The South Asian region, comprising the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, The Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, is home to almost 1.6 billion people – almost one‐quarter of the world's population. It consists of some of the world's fastest growing countries, while at the same time, is home to half of the world's poor. Although it is a hugely diverse region, many of the problems and challenges faced by the different countries are similar – poverty, hunger, inequality, social exclusion, internal conflicts and violence.
As part of the Europa Regional Surveys of the World series, this volume follows a well‐established pattern. Part One therefore consists of specially commissioned introductory essays on some of the current issues and problems affecting the region as a whole. These consider security issues; the rise of India as a superpower; the rise of Islamist extremism; globalisation and human development; corruption and governance; population and the environment; forced migration; gender issues and the religions to be found in the region. Each essay concludes with a bibliography for more in‐depth follow on, and in the case of the essay looking at the different religions, we are presented with an extensive four‐page bibliography.
Part Two, comprising the country surveys, is the most substantive part of this directory. Each country is dealt with in a standard pattern. The 35 states and territories of India are also dealt with separately. Attributed background essays cover physical and social geography, history and the economy of the country – all of which have been revised and updated for this edition. These provide interesting insights, e.g. the account of Afghanistan's attempts to control the production of opium. A statistical survey covers the main economic indicators such as population, health and welfare, agriculture, finance, external trade, transport, tourism and education. The figures presented vary considerably in currency, mostly due to the nature of the countries being dealt with. The year 2007 tends to be the most current year given. However, one does have to question the value of including Afghanistan's industrial production figures for 1988/89. A directory section provides full contact details for national and local government offices, diplomatic representatives, the media, finance, trade and industry, transport, tourism, defence and education. A select bibliography concludes each country section.
Part Three is a who's who of 400 individuals prominent in the South Asian region. These are mostly politicians, but also include people like Mohammad Yunus who pioneered microcredit loans to those in extreme poverty and Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Group, one of India's largest group of companies.
The final section focuses on the organizations operating within the region. These include the United Nations and its many specialised agencies, the Asian Development Bank, and the South Asian Association for Regional Co‐operation. Details given for each include purpose, membership, a brief history and activities. Also included in this section is an overview of the 12 major commodities of the region including coconut, jute and tea.
This volume is quite deceiving in that it contains a surprising amount of detail and facts on the South Asia region – information which would take a considerable amount of time to gather from other sources. It provides an excellent overview of the social and economic challenges faced by the region. It is highly recommended for all reference libraries.
