The Indian subcontinent is a geographic region in South Asia, in which the nations of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan as well as parts of Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and some disputed territory currently controlled by China are located.
The notion of a subcontinent is based on the fact that this region rests on a tectonic plate of its own, separate from the rest of Asia. The southern region of the subcontinent forms an enormous peninsula, while in the north it is separated from the colder regions of China and Mongolia by the Himalaya mountain range, which also acts as a cultural and geographical barrier between it and the rest of Asia.
The island of Sri Lanka, located off the southern tip of India, is also on the plate and is sometimes considered part of the subcontinent.