The Southern Center's latest educational package, South Asia in Transition, is divided into six lessons, including lesson plans corresponding to the accompanying video. The video on South Asia is the first in the World in Transition series to be released on DVD.

One of the few publications of its kind, South Asia in Transition looks at India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. These eight countries together are only half the size of the United States, but are home to 1.4 billion people. This region is of growing importance to U.S. security and business interests.

Topics covered in this educational unit include:

1. South Asia: An Overview
   The first section provides a geographic and cultural overview, as well as a synopsis of South Asian history from the Indus Valley civilization through the independence of India and Pakistan.
2. Politics and Government
   This lesson examines historical roots of the region’s political life, highlights each country’s uniqueness, and points to broad political trends that cross borders. Key challenges threatening political and social stability in the region are also discussed.
3. Economics
   This section examines the types of economic activity found in South Asia at the start of the twenty-first century. The lesson also explores the region’s rich economic history, with focus on the post-independence period, and the six prominent drivers of economic development.
4. Population, Health, Environment, and Conflict
   This segment looks at the issues of population, health, the environment, and conflict and their significant social and human consequences in South Asia. Reducing population growth, improving health and health care, reversing environmental decline, and resolving conflict are vital issues for the region.
5. South Asian Social and Cultural Issues
   Home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, the region has a history of social fragmentation and cultural diversity. This lesson explores the roots of South Asian society and culture, focusing on four important areas: religion; family life and the role of woman; the arts, architecture, and literature; and recreation and leisure.
6. South Asia in World Affairs
   The instructional guide and videotape conclude with an overview of relations between the countries of South Asia and the rest of the world. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States demonstrated how sizeable a role South Asia plays in world affairs.

Each topic is featured on the accompanying video that contains historic and current news footage. The instructional manual contains 344 pages and the DVD is 98 minutes long. Both are divided into six segments.

Free Downloads and Other Resources
GPS Correlation Chart [PDF-format file]	Correlation of this package to Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) standards.
Table of Contents [PDF-format file]	Table of Contents for the book.
Timelines	Timelines of recent events in this region and the world.
Infolinks	Other web sites with information about the former Soviet Union and other regions of the world.