ABSTRACT
South Asia, home to 1.6 billion people, is a geographic reality but not a political one. On the contrary, among the eight states that make up the region, 1 there are profound ideational cleavages and irreconcilable perspectives regarding internal and external security, regional cooperation, and geostrategic objectives. The situation is compounded by diverging levels of economic strength and military capabilities. Above all, South Asia is characterized by dissimilar national approaches regarding the organization of complex, often multifaceted states that possess a bewildering array of religious, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural identities, with adverse consequences for the way in which foreign policy is formulated and implemented. In addition, there are lasting negative legacies of British colonial rule; of the events surrounding the 1947 partition of British India; and a protracted cycle of mutual conflict and suspicion, especially between India and Pakistan.
