South Asia

[south ey-zhuh, ey-shuh]

noun

1. the countries and land area of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Pakistan.

Other Word Forms

• South Asian adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of South Asia¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

The scandal involved people from the Caribbean who responded to an invitation to rebuild the UK after World War Two, but the commissioner said it also affected Commonwealth citizens from Africa and South Asia, particularly Bangladesh.

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“The Supreme Court has been a power broker that the military and politicians had to negotiate with and work with,” said Yasser Kureshi, a South Asia expert at Oxford University whose research has focused on Pakistan’s judiciary.

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Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert, says India faces four unappealing options.

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Bangladesh is India's biggest trading partner in South Asia, and India has become Bangladesh's largest export market in Asia.

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Valued at $11 billion in 2024, it is set to triple to $35 billion by 2030, Estelle David, South Asia Director at Business France said.

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