ABSTRACT
This introductory chapter presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on the respective country's history and political development; institutions, political parties, and elections; how it has managed conflict; its economic development and contemporary political economy; regional/international relations; and opportunities and constraints. It book provides an overview of the country's post-independence history, dividing its political development into two broad periods and treating the late 1970s and early 1980s as a turning point. The book covers Sri Lanka's relations with India and China and the opportunities and challenges facing the island as it reverts to a more democratic dispensation following the ouster of the Rajapaksa government. The book discusses Nepal's political development and subsequent trajectory by taking into consideration the roles played by the now-deposed monarchy, the country's ethnic diversity, and regional and global opportunities and constraints. The book also highlights the opportunities and constraints facing the South Asian region.
