Regional Cooperation in South Asia India Perspectives

The South Asian region comprising eight countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) is one of the most densely populated and poorest regions in the world. It has 23 percent of the world’s population and accounts for a mere 2 percent of world output. The region has 40 percent of the poorest people in the world, and its relatively young population is one of the least literate and the most malnourished in the world (Figure 13.1; Table 13.1). Of these eight countries (excluding Afghanistan), seven are members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which was established in 1985.