The Indian subcontinent is a term mainly used for the geographic region surrounded by the Indian Ocean: the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The subcontinent was once part of Gondwana, the ancient southern supercontinent.

Terms used to describe the subcontinent:-

Through the thousands of years of its history, the Indian subcontinent has been known by various names. During the vedic age, India was called Sapta Sindhu or the land of the seven rivers.these rivers were the Indus Jhelum ,Chenab ,Ravi Beas ,Sutlej and the Mythical Saraswati. Sindhu was the Sanskrit name for the Indus.The earliest reference to this name is in the Zend Avesta or the holy book of ancient Persians.But there it is referred to as Hapt Hindu. In Sanskrit the Persian 'H' gets replaced by 'S' thus Sindhu or Hindu was the name for India from very ancient times.

Another theory says that the word Hindu is derived from the Sanskrit word indu. Indu was another name for Soma, the drink of the vedic people. Soma played an important role in vedic rituals. it was offered to the gods, and then consumed by the people. So the Hindu were the people who drank indu (Soma) and were blessed by it; and the land where they lived was called Hindustan.

After the coming of the Aryans and the spread of the vedic culture, Northern India came to be known as Aryavarta or the land of the Aryans.
India was also known as Bharatvarsha or the land of Bharat weather the descendants of Bharata live. Bharata, the son of king Dushayanta, a mythical king who is believed to have conquered and ruled over the whole of Indian subcontinent.

In all Arabic and Persian literature of the medieval period,the Indian subcontinent is referred to as Hind,and the people who live here as the hindus. The greeks however called this land Indica. It is probably from Indica that the subcontinent got its modern name 'India'

Various Terms Used to Describe the Indian Subcontinent

India has been referred to by various names and terms throughout history, reflecting its diverse cultural, geographical, and historical aspects. Below are some of the terms used to describe the Indian subcontinent:

1. Bharat:
- Bharat is the official name of India in Hindi and Sanskrit. It is derived from the ancient Indian king Bharata, mentioned in Hindu scriptures.

2. Hindustan:
- Hindustan is a Persian term that refers to the land of Hindus. It was used by Persian and Arab travelers to describe the Indian subcontinent.

3. Jambudvipa:
- Jambudvipa is a Sanskrit term that means the "rose-apple continent." It is used in ancient Indian texts to refer to the Indian subcontinent.

4. Aryavarta:
- Aryavarta is a term from ancient Indian texts that means the land of the Aryans. It was used to describe the region where the Vedic civilization flourished.

5. South Asia:
- South Asia is a modern geopolitical term used to describe the region that includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.

6. The Indian Subcontinent:
- The Indian subcontinent is a geographical term used to describe the landmass that includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.

These terms reflect the rich history and cultural diversity of the Indian subcontinent, highlighting the various influences and perspectives that have shaped the region over centuries.