South Asia Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! == Governance and politics == === Systems of government === {{See also|List of legislatures in South Asia|List of countries by system of government}} {| class="wikitable sortable" !Country !Capital !Form of government !Head of state !Head of government !Legislature !Official language !Currency ! width="90px" |Coat of arms / National Emblems |- | style="white-space:nowrap;" |{{Country|Afghanistan}} |[[Kabul]] |[[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[totalitarian]] [[Provisional government|provisional]] [[theocratic]] [[Islamic state|Islamic]] [[emirate]] |[[Supreme Leader of Afghanistan|Supreme Leader]] |[[Prime Minister of Afghanistan|Prime Minister]] |[[Leadership Council of Afghanistan|Leadership Council]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jones |first1=Seth G. |title=Afghanistan's Future Emirate? The Taliban and the Struggle for Afghanistan |journal=CTC Sentinel |date=December 2020 |volume=13 |issue=11 |url=https://ctc.usma.edu/afghanistans-future-emirate-the-taliban-and-the-struggle-for-afghanistan/ |access-date=2 November 2022 |publisher=[[Combating Terrorism Center]] |archive-date=11 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211092128/https://ctc.usma.edu/afghanistans-future-emirate-the-taliban-and-the-struggle-for-afghanistan/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> |[[Pashto]]<br>[[Dari]] |'''؋''' [[Afghan afghani|Afghani]] | style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Arms of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.svg|50x50px|link=Emblem of Afghanistan]] |- | style="white-space:nowrap;" |{{Country|Bangladesh}} |[[Dhaka]] |[[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[Republic|constitutional republic]] |[[President of Bangladesh|President]] |[[Prime Minister of Bangladesh|Prime Minister]] |[[Jatiya Sangsad]] |[[Bengali language|Bengali]]<br>English |'''৳''' [[Bangladeshi taka|Taka]] | style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Coat of arms of Bangladesh.svg|50x50px|link=Coat of arms of Bangladesh]] |- |{{Country|Bhutan}} |[[Thimphu]] |[[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[constitutional monarchy]] |[[Druk Gyalpo|King]] |[[List of Prime Ministers of Bhutan|Prime Minister]] |[[National Council (Bhutan)|National Council]]<br>[[National Assembly (Bhutan)|National Assembly]] |[[Dzongkha]] |'''Nu.''' [[Bhutanese ngultrum|Ngultrum]] | style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Emblem of Bhutan.svg|50x50px|link=Emblem of Bhutan]] |- |{{Country|India}} |[[New Delhi]] |[[Federal republic|Federal]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] constitutional republic |[[President of India|President]] |[[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] |[[Rajya Sabha]]<br>[[Lok Sabha]] |[[Hindi]]<br>English |'''₹''' [[Indian rupee]] | style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Emblem of India.svg|85x85px|link=Emblem of India]] |- |{{Country|Maldives}} |[[Malé]] |[[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[Presidential system|presidential]] constitutional republic | colspan="2" style="text-align: center;"|[[President of the Maldives|President]] |[[People's Majlis]] |[[Maldivian language|Maldivian]] |'''ރ''' [[Maldivian rufiyaa|Rufiyaa]] | style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Emblem of Maldives.svg|56x56px|link=Emblem of Maldives]] |- |{{Country|Nepal}} |[[Kathmandu]] |[[Federal republic|Federal]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] constitutional republic |[[President of Nepal|President]] |[[List of Prime Ministers of Nepal|Prime Minister]] |[[National Assembly (Nepal)|National Assembly]]<br>[[House of Representatives (Nepal)|House of Representatives]] |[[Nepali language|Nepali]] |'''रु''' [[Nepalese rupee]] | style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Emblem of Nepal.svg|57x57px|link=Emblem of Nepal]] |- |{{Country|Pakistan}} |[[Islamabad]] |[[Federal republic|Federal]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[Islamic republic]] |[[President of Pakistan|President]] |[[Prime Minister of Pakistan|Prime Minister]] |[[Senate of Pakistan|Senate]]<br>[[National Assembly of Pakistan|National Assembly]] |[[Urdu]]<br>English |'''₨''' [[Pakistani rupee]] | style="text-align:center;" |[[File:State emblem of Pakistan.svg|57x57px|link=State emblem of Pakistan]] |- |{{Country|Sri Lanka}} |[[Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]] |[[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[Semi-presidential system|semi-presidential]] constitutional republic |[[President of Sri Lanka|President]] |[[Prime Minister of Sri Lanka|Prime Minister]] |[[Parliament of Sri Lanka|Parliament]] |[[Sinhala language|Sinhala]]<br>[[Tamil language|Tamil]]<br>English |'''රු/₨''' [[Sri Lankan rupee]] | style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Emblem of Sri Lanka.svg|71x71px|link=Emblem of Sri Lanka]] |} {{multiple image | align = right | direction = vertical | width = 220 | image1 = New Delhi government block 03-2016 img3.jpg | caption1 = [[Sansad Bhavan]], New Delhi, India | image2 = Parliament House, Islamabad by Usman Ghani.jpg | caption2 = Parliament House, [[Islamabad]], Pakistan | image3 = National Assembly (25967498804).jpg | caption3 = [[Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban]], [[Dhaka]], Bangladesh | image4 = | caption4 = [[Sri Lankan Parliament Building]], [[Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte]], Sri Lanka }} India is a [[Secular state|secular]] [[Federation|federative]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary republic]] with the [[Prime Minister of India|prime minister]] as head of government. With the most populous functional democracy in world<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/india-worlds-largest-democracy/10104.html |title=India: world's largest democracy |website=BBC Learning Zone Class Clips |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114055717/http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/india-worlds-largest-democracy/10104.html |archive-date=14 January 2011}}</ref> and the world's longest written constitution,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/kids/Celebrate-the-supreme-law/article14011992.ece|title=Celebrate the supreme law|last=Krithika|first=R.|date=21 January 2016|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=24 July 2018|publisher=[[N. Ram]]|issn=0971-751X|oclc=13119119}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=India's Constitution|last=Pylee|first=Moolamattom Varkey|publisher=R. Chand & Company|year=1994|isbn=978-81-219-0403-2|edition=5th rev. and enl.|location=New Delhi|pages=3|oclc=35022507}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.history.com/news/which-country-has-the-worlds-shortest-written-constitution|title=Which country has the world's shortest written constitution?|last=Nix|first=Elizabeth|date=9 August 2016|work=[[History (U.S. TV network)|History]]|access-date=24 July 2018|publisher=[[A&E Networks]]}}</ref> India has been stably sustaining the political system it adopted in 1950 with no regime change except that by a democratic election. India's sustained democratic freedoms are unique among the world's newer establishments. Since the [[Republic Day (India)|formation of its republic]] abolishing [[Government of India Act 1935|British law]], it has remained a democracy with civil liberties, an active Supreme Court, and a largely independent press.{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2006|p = 304}} India leads region in [[Democracy Index]]. It has a [[multi-party system]] in its internal regional politics{{sfn|Burnell|Calvert|1999|p = 125}} whereas alternative transfer of powers to alliances of Indian [[United Progressive Alliance|left-wing]] and [[National Democratic Alliance|right-wing]] political parties in national government provide it with characteristics of a [[Two-party system|two-party state]].<ref name="Political Parties in India">{{cite web|title = Political Parties in India|url = http://electionaffairs.com/parties/parties.html|publisher = electionaffairs.com|access-date = 7 August 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150707215933/http://electionaffairs.com/parties/parties.html|archive-date = 7 July 2015}}</ref> India has been facing notable internal religious conflicts and separatism however [[List of countries by Fragile States Index|consistently becoming more and more stable with time]]. The foundation of Pakistan lies in the [[Pakistan movement]] which began in [[British Raj|colonial India]] based on [[Muslim nationalism in South Asia|Islamic nationalism]]. Pakistan is a [[Federal republic|federal]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[Islamic republic]] and was the world's first country to adopt [[Islamic republic]] system to modify its republican status under its otherwise secular constitution in 1956. Pakistan's governance is one of the most conflicted in the world. The [[Military coups in Pakistan|military rule and the unstable governments in Pakistan]] have become a concern for the South Asian region. Out of 22 appointed [[List of Prime Ministers of Pakistan|Pakistani Prime ministers]], none of them have ever been able to complete a full term in office.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title = No One Has Ever Completed a Term as Pakistan's PM|url = https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/07/25/no-one-has-ever-completed-a-term-as-pakistans-pm/|date = 25 July 2018|access-date = 18 October 2019|magazine=[[Foreign Policy]]}}</ref> The nature of [[Politics of Pakistan|Pakistani politics]] can be characterized as a [[multi-party system]]. The [[Unitary state|unitary]] [[semi-presidential system|semi-presidential]] constitutional republic of [[Sri Lanka]] is the oldest sustained democracy in Asia. Tensions between the [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] and the [[Sri Lankan Tamil|Tamils]] led to the emergence of the [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]], a separatist [[Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups|Sri Lankan Tamil militant group]] and the outbreak of the [[Sri Lankan Civil War]]. The war, which ended in 2009, would undermine the country's stability for more than two and a half decades.<ref name="mod-defeat">{{cite news |title=LTTE defeated; Sri Lanka liberated from terror |date=18 May 2009 |url=http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20090518_10 |work=Ministry of Defence |access-date=19 October 2019|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090521113622/http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20090518_10 |archive-date=21 May 2009 }}</ref> Sri Lanka, however, has been leading the region in [[Human Development Index|HDI]] with per capita GDP well ahead of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Sri Lanka has a [[multi-party system]], and the political situation in Sri Lanka has been dominated by an increasingly assertive ideology of [[Sinhalese nationalism]]. [[Bangladesh]] is a [[Unitary state|unitary]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary republic]]. The law of Bangladesh defines it as Islamic<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/sections_detail.php?id=367§ions_id=24549%7CSection|title=2A. The state religion|access-date=18 March 2015}}</ref> as well as secular.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/sections_detail.php?id=367§ions_id=24560%7CSection|title=12.}}</ref> The nature of [[Politics of Bangladesh|Bangladeshi politics]] can be characterized as a [[multi-party system]]. Bangladesh is a [[unitary state]] and [[parliamentary democracy]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The world factbook-Bangladesh|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/bangladesh/ |publisher=CIA|access-date=6 June 2014}}</ref> Bangladesh also stands out as one of the few Muslim-majority democracies. "It is a moderate and generally secular and tolerant — though sometimes this is getting stretched at the moment — alternative to [[violent extremism]] in a very troubled part of the world", said [[Dan Mozena]], the U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh. Although Bangladesh's legal code is secular, more citizens are embracing a conservative version of [[Islam]], with some pushing for [[sharia law]], analysts say. Experts say that the rise in conservatism reflects the influence of foreign-financed Islamic charities and the more austere version of Islam brought home by migrant workers in [[Persian Gulf]] countries.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gowen|first1=Annie|title=Bangladesh's political unrest threatens economic gains, democracy| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/bangladeshs-political-unrest-threatens-economic-gains-democracy/2014/03/22/baf1807c-a369-11e3-84d4-e59b1709222c_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=6 June 2014| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140702060029/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/bangladeshs-political-unrest-threatens-economic-gains-democracy/2014/03/22/baf1807c-a369-11e3-84d4-e59b1709222c_story.html|archive-date=2 July 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> By the 18th century, the Hindu [[Gorkha Kingdom]] achieved the [[unification of Nepal]]. Hinduism became the state religion and Hindu laws were formulated as national policies. A small oligarchic group of Gorkha region based [[List of Nepali political clans|Hindu Thakuri and Chhetri political families]] dominated the national politics, military and civic affairs until the abdication of the [[Rana dynasty]] regime and [[1951 Nepalese revolution|establishment of Parliamentary democratic system in 1951]], which was twice suspended by Nepalese monarchs, in 1960 and 2005. It was the last Hindu state in world before [[Republic Day (Nepal)|becoming a secular democratic republic]] in 2008. The country's modern development suffered due to the various significant events like the [[1990 Nepalese revolution]], 1996–2006 [[Nepalese Civil War]], [[April 2015 Nepal earthquake]] and the [[2015 Nepal blockade]] by India leading to the grave [[Nepal humanitarian crisis (2015-2017)|2015–2017 Nepal humanitarian crisis]]. There is also a huge turnover in the office of the [[List of prime ministers of Nepal|Prime Minister of Nepal]] leading to serious concerns of [[political instability]]. The country has been ranked one of the poor countries in terms of GDP per capita but it has one of the lowest levels of [[hunger]] problem in South Asia.<ref name="Archived copy"/> When the [[List of countries by Fragile States Index|stability of the country ensured as late as recent]], it has also made considerable progress in development indicators outpacing many other South Asian states. [[Afghanistan]] has been a [[Unitary state|unitary]] [[Theocracy|theocratic]] [[Islamic state|Islamic]] [[emirate]] since 2021. Afghanistan has been suffering from one of the most unstable regimes on earth as a result of [[War in Afghanistan|multiple foreign invasions, civil wars, revolutions and terrorist groups]]. Persisting instability for decades have left the country's economy stagnated and torn and it remains one of the most poor and [[Least developed country|least developed countries]] on the planet, leading to the influx of Afghan refugees to neighboring countries like [[Iran]].<ref name="AfgCIA"/> [[Bhutan]] is a Buddhist state with a [[constitutional monarchy]]. The country has been ranked as the least corrupt and most peaceful country in the region, with the most economic freedom, in 2016. [[Maldives]] is a unitary presidential republic with [[Sunni Islam]] strictly as the state religion. {| class="wikitable" |+ Governance and stability ! colspan="2"| Parameters !Afghanistan|| Bangladesh|| Bhutan || India || Maldives || Nepal || Pakistan || Sri Lanka |- | colspan="2" | [[Fragile States Index]]<ref name = "FSI 2020">{{cite web|title = Fragile States Index 2020|url = https://fundforpeace.org/2020/05/11/fragile-states-index-2020/ |publisher=[[Fund for Peace|The Fund for Peace]]|date = 11 May 2020|access-date = 25 September 2020}}</ref> | 102.9 | 85.7 | 69.5 | 75.3 | 66.2 | 82.6 | 92.1 | 81.8 |- | colspan="2" | [[Corruption Perceptions Index]] (2019)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.transparency.org/cpi2019?/news/feature/cpi-2019|title=Corruption Perceptions Index 2019|website=Transparency International|date=24 January 2020|access-date=4 March 2020|archive-date=12 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512190641/https://www.transparency.org/cpi2019?%2Fnews%2Ffeature%2Fcpi-2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> (Global rank out of 179 countries) | 16 (173rd) || 26 (146th) || 68 (25th) || 41 (80th) || 29 (130th) || 34 (113th) || 32 (120th) || 38 (93rd) |- | rowspan="4" | The Worldwide Governance<br />Indicators (2015)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/#reports|title=Worldwide Governance Indicators|year=2015|website=World Bank|access-date=25 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705084108/http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/#reports|archive-date=5 July 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> | Government Effectiveness |8%|| 24% || 68% || 56% || 41% || 13% || 27% || 53% |- | Political stability and absence<br />of violence/terrorism |1%|| 11% || 89% || 17% || 61% || 16% || 1% || 47% |- | Rule of law |2%|| 27% || 70% || 56% || 35% || 27% || 24% || 60% |- | Voice and accountability | 16%|| 31% || 46% || 61% || 30% || 33% || 27% || 36% |} === Regional politics === {{See also|War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts|South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation}} {{Multiple image | align = right | direction = vertical | width = 220 | image2 = | caption2 = Indian soldiers in [[Batalik]] during the [[Kargil War]] (1999) between India and Pakistan | caption4 = [[Sheikh Hasina]], Prime Minister of Bangladesh, with [[Narendra Modi]], Prime Minister of India, in New York (2019) }} India has been the [[regional power|dominant geopolitical power in the region]]{{sfn|Buzan|2004|p=71}}<<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.twq.com/04winter/docs/04winter_perkovich.pdf |title=Is India a Major Power? |last=Perkovich |first=George |journal=The Washington Quarterly |issue=27.1 Winter 2003–04 |access-date=12 August 2020|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227014858/http://www.twq.com/04winter/docs/04winter_perkovich.pdf |archive-date=27 February 2008 }}</ref><ref name="Regions and powers">{{harvnb|Buzan|Wæver|2003|p=55}}</ref> and alone accounts for most part of the landmass, population, economy and military expenditure in the region.{{sfn|Ali|Aitchison|2005}} India is a [[G20|major economy]], member of [[G4 nations|G4]], has world's [[List of countries by military expenditures|third highest military budget]]<ref>{{Cite news|author=Shaurya Karanbir Gurung|title=India third largest military spender in world, after US and China|url=https://m.economictimes.com/news/defence/global-military-spending-saw-largest-increase-in-decade-in-2019-china-india-in-top-3-study/articleshow/75404166.cms|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=27 April 2020|access-date=12 August 2020}}</ref> and exerts strong [[Greater India|cultural]] and [[Regional hegemony|political influence]] over the region.<ref name="college">{{cite journal |last=Fussman |first=Gérard | title= History of India and Greater India |journal=La Lettre du Collège de France |issue=4 |pages=24–25 |year=2008–2009 |url=https://journals.openedition.org/lettre-cdf/756 |access-date=12 August 2020|doi=10.4000/lettre-cdf.756|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="ASAN">{{Cite journal |author=Deepa M. Ollapally |title=India's Evolving National Identity Contestation: What Reactions to the "Pivot" Tell Us|url=http://www.theasanforum.org/indias-evolving-national-identity-contestation-what-reactions-to-the-pivot-tell-us/|access-date=12 August 2020|language=en|journal=[[Asan Institute for Policy Studies#Asan Forum|The Asan Forum]]|volume=8|issue=4|issn=2288-5757|date=July–August 2020|orig-year=2014}}</ref> Sometimes referred as a [[great power]] or [[emerging superpower]] primarily attributed to its large and expanding economic and military abilities, India acts as fulcrum of South Asia.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Immanuel|last=Wallerstein|author-link=Immanuel Wallerstein|title=India: The In-Between Great Power|url=https://iwallerstein.com/india-the-in-between-great-power/|date=1 June 2017|access-date=12 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|first=Madhavi|last=Bhasin|title=India's Role in South Asia Perceived Hegemony or Reluctant Leadership?|url=https://silo.tips/downloadFile/india-s-role-in-south-asia-perceived-hegemony-or-reluctant-leadership|format=PDF|access-date=12 August 2020}}</ref> [[Bangladesh]], [[Pakistan]] and [[Sri Lanka]] are [[middle power]]s with sizeable populations and economies with significant impact on regional politics.<ref name="balancing">{{cite web|url=https://www.clingendael.org/pub/2018/strategic-monitor-2018-2019/a-balancing-act/|title=A Balancing Act: The Role of Middle Powers in Contemporary Diplomacy |first1=Willem |last1=Oosterveld |first2=Bianca |last2=Torossian |work=Strategic Monitor 2018–2019 |publisher=[[Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael|Clingendael Institute]] |access-date=18 May 2019}}</ref>{{sfn|Buzan|2004|pp=71, 99}} During the [[Partition of India]] in 1947, subsequent violence and territorial disputes left relations between India and Pakistan sour and very hostile<ref>{{cite book |first=Stephen P. |last=Cohen |author-link=Stephen P. Cohen |year=2004 |title=The Idea of Pakistan|url=https://archive.org/details/ideaofpakistan00cohe |url-access=registration |publisher=Brookings Institution Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/ideaofpakistan00cohe/page/59 59] |isbn=978-0-8157-9761-6 |quote=American scholar Allen Mcgrath}}</ref> and [[Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts|various confrontations and wars]] which largely shaped the politics of the region and contributed to the [[Bangladesh Liberation War|emergence of Bangladesh]] as an independent country.<ref>{{cite book|title=Crossing the Frontiers of Conflict in the North East and Jammu and Kashmir: From Real Politik to Ideal Politik|author=V.K. Nayar|year=2005|page=198|publisher=Shipra Publications |isbn=978-81-7541-218-7|quote=Though Indian victory in the India- Pakistan War 1971 and the liberation of Bangladesh refurbished India's image}}</ref> With [[Yugoslavia]], India founded the [[Non-Aligned Movement]] but later entered an [[Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation|agreement]] with the former [[Soviet Union]] following Western support for Pakistan.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hanhimaki|2004|p=165}}</ref> Amid the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]], US sent its [[USS Enterprise (CVN-65)|USS ''Enterprise'']] to the Indian Ocean in what was perceived as a [[nuclear threat]] by India.<ref name=Santosh>{{cite book |last = Burne |first = Lester H. |title = Chronological History of U.S. Foreign Relations: 1932–1988 |publisher = Routledge |year= 2003 |isbn = 0-415-93916-X }}</ref> India's [[Smiling Buddha|nuclear test in 1974]] pushed Pakistan's nuclear program<ref>{{Citation | publisher = Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) and Pakistan Television (PTV) | title = Prime minister Secretariat Press Release | quote = India's so-called Peaceful Nuclear Explosion (PNE) is tested and designed to intimidate and establish "Indian hegemony in the subcontinent", most particularly Pakistan... | first = Zulfikar Ali | last = Bhutto | date = 18 May 1974 | url = http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Pakistan/Nuclear/chronology_1974.html | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110918040826/http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Pakistan/Nuclear/chronology_1974.html | archive-date = 18 September 2011 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> who conducted nuclear tests in [[Chagai-I]] in 1998, just 18 days after India's [[Pokhran-II|series of nuclear tests]] for [[thermonuclear weapon]]s.<ref name="Ministry of External Affairs, 1998">{{cite web|title=Official press release by India|url=http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/India/Indianofficial.txt|website=meadev.gov.in/|publisher=Ministry of External Affairs, 1998|access-date=12 August 2020}}</ref> The [[Soviet–Afghan War|Soviet invasion of Afghanistan]] in 1979 accelerated efforts to form a union to restrengthen deteriorating regional security.<ref name="NIHCR in Islamabad">{{cite web|last=Muhammad|first=Jamshed Iqbal|title=SAARC: Origin, Growth, Potential and Achievements |url=http://www.nihcr.edu.pk/Latest_English_Journal/SAARC_Jamshed_Iqbal.pdf|work=National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research in Islamabad|access-date=11 November 2013|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131111092347/http://www.nihcr.edu.pk/Latest_English_Journal/SAARC_Jamshed_Iqbal.pdf |archive-date=11 November 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> After agreements, the union, known as the [[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation]] (SAARC), was finally established in Dhaka in December 1985.<ref name="About SAARC">{{cite web |url=http://www.mohe.gov.af/saarc.afg/about%20us.html |title=About SAARC |website=SAARC Secretariat |access-date=11 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111090614/http://www.mohe.gov.af/saarc.afg/about%20us.html |archive-date=11 November 2013 }}</ref> However, deterioration of [[India–Pakistan relations|India-Pakistan ties]] have led India to emphasize more on sub-regional groups [[South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation|SASEC]], [[BIMSTEC]] and [[BBIN]]. While in East Asia, regional trade accounts for 50% of total trade, it accounts for only a little more than 5% in South Asia.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Realizing the Promise of Regional Trade in South Asia|url = https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2018/10/09/realizing-the-promise-of-regional-trade-in-south-asia|date = 9 October 2018|access-date = 23 October 2019|publisher = [[World Bank]]}}</ref> [[Populism]] is a general characteristic of internal politics of India.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title = The Global Populist Surge Is More than Just a Western Story—Just Look at Asia|url = https://thediplomat.com/2016/12/the-global-populist-surge-is-more-than-just-a-western-story-just-look-at-asia/|date = 10 December 2016|access-date = 23 October 2019|magazine= [[The Diplomat]]}}</ref> ==== Regional groups of countries ==== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- style="background:#ececec;" ! Name ! [[List of countries and dependencies by area|Area]]<br />(km<sup>2</sup>) ! [[List of countries and dependencies by population|Population]] ! [[List of countries and dependencies by population density|Population density]]<br />(per km<sup>2</sup>) ! Capital or Secretariat ! Currency ! Countries ! [[Official language]] ! [[Coat of arms]] |- | [[#Definition|Core definition]] of South Asia | style="text-align:right;"| 5,220,460 | style="text-align:right;"| 1,726,907,000 | style="text-align:right;"| 330.79 | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} | [[Afghanistan]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Bhutan]], India, [[Maldives]], [[Nepal]], [[Pakistan]], Sri Lanka | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} |- | [[United Nations geoscheme|UNSD definition]] of Southern Asia | style="text-align:right;"| 6,778,083 | style="text-align:right;"| 1,702,000,000 | style="text-align:right;"| 270.77 | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} | [[Afghanistan]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Bhutan]], India, [[Iran]], [[Maldives]], [[Nepal]], [[Pakistan]], Sri Lanka | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} |- | [[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation|SAARC]] | style="text-align:right;"| 4,637,469 | style="text-align:right;"| 1,626,000,000 | style="text-align:right;"| 350.6 | style="text-align:center;"| [[Kathmandu]] | {{n/a}} | [[Afghanistan]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Bhutan]], India, [[Maldives]], [[Nepal]], [[Pakistan]], Sri Lanka | style="text-align:center;"| English | {{n/a}} |- | [[South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation|SASEC]] | style="text-align:right;"| 3,565,467 | style="text-align:right;"| 1,485,909,931 | style="text-align:right;"| 416.75 | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} | [[Bangladesh]], [[Bhutan]], India, [[Maldives]], [[Myanmar]], [[Nepal]], Sri Lanka | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} |- | [[BBIN]] | style="text-align:right;"| 3,499,559 | style="text-align:right;"| 1,465,236,000 | style="text-align:right;"| 418.69 | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} | [[Bangladesh]], [[Bhutan]], India, Nepal | {{n/a}} | {{n/a}} |} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page