Its called "The Indian Subcontinent" not "the Subcontinent"...?

The terms "Indian subcontinent" and "South Asia" are used interchangeably. Due to political sensitivities, some prefer to use the terms "South Asian Subcontinent", "the Subcontinent", or simply "South Asia" over the term "Indian subcontinent". According to historians Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal, Indian Subcontinent has come to be known as South Asia "in more recent and neutral parlance." Indologist Ronald B. Inden argues that the usage of the term "South Asia" is getting more widespread since it clearly distinguishes the region from East Asia; some academics hold that the term "South Asia" is in more common use in Europe and North America, rather than the terms "Subcontinent" or the "Indian Subcontinent"

Geographically, the Indian subcontinent is a peninsular region in south-central Asia, rather resembling a diamond which is delineated by the Himalayas in 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. With all seven countries included, the area covers about 4.4 million km² (1.7 million mi²), which is 10% of the Asian continent or 2.4% of the world's land surface area. Overall, it accounts for about 34% of Asia's population (or over 16.5% of the world's population) and is home to a vast array of people.

Indian subcontinent - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Folks, its difficult for me to understand why we, the people of india, do not call it the Indian Subcontinent when a big majority of the people have historically referred to at this area as the very same name.
The landmass in and around india is the "Indian subcontinent" not just the subcontinent as the people today have started to refer to. Just like the "Indian" Ocean, the "Persian" Gulf, the "Arabian" sea, the bay of "Bengal", the south china sea, the "Indo-China" (the abomination of Indian & chinese culture and landmass) are named, this landmass is named after India. All the countries in this region have their roots in India and historically they have all been a part of India. (I'm not an expansionist) So why we, The Indians, 1.22 billion people, almost one out of every 5 walking on this earth, shouldn't take pride in calling it THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT.

Will you ignore political sensitivities?

What political sensitiveness? The Sout Asia term was coined by the US cold warriors to keep pakis in good humor

It was an interesting question.

I searched.

Here is an interesting answer.

Debatable though.


Greenland, India, the Middle East and Europe could be described as four subcontinents : Greenland because it is bigger than an island and smaller than a continent, the Middle East and India because they are geographically separate from their larger continent (Asia). Europe, however, is only a subcontinent if considered part of Eurasia.

A subcontinent is usually defined as a peninsula or isthmus of a continent, one that has distinct properties (as on a tectonic plate). It can also include large islands off the shore of a continent.

Fifteen areas that may qualify as subcontinents:

Scandinavia
Iberia (Spain and Portugal)
Caucasia (between the Black and Caspian Seas)
Arabia
the Horn of Africa
India
Southeast Asia
East China
Amuria (Korea, Manchuria, southeastern Siberia)
Kolyma (eastern Siberia)
Alaska
Greenland
Quebec-Labrador
Meso-America (Mexico, Central America)
Patagonia (the southern part of the cone of South America)






A good rule of thumb is that any peninsula, isthmus, or island over 500,000 square miles is a subcontinent. Europe is mostly a huge peninsula, but is usually considered a continent (non-peninsular Europe is the portion of Russia west of the Urals). Australia is a huge island, but is considered a continent.
The only subcontinent in the world is India.

Read more: How many subcontinents are there

Sir, its not possible that if the certain group of "wannabe seperate identities" (ok let me name it, 'arabian' pakis) would start objecting about calling Indiana, or Red Indians, or West Indies or 'Indo'nesia just because all these terms remind them of "India" in it, will make any sense to you? Heck, they would even say that Columbus left Spain on an expedition to find
France rather than East Indies but reached America instead because India didn't exist until 47 and was just a collection of princely states which were a part of 5000 year old Pakistani civilization. paronomasia intended.

You wont believe but in the west(specially US) anything having "Asia" means China,Japan,Korea,Malayasia etc etc which is actually East Asia.

The term which completely makes "South Asia" crystal clear is Indian Subcontinent which includes India,Nepal,Bhutan,Pakistan,Bangladesh,Sri Lanka etc.

As per the purana, it is Jambu Dweepa, Bharat Varsha. Bharat Varsha is described as part of Jambu Dweepa.

The vedic view of Creation of the universe, determination of Kalpa, differentiation of Yugas, description of Manvantaras, description of Jambudweep and Bharatvarsh, description of Kimpurush. Anudweep, Ketumaal varsh etc. and description of Bharat vansha, Prithu vansha, Dev vansh, Rishi vansh, Agni vansh and preceptors are the main topics of Brahmand Purana. Sages, the dynasties of rulers and the legends of Pitas and their propitiation, the conflict between Karttikeya, King of Hihayas and Bhargava Parasurama.. Subsidiary episodes as that of Sagara, the lineage of Vaivasvata Manu and the dissolution of universe, the ultimate annihilation is unique and complete.

Pakistan for USA is part of middle east rather than South Asia. Pakistan for them is not part of Indian subcontinent.

@rock127
Afghanistan is intrinsicaly part of So called South Asia or Indian subcontinent. It is the entire land mass South of Hindu Kush Parbat. Historically, traditionally, economically and culturally Afghanistan had been part of India !

Why miss that out.

But the reasons can be that Pakis think they are arabs and behave like it.It's kinda insult to Pakis but again Pak is a begarait nation.
A perfect case of false identity.

Actually lot of Americans still think India is a part of middle east as well and they depict it as a middle east sometime.

Pakistan for the US is a bank of video games parlour.