South Asia Or Indian Subcontinent

The lithosphere is the rigid outermost shell of a rocky planet. The lithosphere is broken up into what are called tectonic plates. In the case of Earth, there are currently seven to eight major (depending on how they are defined) and many minor plates. The India or Indian Plate is a tectonic plate that was originally a part of the ancient continent of Gondwanaland from which it split off, eventually becoming a major plate. About 50 to 55 million years ago, it fused with the adjacent Australian Plate. It is today part of the major Indo-Australian Plate, and includes the subcontinent of India and a portion of the basin under the Indian Ocean. A subcontinent is a large, relatively self-contained landmass forming a subdivision of a continent. A continent is one of several large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria. Conventionally, "Continents are understood to be large, continuous, discrete masses of land, ideally separated by expanses of water. A subcontinent is a large, relatively self-contained landmass forming a subdivision of a continent. The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent and other terms, is a region of the Asian (and, in turn, the Eurasian) continent on the Indian tectonic plate south of the Himalayas, forming a land mass which extends southward into the Indian Ocean. The terms "Indian subcontinent" and "South Asia" are used interchangeably. Due to political sensitivities, some prefer to use the terms "South Asian Subcontinent", the "Indo-Pak Subcontinent", "the Subcontinent", or simply "South Asia" over the term "Indian subcontinent". Geographically, the Indian subcontinent is a peninsular region in south-central Asia, rather resembling a diamond which is delineated by the Himalayas on the north, the Hindu Kush in the west, and the Arakanese in the east, and which extends southward into the Indian Ocean with the Arabian Sea to the southwest and the Bay of Bengal to the southeast. Peninsula is a large mass of land projecting into a body of water.

By dictionary entries, the term subcontinent signifies "having a certain geographical or political independence" from the rest of the continent, or "a vast and more or less self-contained subdivision of a continent. The region largely comprises a peninsula of Eurasia south of the Himalayas and constitutes a geoculturally distinct region within Asia. In the Indian subcontinent the nations of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka as well as parts of Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and some disputed territory currently controlled by China are located. It is also known as the "Indian Subcontinent" and, primarily in Pakistan, as the "Indo-Pak Subcontinent". Being the only region in the world that is commonly described as a subcontinent, "The Subcontinent" is also a very common characterization and often the preferred term, especially in Pakistan.

Indian subcontinent is based on the fact that this region rests on a tectonic plate of its own, separate from the rest of Asia. TThe colder regions of China and Mongolia are separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Himalaya mountain range, which also acts as a cultural and geographical barrier between it and the rest of Asia. Politically, the term ("Indian Subcontinent" or "The Subcontinent") is useful in helping refer to the countries of the region as a group. The latter term ("The Subcontinent"), together with "South Asia", can be useful when discussing issues that affect the common history, culture, etc. of the countries. Citizens of Subcontinental countries besides India can sometimes be offended by the use of "India" or "Indian" in relation to them or their nationality, and often history and culture.