A subcontinent is a part of a continent that is politically, culturally, and geographically separate from the rest of the continent. India is also one of the oldest civilizations and countries across the globe, with at least 4000 years of history which makes the region unique with its own distinct identity.
Why is India a subcontinent?
1. Geographical Vastness: It covers 2.4% of the earth’s total land area. It has a long land frontier of about 15,200 km and coastline of about 7516.6 km.
2. Natural Frontiers: It’s natural frontiers like the Himalaya’s in the North and the Deccan Peninsula in the South give it a unique identity on the globe.
3. Geopolitics: From a political perspective, the Indian subcontinent consists of at least 7 countries : India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.
4. Indic identity: The people of the Indian subcontinent have shared ethnic, linguistic, cultural and historical connections.
5. Population: India is the most populous nation in the world.
6. Climatic Homogeneity: The entire landmass is monsoon dependent and dominated by deciduous vegetation.
Conclusion:
India is now aligned with the Asian continent, but it is a distinct region divided by the Himalayas. It was originally a distinct geologic plate, but it collided and fused with Asia.
