Knowra Indian subcontinent Indian subcontinent The large landmass of South Asia, centered on India and commonly including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. Its geographic identity is shaped by the Himalayas and surrounding seas.
Indian Plate : A tectonic plate carrying the Indian subcontinent and parts of the northern Indian Ocean. Its northward motion formed the subcontinent’s collision with Eurasia.
South Asia : A region of Asia comprising countries around the northern Indian Ocean, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. It is the broader regional frame commonly used for the subcontinent and its surrounding areas.
Plate tectonics : The theory that Earth’s outer shell consists of moving plates whose interactions shape continents, oceans, and mountain belts. It explains the landmass’s movement and collision with Eurasia.
South Asian agriculture : The cultivation and livestock systems practiced across South Asia’s varied climates and landscapes. Fertile plains and seasonal rains support intensive farming across much of the subcontinent.
Indian peninsula : The triangular peninsula of southern India extending into the Indian Ocean between the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. It is the southern core of the landmass, not a synonym for the whole subcontinent.
Himalayas : A mountain range system stretching across South Asia, formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates. They form the subcontinent’s northern boundary and shape its climate.
Indian subcontinent countries : The modern states commonly associated with the Indian subcontinent, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. These states occupy the landmass and nearby island commonly grouped under this name.
India–Eurasia collision : The ongoing tectonic convergence between the Indian and Eurasian plates that began tens of millions of years ago. This collision raised the Himalayas and continues to deform the northern subcontinent.
Indus Valley Civilization : A Bronze Age urban civilization centered in the Indus River basin, flourishing from about 2600 to 1900 BCE. Its cities developed in the northwestern river plains of the landmass.
Indian subcontinent versus South Asia : A comparison of the geographic landmass called the Indian subcontinent with the broader regional designation South Asia. The terms overlap, but South Asia can include areas beyond the landmass’s strict geographic bounds.
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