The geostrategic environment of south asia is in transition. Internal conflict and regional security in south asia approaches, perspectives and policies shiva hari dahal, haris gazdar, s. Today there is growing importance of oceans for trade and commerce. Southeast asian states risk becoming pawns in a geopolitical clash between two extraregional superpowers. South asias lessons, evolving dynamics, and trajectories. The region is of great geopolitical importance, as it consists of some of the worlds major energy and trade routes, and the largest militaries. In almost all south asian countries, political, social and economic developments have created strong impetus for improvements in public institutions, and their. Furthermore, this is a globally important region for the preservation of biodiversity, particularly in the northern mountainous areas of south asia.
Sep 24, 2012 what is the strategic basis for embracing the importance of the asiapacific region, an approach that has been described as rebalancing. The natures of relations between these two states largely shape the political course of action in south asia. South asia is a realm of one of the oldest civilizations in the world where people from all races and religions have coexisted over a long period of time. Water resources of south asian subcontinent south asia is a region of both abundance and scarcity of water. However, water is most crucial element of south asian subcontinent has fuelled a lot heated discussion. Nafldregarded as a consequence of the modern sedentary, foodabundant lifestyle prevalent in the westwas recorded in japan nearly 50 years ago and its changing epidemiology during the past three. Pol 21x geopolitics of south asia fall 2010 instructor. That shift, however, may have opened a pandoras box that will have profound implications not just for the future of the korean peninsula, but for japan, china, and russia as well. The emergence of superpowers such as the usa and the ussr dwarfed the importance of colonial powers like the british uk, france, netherlands in south asia and the indian ocean region. The countries comprising south asia include all saarc countries pakistan, india, afghanistan, bhutan, nepal, bangladesh and sri lanka. The role of saarc in building the drm capacities of south asian. The importance of asia economic and geopolitical considerations siddharth chandra professor and director, asian studies center michigan state university presented as part of michigans connection to asia workshop march 18, 2015. This is an erudite and very readable account of the historical and recent.
Bangladesh is a new independent sovereign state, but the cultural heritage of its people is steeped in history. South asia, despite being the site of the worlds largest democracy. Human development report 2019 human development indices and indicators pdf. South asias turn open knowledge repository world bank group. Failure to do so will mean surrendering the future of the region to the geopolitical interests of extraregional powers. Graham chapman gives a comprehensive account of the geopolitics of the south asian region and its changes, covering its almost entire history in a chronological order. Southeast asia has long been a crucially important region in world politics. Why south asia matters in world affairs sergei desilvaranasinghe. It seems that during the nineteenth century and up to the world war i britain was the dominant power in europe, west asia and south and south east asia. It is not a landlocked region excepting bhutan and nepal. The already weak south asian association for regional cooperation saarc may become even less important and is likely to be replaced by new cooperation formats.
As the us begins to transition out of afghanistan and finds relations with pakistan at their nadir, washington appears to be putting all its eggs in indias basket. Chinas rise, both economically and militarily, and its efforts to increase its. After completing this project, the shortfall of energy sector of pakistan will be controlled. Chinas view of south asia and the indian ocean the. Cohen writes that president clintons trip to south asian countries will not achieve a major political or economic breakthrough, but could mark the beginning of a new u. South asian studies a research journal of south asian studies vol. Ebscohost serves thousands of libraries with premium essays, articles and other content including geo strategic importance of south asia. South asia s lessons, evolving dynamics, and trajectories. These interests could incorporate a whole gamut of historical, geographical, economic, political, social and. The himalayan mountains form the northern border of south asia, whose two main rivers, the indus and the ganges, support the regions great population centers. India has three times the population of all of the other south asian countries combined. Spread interchangeably are forests, mountains, valleys, rivers, deltas, coastlines, islands. Social and political issues in south asia final version jan 29.
South asia is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and natural disasters as was shown by flooding in pakistan, sri lanka and bangladesh. Chapter 2 water disputes in south asian subcontinent 32 2. Another reason for the importance of asia to global wellbeing, arises from its reach around the world. South asia is in the midst of a geopolitical transformation wrought by several simultaneous developments. Later there was a trend to refer to the area as southern asia which included south asia and south east asia. Chinas geopolitical ambitions and growing military capabilities and thesoutheast asian states perceptions of a rising china will play a crucial role in shaping the future of southeast asia and the u. However, the recent shifts in global power relationships have made south asia an important region not to ignore. The arabian sea has limited the south of the country. Bhutan is still a monarchy but the king has initiated plans for. Apr 15, 2016 south asia is achieving increased global importance encapsulating as it does around 1.
The history of the subregion, most notably influenced by the partition of india in 1947, political sensitivities and the. South asia or southern asia, is the southern region of the asian continent, which comprises the. Asia in 1500, over 60% of the worlds economic output came from asia in 1960, only 20% of the worlds gdp came from asia. South asia is achieving increased global importance encapsulating as it does around 1. Ethnically, the people are a blend of many races including austrics, dravidians, aryans, mongols and semitics. However, now south asia is considered to be a region in itself, but as yet no unanimity exists regarding the definition of this region. Political economy of regional integration in south asia priyanka kher abstract although it has been decades since the creation of the south asia association for regional cooperation saarc, regional integration in south asia is still a long distance from priority for south asian countries. A number of developments suggest that south asias political. The book offers important ideas on how asian security will shape up in the future by utilizing the method of scenarios. The cold war may have begun and ended in europe, but it was waged most fiercely in southeast asia. The importance of south asias smaller states page 2.
The indian factor journal of indian studies 25 bring this oil. Neither a resolution to the kashmir conflict nor lasting peace in afghanistan will be possible without pakistan playing a major role. The geopolitics of south asian political stability a recent essay by robert kaplan offers fascinating insight into south asia s political stability. Economically, most south asian countries are increasingly dependent on the global market. Geopolitics of indian ocean and south asia competitive. Can sri lanka capitalise out of its strategic location in. Geographically, it is well defined and distinct geographical region with diversified physio. Increase political visibility of health and developmentstability in the region is essential for regional cooperation. With gratitude and pride i present stimsons latest south asia program book, investigating crises. South asia regional dynamics and strategic concerns csis.
The new geopolitics of southeast asia southeast asian states risk becoming pawns in a geopolitical clash between two extraregional superpowers. Geostrategic environment of south asia regional rapport. South asia took its first concrete step toward regionalism more than 30 years ago, with the creation of the south asian association for regional. Keethaponcalan and padmaja murthy unidir united nations institute for disarmament research geneva, switzerland. Political economy of regional integration in south asia. Internal conflict and regional security in south asia. But on the other hand, if gwadar port becomes operational it will reduce this distance to 5,000 km only. Shifting geopolitics in the greater south asia region.
International relations of south asia south asian studies. The crises of democracy in south asia south asian development is in a stage of crisis. While some south asians are adherents of indigenous religions, chiefly animism, hinduism, buddhism, jainism and sikhism, others are followers of religions that have come, or been. Intensive us engagement for enhanced role in south asia. The geopolitical importance of asian pacific countries. The geopolitics of south asia from early empires to the nuclear age, 3rd edition. Regionspecific activities and initiatives south asia n. Two recent events have increased pakistans already remarkable geopolitical importance. South asia is significant, not least the fact that the region is increasingly getting immense attention courtesy its geostrategic, geopolitical and geoeconomic conundrum. South asia subcontinent is such region where geopolitical entity provides a base for conflicts. China dealt mostly with the kingdoms of southeast asia and had relatively little interaction with south asia. New delhis hostile posture towards islamabad is much reflective of its policy of offensive arreire pensee.
Pakistanindia relations operate at the centre of south asian security calculus. Since its independence in 1948, india has strived to become a major geopolitical power in south asia, and an important player in the world. This report analyses how states in the region are responding to the challenge posed by the strategic interests of the us and china in their geography and economy. Pages in category na importance south asia articles the following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 294 total. In the given atmosphere of hostility,mistrust and belligerence between the two nuclear south asian states,an alarming and scowling situation for regional peace and security,the. South and central asia is a region in the midst of great transition, said newly sworn in u. Priorities in south asia in regional and global context 15. The strategic importance of nepal why nepal is important in south asian geopolitics sultan mahmud term paper earth science geography geopolitics publish your bachelors or masters thesis, dissertation, term paper or essay. A short history of south east asia1 stanford university. Geopolitical overview of south asian subcontinent south asia is a macrogeographical region wherein various countries in close geographical proximity share certain commonality of interests. It is of great geostrategic importance to the eu, which is forging closer ties with countries in south asia as a strong economic player and a major development and. Regional integration and economic development in south asia south asian leaders have made it a priority to tackle key regional issues such as poverty, environment degradation, trade and investment.
In order to strengthen the regionwide value chains, the article recommends. However, south asia is also important for a number of other reasons. Although the author emphasizes the introductory nature of his work, it shows how geological movements moulded the land of this major cultural cradle of the world, its. Social and political issues in south asia prepared by khalid aziz for u. Nov 02, 2016 with economic growth averaging 6 percent over the last two decades, south asia has one of the worlds most dynamic economies, yet its member states have failed to reap the full benefits by developing strong commercial relations with each other. Indian traders, adventurers, teachers and priests continued to be the dominating influence in south east asia until about a. South asia was, prior to 1 947, referred to as britains indian empire or raja diverse mix of british india and a range of kingdoms with varying degrees of subservience and allegiance to the colonial power. The geopolitics of south asian political stability the.
What are the geopolitical significance of south asia. India is targeting pakistans civilian population along the working boundary and the line of control. The trump administration has gone through a remarkable shift in its approach to north korea, culminating in an initial embrace of summit diplomacy. By 2100, it is likely that the asian share of world gdp will have reverted to or will exceed 60%. Traditional geographical importance of pakistan traditionally, pakistans geographical importance has been defined in following ways. Companies from china, india, indonesia and malaysia, are investing in business across the world, in asia, africa and latin america, as well as the west. It also points to some future challenges and possibilities for this important region. While lacking coherency, south asia is nevertheless important.
The importance of south asias smaller states south asia. India is the only country which shares border with all other countries. Pakistans major military ally, it has become one of indias leading trading partners, and plays an important political role in nepal, bangladesh. This volume builds on three decades of stimson research and writing on the threat of conflict in south asia. However, gdp growth rates for most of these countries were relatively high last year. With this tectonic shift in the world economy and the rapid rise of china, the first obama administration in the latter half of 2011, announced that the us would be stepping up its role in the asia. The geopolitical landscape of asia pacific is changing. In economic terms, intraregional trade is less than 2% of gdp, compared to over 20% for east asia. Pdf geopolitics and indias regional ambitions in south asia.
Shifting geopolitics in the greater south asia region asiapacific. Everything that informs geopolitics can be found in south asia. Alliance formation or balance of power farhan hanif siddiqi abstract the article seeks to investigate how alliance formation and balance of power patterns will unfold in south asia in the wake of an intensifying geopolitical rivalry between the united states and china. Such a concentration of population will always be important, whatever its circumstances. Two further sets of dynamics are of secondary importance. Andrew korybko, author of hybrid wars, explains how indoamerican strategy of playing up fault lines in all countries through which chinas obor of which cpec is an integral component has to pass is shaping up. Associate professor, kamala nehru college, university of delhi. Shifting geopolitics in the greater south asia region 3 additionally, the influence of religious and ethnic factors does not make south asia a concise region. Its pretty much the definition of a cultural melting. The chinapakistan economic corridor is a significant bilateral agreement which has the potential to reconfigure the geopolitics of the south asian region.
Pakistans geopolitical importance is underestimated, though it is an important factor in the stability of south and central asia. In this way the importance of egypt from geopolitical point of view immensely increased. The result of chinas belt and road initiative bri, led by president xi jinping, and us president trumps abandonment of the transpacific partnership tpp, is that many asian states are reorientating their longheld policy towards. Afghanistan was of importance to the british colonial empire, especially after the. South asia is one of the most diverse parts of the world, and so summarizing their culture in a single lesson is an incredibly difficult task.
The strategic importance of nepal publish your masters. South asia has a moderate climate, hot in summer as well as extreme cold in. This conference addressed the broader geopolitical consequences. Political 70e 10n 20n 30 n 40 n 60 n 80e 90e 60e 70e 80e 90e 100e 40n 30n 20n 10n indian ocean arabian sea bay of bengal w e n s national boundary national capital legend 250 500 250 500 mi 0 km 0. The sample size of the survey was over 1,000 and consisted of policymakers, academics, business community and members of civil. The us should be careful to realize that there is more to its south asia policy than india and pakistan. Although the united states seems to be willing to continue promoting a balance of power in the south asian region by. Since the early 1990s, south asia, especially india, has witnessed important shifts in economic policy, making it important to assess the regions linkages to the global economy, along with an examination of its persistent problems of. Geopolitical implications of a new era on the korean. Pdf nafld in asia as common and important as in the west.
It is an important contribution to the field of asian and regional security and indias role in it. Both sides try to maintain the strategic balance of power in their favour by two ways. Like all geopolitical regions, however, south asia is neither neat nor precise. The countries comprising south asia include all saarc countries pakistan, i. The growing reach of isisis has been driven in part by social 1 1 the literature on isis and is is vast and still mainly journalistic. Includes contributions on indonesia, malaysia, myanmar, the philippines, singapore, thailand, and vietnam. South asia is gifted with natural water resources specially bhutan and nepal due to large number of glaciers.
It is fed by the hindu kush and himalayan mountain system which is one of the largest storehouses of fresh water in the world. Regional integration and economic development in south asia. Geopolitical challenges of south asia s silk roads. Shifting geopolitics in the greater south asia region dr christopher snedden1 this paper discusses and explains the south asia region, which, depending on how you define it, is home to some 1. While acknowledging the strategic position of the island in the indian ocean region, small states such as sri lanka have to be aware of the geopolitical implications resulting in complications that require foreign policy adjustments, writes natasha fernando today there is growing importance of oceans for trade and commerce. Significance of south asia as strategic location for india. Four case studies of important industries in south asia. The first was an ambitious and complex geostrategic move by india pakistans main geopolitical rival consisting in a twofold strategic partnership with china and the united states. Since major economic activity is agriculture and water being the most important determinant of agriculture and also for other activities. With the total area of 9,96096 km square, pakistan emerges to be one of the most significant geographical patches of asia. Pages in category unknown importance south asia articles the following 198 pages are in this category, out of 198 total. This makes it all the more important to place their fragile political and economic systems on sound democratic and legal foundations and thus enable the countries. South asia, central asia and southeast asia involved in the conicts in syria and iraq on the jihadists side could be as high as 1,000.
Countries in south asia attract less foreign direct investment than global peers. Earlier this week, the wellknown geopolitical analyst robert kaplan wrote an interesting article about south asian geopolitics entitled rearranging the subcontinent. Perhaps one reason is because south asia, according to the world bank, is the least integrated region in the world. Two important events are having a significant influence on existing security arrangements in asia pacific. The region of south asia mainly consists of eight states. After the opening of the suez canal in 1869 the political power and. Southeast asia is home to a wide range of ethnolinguistic groups that extend across a vast territory. International politicoeconomic processes, corrupt political leadership, inefficient state institutions and growing. Assistant secretary of state for south and central asian affairs nisha desai biswal.
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