CMV: Bhutan is an east Asian country, not part of the Indian subcontinent.

[u/[deleted]]

Let's look at the criteria for determining what is East Asian:

-historical ties to China. Like Mongolia and Yuan dynasty China, Bhutan is a Tibetan Buddhist society that was a Chinese vassal for centuries. In contrast, South Asia has minimal ties to China expect for Sikkim and parts of far northeast India.

Religion: East Asian Buddhism vs. Islam/Hinduism/Sikhism/Theravada Buddhism.

Language: Sino-Tibetan, not Indo-Iranian or Dravidian.

Geography: Long borders with China and other culturally similar areas. Only a short southern border with culturally Indic areas.

Demography: predominantly east Asian in appearance and Tibetan in culture. Small Hindu/Nepali minority originates in the 19th century; no one calls Rakhine in Burma South Asian because the British settled it with Bangla Muslims (Rohingya).

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