine has become popular worldwide.
Major continental subdivision
- IndiaSouth Asian republic
- PakistanSouth Asian nation
- BangladeshSouth Asian republic
- NepalSouth Asian mountain nation
Sri Lanka · Bhutan · Maldives · Himalayas · Ganges · Indus · Brahmaputra · Karakoram
Wrapped South Asian dress
- BollywoodIndian film industry
- DiwaliHindu festival of lights
- HoliSpring festival of colors
- EidIslamic holy celebration
dhoti · mehndi · Ayurveda · yoga · classical dance · raga · tabla · sitar
Ancient South Asian river culture
- VedicOf Hindu sacred writings
- RamayanaSanskrit heroic verse narrative
- MahabharataSanskrit war epic
- stupasBuddhist memorial mounds
Aromatic South Asian dish
- biryaniSpiced layered rice dish
- dosaFermented flatbread, subcontinental
- idliSteamed lentil-rice cake
- samosaStuffed triangular pastry
naan · tandoori · masala · dal · chapati · paratha · chutney · lassi
Knowing multiple languages
- pluralisticAllowing coexisting differences
- ethnicitiesGroups sharing cultural heritage
- polyglotOne knowing many languages
- multiculturalIncluding multiple ethnic traditions
heterogeneous · Hindi · Urdu · Tamil · Bengali · Punjabi · Sinhalese · Nepali
Ancient Indian spiritual tradition
- BuddhismEnlightenment-seeking Eastern religion
- IslamQuranic monotheistic religion
- JainismIndian religion emphasizing nonviolence
- SikhismPunjabi monotheistic religion
Zoroastrianism · karma · dharma · moksha · puja · temple · mosque · gurdwara
Water falling from clouds
- wet seasonProlonged rainy period
- floodsOverflowing onto dry land
- paddyFlooded rice-growing field
- rice cultivationGrowing grain in paddies
agriculture · cyclone · deluge · thunderstorms · humidity · irrigation · drought · harvest
subcontinent
Major continental subdivision
- IndiaSouth Asian republic
- PakistanSouth Asian nation
- BangladeshSouth Asian republic
Nepal · Sri Lanka · Bhutan · Maldives · Himalayas · Ganges · Indus · Brahmaputra · Karakoram · Hindu Kush
sari
Wrapped South Asian dress
Eid · dhoti · mehndi · Ayurveda · yoga · classical dance · raga · tabla · sitar · bhangra
Indus Valley
Ancient South Asian river culture
- VedicOf Hindu sacred writings
- RamayanaSanskrit heroic verse narrative
- MahabharataSanskrit war epic
curry
Aromatic South Asian dish
samosa · naan · tandoori · masala · dal · chapati · paratha · chutney · lassi · paneer
multilingual
Knowing multiple languages
- pluralisticAllowing coexisting differences
- ethnicitiesGroups sharing cultural heritage
- polyglotOne knowing many languages
multicultural · heterogeneous · Hindi · Urdu · Tamil · Bengali · Punjabi · Sinhalese · Nepali · Dravidian
Hinduism
Ancient Indian spiritual tradition
- BuddhismEnlightenment-seeking Eastern religion
- IslamQuranic monotheistic religion
- JainismIndian religion emphasizing nonviolence
Sikhism · Zoroastrianism · karma · dharma · moksha · puja · temple · mosque · gurdwara · pilgrimage
rainfall
Water falling from clouds
- wet seasonProlonged rainy period
- floodsOverflowing onto dry land
- paddyFlooded rice-growing field
rice cultivation · agriculture · cyclone · deluge · thunderstorms · humidity · irrigation · drought · harvest · tea plantations
- AsiaChina, India, Japan, Thailand, Korea
- EurasiaRussia, China, India, Germany, France
- Asian regionsIndian subcontinent, Far East, Near East, Middle East, China
- World RegionsEurope, Africa, Australia, Oceania, East Africa
- Southern PlacesDixie, Patagonia, Antarctica
- Asian historyancient China, China, empresses, shoguns, Chinese civilization
South AsiaNorthern Europe
Continent's arctic-adjacent region
Scandinavia · North America · Western Europe · Canada · Russia
South AsiaEast Asia
China-Japan-Korea region
Central Asia · Siberia · Southeast Asia · Mongolia · Manchuria
south, southern, southwest, Asia, southeast, Asian, southward, southbound, southerner