 South Asia. There are seven countries in the Indian subcontinent, or South Asia. Most of South Asia is a peninsula. South Asia includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. India is the seventh largest nation in the world. It has over one billion people. The official languages are Hindi, English, and 16 others. Four major world religions began in India, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The capital city is New Delhi. More people speak in English in India than in Britain, Ireland, Australia, and Canada combined. Common English words with Indian origins are guru, a wise person, jungle, a heavily forested area, Mogul, a powerful person, and Pundit, a well-known expert. India has the Himalayan mountains in the north and the Indian Ocean in the south. On the west side is the Arabian Sea, and on the east is the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh is the former east Pakistan. It became independent from Pakistan in 1971. The national language is Bengali, and the capital is Dhaka. Bhutan is a land-locked kingdom between India and China. Tempu is the capital city. Rather than rice, the people grow and eat maize. Bhutan is closely connected to India for economics and security. Nepal is a hilly nation between China and India. Mount Everest is located in Nepal. Nepali is the national language. Kathmandu is the capital city. The Nepali men known as Gurkhas are excellent soldiers and often fought for the British. Pakistan is the country that connects West Asia with the subcontinent. It is between Iran and India. It became the homeland for the Muslims in 1947, receiving its freedom from India. The national language is Urdu. The capital city is Islamabad. Sri Lanka was previously known as Ceylon. It is a beautiful island south of India in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka received its independence from England in 1948. Its national languages are Sinhala and Tamil. Its major exports are tea, rubber and gems. The capital city is Colombo. Afghanistan is a landlocked country northwest of Pakistan. It links Central and South Asia, so it is often included in both regions. Afghanistan shares cultural and geographical similarities with both Central and South Asia. It has 26 million people. Major languages are Afghan, Persian and Pashto. Many people are bilingual. The capital city is Kabul. Here is a map of the capital cities and their countries. You have completed this activity on South Asia.