The northern reaches of South Asia were affected by an enormous collision of two tectonic plates.
The crash happened between 40 and 50 million years ago. At that time, the plates folded like an accordion. The folds created the mountains of today. One of the plates (the Indian plate) is still moving toward the other one. As a result, at least one of the mountain ranges in this part of Asia – the Himalayas – continues to grow (about two inches every year).
South Asia, in general, is a region of extremes. It has the highest mountains and the lowest elevations. It has areas with tremendous amounts of precipitation and dry deserts. It has areas of rich soil and expanses of sand. The countries of South Asia are all the more diverse for it.
