<P> The inclusion of Myanmar in South Asia is without consensus, with many considering it a part of Southeast Asia and others including it within South Asia . Afghanistan was of importance to the British colonial empire, especially after the Second Anglo - Afghan War over 1878--1880 . Afghanistan remained a British protectorate until 1919, when a treaty with Vladimir Lenin included the granting of independence to Afghanistan . Following India's partition, Afghanistan has generally been included in South Asia, with some considering it a part of Southwest Asia . During the Soviet war in Afghanistan (1979--1989) American foreign policy considered Pakistan and Afghanistan in Southwest Asia, while others included it as a part of South Asia . There is no universal agreement among scholars on which countries should be included within South Asia . </P> <P> In the past, a lack of a coherent definition for South Asia resulted in not only a lack of academic studies, but also in a lack interest for such studies . The confusion existed also because of the lack of a clear boundary--geographically, geopolitical, socio - culturally, economically or historically--between South Asia and other parts of Asia, especially the Middle East and Southeast Asia . Identification with a South Asian identity was also found to be significantly low among respondents in an older two - year survey across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka . However, modern definitions of South Asia are very consistent in including Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives as the constituent countries . </P> <P> According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term "subcontinent" signifies a "subdivision of a continent which has a distinct geographical, political, or cultural identity" and also a "large land mass somewhat smaller than a continent". Historians Catherine Asher and Cynthia Talbot state that the term "Indian subcontinent" describes a natural physical landmass in South Asia that has been relatively isolated from the rest of Eurasia . The Indian subcontinent is also a geological term referring to the land mass that drifted northeastwards from ancient Gondwana, colliding with the Eurasian plate nearly 55 million years ago, towards the end of Palaeocene . This geological region largely includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka . </P> <P> The use of the term Indian subcontinent began in the British Empire, and has been a term particularly common in its successors . This region has also been labelled as "India" (in its classical and pre-modern sense), "Greater India", or as South Asia . </P>

What is the most common type of government in south asia